Kabbey,
Unfortunately, the credentials you've listed are among the most common in the country.
Some years ago, a forum member posted a want ad for an administrative assistant. It mentioned she had to be a certain color, and heavy on good looks. This was because her primary skill set was to serve as lunchtime entertainment for the exec. Sadly, this happens a lot. Even those who aren't subjected to such treatment are expected to be fluent in Spanish, and are paid next to nothing.
And you'll find quite quickly that at least half the women on the island do hair and/or nails.
Which is the point we're trying to make: finding employment if you don't have a rare skill set AND at least solid Spanish can be exceptionally difficult. Many people get around that by being teachers in bi-lingual schools, or getting hired by international employers prior to arriving (i.e., management positions at the resorts), or by having IT or consulting skills that aren't linked to a particular geographic location.
That doesn't seem to be the case for you. Question: what does your SO do? If he is a professional (or at least well paid), it might make better sense for you to volunteer somewhere, get to know the community, then find a job.
And understand, living "like a Dominican" on a serious budget usually means no AC, uneven power, three generations in the house, "entertainment" consisting of evenings at the colmado, and rice and platanos aplenty.
