employment for teens

CoreyH

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Mar 5, 2010
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Our family is considering moving to the DR. Are there jobs available in the Sosua Puerto Plata area for english speaking teens? They speak some Spanish, and are both very literate and articulate in English. They're just trying to earn some money for a used car. Thanks.
 

mike l

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Sep 4, 2007
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Not much hope with this concept.

You need to bring money to this country and not expect to earn it hear and there really are no jobs for teens.


When they become of age and have residency with a cedula then they can work in call centers or in the resorts and earn what the locals do which is not enough to buy a car.

Why would teenagers need a car anyway!

Where would they go and why aren't they in school!

Don't you want your children to have a future because you are putting them at a great disadvantage with this kind of thinking!
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Maybe the OP could clarify whether the question is about paid work that could be combined with their school schedule.

In either case they're not likely to find something that pays very much. By the time they've saved it up they'll be well into middle age. :D
 

donP

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Dec 14, 2008
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Shoeshine Novelty

Are there jobs available in the Sosua Puerto Plata area for english speaking teens?

Haven't seen any ads looking for gringo limpiabotas yet... :cheeky:
But as a novelty they might outdo the locals (until getting beaten up by them :tired: )

donP
 

LaTeacher

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May 2, 2008
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a lot of english language schools and institutes will take teenagers over 16 to teach them smaller children. i have a cousin-in-law working at an institute in puerta plata teaching 6-9 year olds. She makes 125 pesos an hour and it's only in the afternoon (3-6)
 
May 29, 2006
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Baby-sitting might work for other ex-pats for sure or some after school nanny type work. Maybe running errands for expats like buying stuff on a shopping list or even IKEA runs for smaller items?
 

CoreyH

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My daughter is almost 18. She is presently homeschooled which offers a very flexible schedule. The need for a car is to go to college.
 

Chirimoya

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English teaching and/or tutoring for younger children may be a good option.
 
May 29, 2006
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It would be a big plus for your daughter if she could get TOESL certified before coming down to the DR. Teaching English is fun esp with little kids.
 
May 29, 2006
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Most local colleges do a weekend course or a few days where you can get certified for $200-$400. You can also do it online here:

LinguaEdge-Online TESOL TEFL Certification, Online English Courses - Online TESOL Course

I did it part-time when I first lived in Japan and had a blast doing it. I was making $25/hour in 1989 which was great, but you could only work a few hours a day with all of the travel. Two classes in one day with 20-30 miles of communting by bus/train. The company also paid for transport costs.
 
May 29, 2006
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Not sure how current this is:

jzb3eu.jpg
 
May 29, 2006
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Among Dominicans, I would guess fewer than 5% use a private car. Motorbikes are far more common and the vast majority of the population uses mass transit of some kind. It is cheap and convenient. I would not reccommend driving for anyone who has not been in the country for at least six months and has had several years experience driving elsewhere. I wouldn't drive there myself.

For short trips, people take motoconchos, for medium trips they take publicos or Gua guas and for bigger trips, they take buses. Don't let your daughter take a moto concho on a highway because many drivers will go extra fast to try to impress her. In a city, $2-$3 a day should be plenty to cover taxi/bus fares.

Transportation in the Dominican Republic

Motorbike taxis are call motoconchos, private taxis with other passengers are called publicos, and the minivans are call guaguas.

It takes a bit of time to learn what to pay but it is not pricey once you have some basic Spanish.
 
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LaTeacher

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May 2, 2008
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are you planning to have your daughter commute from Sosua to Santiago? because that's one heck of a commute. You might be better off looking to rent a small apartment close to the university of her choice and have her walk there or take the bus. A car is a lot more work here than in the states - and the transportation here will take you anywhere you need to go (albeit uncomfortably)
 
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CoreyH

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No, I don't think she would commute. I thought that she would need a car to get around and to go to college. We live in a somewhat rural part of the US and we don't have public transportation like you apparently do in the DR. I am uncomfortable at the thought of having her be alone in a city in a country that we don't know. I know some think I sound timorous, but, as a parent I need to think of my child's safety.