Working in La Vega
How to find a job if you have decided to move to La Vega in the Dominican Republic? Find out in this article.
Out of the Dominican Republic's 32 provinces, La Vega is one of the most popular areas with expatriates, stretching over 639.08 km². Located near the heart of the country, it is, above all, a mountainous region divided into four cities, namely La Vega, Constanza, Jarabacoa, and Jima Abajo. It is deemed to be an agriculturally driven province.
However, it does provide career prospects for foreigners worldwide. Make sure to inquire about its labor market's requirements before setting out on your job search.
La Vega's economy
As mentioned previously, agriculture, consisting of the culture of vegetables, coffee, horticulture, farming, rice cultivation, etc., is La Vega's main economic pillar. Thanks to its appropriate land and climate, Constanza is ideal for the culture of potatoes, fruits, vegetables, horticulture, flowers, etc., while Jarabacoa specializes in the culture of beans and rice. In some areas, agriculture has been diversified, including the production and export of some Chinese vegetables, bananas, cocoas, cassava, citrus, etc.
Farming, livestock, poultry, pork, and beef breeding are important not only for local consumption but also for export, including milk production. Over the years, the manufacturing field, through textiles, as well as tourism and eco-tourism, has consequently developed. In fact, Jarabacoa is popular with tourists for activities such as paragliding, climbing, and kayaking. Tourism is also a source of employment in the region, provided you have the required qualifications and skills.
Finding a job in La Vega
The Internet can be your best ally during your job search in La Vega. Indeed, you will come across many specialized job websites, as well as professional social networks where you can keep posted regarding job vacancies in the region. You just have to type the following keywords: "buscar", "empleo", "La Vega", and "Republica Dominicana".
Although expatriates claim that it is pretty challenging to find a job in La Vega, you can definitely try your luck there. Networking and word-of-mouth may also help if you have friends and contacts on the spot.
A good strategy is half the work
The best thing is to develop a strategy and follow it strictly when you're on the hunt for a job. We know it can be a tough nut to crack in La Vega, but we are here to help you!
In order to make your life a bit less complicated, because we are definitely aware that moving to another country alone is stressful enough, we have created a list of valuable tips and ideas on how to land a job quickly. Also, time is money, priceless, and moving fast.
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Define your goal
Whenever we start looking for something, the first thing we do is to define the “something”. If you don't want to lose a lot of time and energy sending CVs to the wrong companies that actually do not fit your profile, try to really define what it is that you want from a job.
Do you want to work full-time or only a few days a week? Do you want to have a direct contract, or are you okay with working for some company in the middle? Are you comfortable enough in Spanish to work directly with customers, or do you prefer to sit in your office rather quietly?
Also, think about how much money you want (have) to earn in order to live the lifestyle you want. This could be the big catch in the Dominican Republic as wages are not what people are used to in European countries or the United States and Canada, for example.
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Update your CV
This means not only bringing it up to date with your latest certifications and achievements but also translating everything into Spanish. If you want to make sure everything is correct, you can also hire an expert from a website like Fiverr to check your CV for correctness.
You can only update it accordingly and add a matching cover letter if you know the position you are applying for. Try to make it as personalized as possible so you can stand out in the crowd of other applicants.
Tip:
Even though you might want to put every little detail about yourself and your experiences in your CV, try to avoid oversharing. Less is more in that case. Try to keep it within one page.
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Check online for jobs
If you do not get lucky by simply asking around in La Vega, you can always use the internet and its many job portals.
Depending on the time, the location, your qualifications, and some other factors (luck, for example), you will most likely find at least one or two jobs that could be a potential fit for you. If you do not hear back right away, do not lose hope! It is a harsh world these days, especially after a pandemic, so sit tight and just make the best out of it. Be sure to have your professional profiles updated so that they include your latest CV, a current picture, and whatever might be an exciting addition, depending on your profession. Write something insightful and witty if you are looking for a job in the marketing sector, take some new exciting pictures of the marvelous Dominican landscape if you're a photographer, or simply add work examples from previous employers or projects.
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Look up specific companies
If you already have a particular position or even a company in mind, do not check online portals; go straight to their website and check if they have any availability. This can save you a lot of time and, more importantly, energy.
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Connect yourself
It is of uttermost importance to be well-connected everywhere in the world. If you want an accessible entrance or get to know a gate opener at all, the best thing you can do is networking! Go out, get to know people, and try to find local job networks and groups that are exchanging experiences, ideas, etc. You will see it in a place like La Vega, and this will get you a job in almost no time.
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Get references
One thing that most likely every future employer appreciates or even asks explicitly for is a reference. Get in touch with former employers, clients, or co-producers and ask them to kindly write you a great letter of recommendation and vouch for your skills and character. This can help you enormously when looking for a job in La Vega and distinguish you from others as it highlights your personal qualities.
Important things to know as an employee in La Vega in the Dominican Republic
Many things probably won't be like you are used to. One thing is the quality and service of health care and insurance. Also, the taxation system, pension, and banking are likely different. We have put the most important things together in this part of the article to shed a bit more light on your questions, hopefully.
Health insurance and health care
La Vega has six different hospitals from which you can choose if you need any medical assistance.
Being the fourth biggest city in the Dominican Republic, it has a remarkably good health infrastructure compared to other parts of the country.
However, having proper health insurance is another topic. Thanks to recent developments, the government has extended the social security system step by step. Now, employers can quickly provide their employees with at least basic health insurance! Depending on how much you are earning, even if you fall under the 4000 Dominican Pesos mark, you are covered because of the government-paid coverage. Whatever health insurance your employer might provide, in most cases, will not cover all costs for your treatments, and you will still have to pay a part of it.
As an expat, it is not wrong to get additional insurance that mainly caters to the needs of your group. Internationally operating insurance companies are, for example, Allianz Care and Cigna Global.
Tip:
If you need any kind of treatment, ask the clinic or physician about the accepted policies and what they really cover in your case.
Income tax in the Dominican Republic
Income tax in the Dominican Republic is established by Law 11-92 and governed by the Direccion General de Impuestos Internos (DGII). All work that is carried out in the Dominican Republic is taxable, while any type of work from outside the country is not taxable. However, once expats have had residency status for more than three years, their income from overseas – both financial and investing – is the subject of taxation. When expats work for a company, their taxes are automatically deducted, while in the case of self-employed people, it's necessary to register with the DGII. Tax is paid monthly, but the DGII usually demands more money at the end of the year, especially from foreigners.
The tax is based on a sliding scale, which rises each year along with inflation. In reality, only 8% of people pay tax in this country, as all the others earn below the minimum level. Those who work on a freelance basis must know that it's a common practice for the client to deduct 10% of the agreed fee for taxation. There is no double taxation agreement between the United Kingdom and the United States, but there is one with Canada.
Work in tourism in the Dominican Republic
As mentioned above, tourism is one of La Vegas' primary industries apart from agriculture and coffee plantation.
For you, as an expat, this might be your best chance to get a job as a foreigner in La Vega. English-speaking staff is always welcome as most people here won't likely have more than barely sufficient knowledge of any other language than Spanish.
Moreover, the good thing about the region around La Vega is the landscape, which offers perfect soil for adventurers. You can go kayaking, climbing, and paragliding, which opens the doors for you as an instructor. Especially in adventurous sports like these three types, people want a guide who is able to follow their requests and answer their questions correctly. This is necessary to get a sense of safety! Try to get in touch with the tourist information as a first contact point to get the names of local tour operators and more.
Open your own business in the Dominican Republic
In tourist areas, dedicating your professional life to this sector will always be beneficial. The options are most of the time endless, obviously, depending on your experience, the money you can spend, and, of course, your passions.
In La Vega, your best options are opening up a restaurant, bar, or coffee shop. If you're aiming for more significant things, you can also try your luck within the hospitality sector, open a hotel, bed, and breakfast, or start your hotelier's career by running an Airbnb at first.
Alternatively, a rental office for scooters, motorcycles, or some other type of sports equipment might be a successful business option. Big trends within this sector are buggies or quads! These types of rentals can pay off quite well, as you can usually sell them for around 50 USD per day.
Whatever type of work in La Vega you choose, as long as you still get to enjoy living in paradise, you have done everything right, in our opinion!
Find more info about working in the Dominican Republic in general here or about where to live in the area of La Vega.
Useful links:
La Vega - Hospital Reviews - Find a Hospital - Rate a Hospital
La Vega - GoDominicanRepublic.com
