IT4CURAÇAO COMMUNITY PULSE CHECK RESULTS

What 25 Curaçaoans Really Think About Working and Living in Curaçao

Introduction

For years, conversations about returning to Curaçao have been shaped by assumptions.

“There are no opportunities.”

“You can’t grow professionally.”

“It’s all about who you know.”

But how accurate are these beliefs today?

To better understand how Curaçaoans working in technology truly feel about living and working on the island, IT4Curaçao conducted an anonymous Community Pulse Check as part of our Breaking Biases initiative.

Twenty-five people participated. We asked the questions many professional conversations avoid: salaries, career growth, cultural reception, professional opportunities, and the realities of returning home.

The results were not simple. They were nuanced, sometimes contradictory, and often thought-provoking.

Most importantly, they revealed a community that is engaged, interested, and actively thinking about Curaçao’s future.

1. Career Barriers

What’s the #1 thing holding you back from working in Curaçao?

Respondents could select multiple answers.

The strongest barriers identified were:

60% — Lower salaries compared to the Netherlands
40% — Limited career growth opportunities
36% — Few IT opportunities available
24% — Less global exposure
16% — Lower quality of life
16% — Limited affordable housing
12% — Cultural adjustment concerns

Salary emerged as the most frequently cited concern. However, respondents rarely viewed salary in isolation. Instead, it formed part of a larger equation involving career progression, international exposure, lifestyle, and long-term professional development.

One participant summarized this sentiment clearly:

“It’s not attractive to keep people on Curaçao. The infrastructure is behind and so are the possibilities. Curaçao has potential, but I haven’t seen it yet.”

Several respondents also highlighted concerns related to niche specializations. One participant questioned whether a community of SAP Integration Specialists exists on the island at all, demonstrating that the challenge is not merely finding employment, but finding opportunities that match highly specialized expertise.

Others noted that returning is already part of their future plans, but simply not their current priority. In those cases, timing , not Curaçao itself, was the primary factor.

2. Personal Hesitations

Which personal concern resonates with you most?

This question shifted the focus from career barriers to personal and emotional considerations.

Results showed:

48% — “Too senior to be welcomed”
36% — “Curaçao can’t match my pace”
32% — “I’d have to start over again”
8% — “Too junior to be welcomed”

Perhaps the most surprising finding was that nearly half of respondents feared being perceived as too experienced, rather than not experienced enough.

This points to a concern that extends beyond employment opportunities. It suggests a fear of cultural friction and questions around how returning professionals are received by local communities and organizations.

The concern of being “too senior to be welcomed” reflects a perception that external experience may not always be viewed as an asset.

One respondent described it differently:

“Not enough juice taken from Europe.”

The comment suggests that some people feel there is an unspoken expectation to accumulate a certain amount of international experience before returning home. Whether that threshold actually exists remains open for debate.

Others emphasized that their hesitation stems from a simple market reality: their profession currently has little or no representation on the island.

Not every role can yet be supported locally, and acknowledging that reality is an important part of an honest discussion.

3. Intent to Return

Would you consider moving back if the right opportunity existed?

This question produced one of the most encouraging findings of the survey.

Responses were:

52% — Yes, for the right opportunity
24% — Already living or working in Curaçao
20% — Maybe, but still have doubts
4% — No

Only one respondent indicated they would not consider returning.

The remaining 96% were either actively open to the idea, already planning a return, currently living on the island, or willing to consider the move under the right circumstances.

This finding challenges a common narrative that the diaspora is uninterested in coming back.

The survey suggests otherwise.

The real question may not be whether people want to return, but whether suitable opportunities are visible and accessible enough for them to seriously consider it.

As one participant noted:

“I’m not considering moving back. I have already decided to move back in a couple of years.”

Equally important were the voices of those who have already made the transition.

Several respondents had been living in Curaçao for years, providing practical insights that helped ground the discussion in lived experience rather than assumptions.

4. Reverse Bias

If you moved back, what would you fear most from the local reception?

This question explored concerns about how returning professionals might be perceived.

Results included:

40% — “Nothing, I’d own it”
24% — “Who does he think he is?”
12% — “I no longer belong there”
8% — “My ideas will be dismissed”

While many respondents expressed confidence, a significant portion identified concerns around acceptance, belonging, and credibility.

The fear behind “Who does he think he is?” reflects a challenge found in many small communities: returning with new ideas can sometimes be interpreted as criticism rather than contribution.

Several respondents also highlighted concerns that went beyond social dynamics.

One participant stated:

“The main concern would be the political climate.”

This response introduced a broader perspective. For some, the challenge is not personal reception but whether institutions, regulations, and governance structures enable meaningful innovation and change.

Concerns around corruption, nepotism, and bureaucratic barriers appeared repeatedly throughout the survey and emerged as recurring themes.

For these respondents, the perceived obstacles are structural rather than interpersonal.

5. Assumptions About Curaçao’s Professional Ecosystem

What’s your biggest assumption about working in Curaçao?

This question revealed some of the strongest perceptions respondents hold about the local professional environment.

Results were:

60% — “It’s all about who you know”
24% — “Who does he think he is?”
24% — “No mindset for innovation”
8% — “Great to live, not to grow”
8% — “Not serious enough for my level”

The most dominant assumption by far was that professional success depends more on relationships than merit.

This perception influences many of the other concerns raised throughout the survey.

If professionals believe opportunities are primarily determined by networks and connections, salary levels or job vacancies become less persuasive.

One respondent expressed this directly:

“Too much nepotism, cronyism and monopoly to make room for innovation from third parties.”

Similarly, concerns around innovation suggest that some members of the diaspora view Curaçao as being slower to adopt new technologies, new ways of working, and modern regulatory frameworks.

Another recurring perception was that Curaçao offers an excellent quality of life but limited professional growth.

This assumption may be one of the most influential because it is often accepted without challenge.

Yet not everyone shared these concerns.

One respondent, who has lived on the island for two decades, simply answered:

“No assumptions.”

What People Really Wanted to Ask

The open-ended responses provided some of the most valuable insights from the entire survey.

Participants asked questions such as:

How can meaningful change happen in an environment perceived to have institutional corruption?
Are there SAP Integration Specialists and Integration Architects working in Curaçao?
What are the local regulations surrounding information security?
What is the long-term growth trajectory of Curaçao’s digital sector?
How do newcomers find opportunities and build professional networks?
What freelance opportunities exist?
How widely are Microsoft technologies adopted?
What opportunities exist for future generations in education, technology, and innovation?

These are not hypothetical questions.

They are practical questions asked by people seriously evaluating whether Curaçao can support their professional ambitions.

Many were discussed during the Breaking Biases event. Others reveal opportunities for future research, conversations, and community initiatives.

The SAP specialist question is particularly revealing. If highly specialized professionals cannot identify others in their field locally, either those communities are absent or they are invisible.

Both situations deserve attention.

Conclusion

The Challenge Is Visibility, Not Interest

One result stands above all others.

Only 4% of respondents said they would not consider moving back.

The remaining 96% expressed openness, interest, active planning, or had already made the move.

The barriers identified are real. Salary gaps, career concerns, cultural fears, and ecosystem perceptions all deserve serious discussion.

But the survey also suggests that the Curaçaoan IT diaspora is far from disengaged.

Instead, many decisions appear to be based on incomplete information, outdated assumptions, or limited visibility into what is actually happening on the island today.

The strongest assumption identified in the survey was:

“It’s all about who you know.”

Whether that perception reflects reality or not, it influences how professionals evaluate opportunities in Curaçao.

Addressing that perception requires more than optimism. It requires transparency, evidence, and continued dialogue.

As one participant put it:

“The opportunity exists. The question is whether it’s visible enough from where you’re standing.”

That is exactly the gap IT4Curaçao seeks to bridge.

This survey was one step. The Breaking Biases event was another.

The conversation continues.

If these findings resonate with you, whether you have answers, experiences, questions, or ideas, we invite you to join the community and help shape the future of Curaçao’s digital ecosystem.