It Professional Salaries

[sleslie23]

There are quite a few entry level jobs for Java programmers around. My company is frequently looking for people because they don't really pay very well, and programmers leave for better positions after getting a few years of experience.

However, unfortunately, Neal, I think it would be practically impossible to find an entry-level IT job here if you are not a citizen or permanent resident who can legally work in Argentina. It's a fairly long, costly process for a company to sponsor you for a visa, and there is no incentive unless you have specific skills that they need in-country.

 

[Neal]

BA is not a place to come and look for work. Its a place to come and spend ur retirement savings.

To be blunt, forget about if for few years. Get a job elswhere learn spanish, save some money then come.

I don't think is the best to come here green and without knowing well the language, unless you really want to be here.

I dont want to write something not in the topic of this post, so if you want to know why i want to go to BA, you can find the answer here http://baexpats.org/topic/26164-why-do-i-choose-ba/#entry207916

 

[sleslie23]

I dont want to write something not in the topic of this post, so if you want to know why i want to go to BA, you can find the answer here http://baexpats.org/...ba/#entry207916

So, your situation is a little different than being a new graduate wanting to start their career in Argentina. Personally, I think studying the way to go. It gets you in the country, will introduce you to contacts (which is vital), and will give you time to improve your Spanish.

 

[ciudadania101]

There are quite a few entry level jobs for Java programmers around. My company is frequently looking for people because they don't really pay very well, and programmers leave for better positions after getting a few years of experience.

However, unfortunately, Neal, I think it would be practically impossible to find an entry-level IT job here if you are not a citizen or permanent resident who can legally work in Argentina. It's a fairly long, costly process for a company to sponsor you for a visa, and there is no incentive unless you have specific skills that they need in-country.

I'm here as a permanent resident and know Java and would love to get some experience. I don't much care about the pay to be honest. So...what are my chances? The reason I ask is wherever I've looked they ask for experience. If your company doesn't care about experience but pays crap then that's cool. I count experience as enough of a "pay" in and of itself.

 

[Rich One]

What are the chances that a CV( that shows no Spanish command and no Work XP) Be Read...!! Perhaps less than 1%, ?

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

What are the chances that a CV( that shows no Spanish command and no Work XP) Be Read...!! Perhaps less than 1%, ?

Almost Correct. The real figure is 0%

 

[Bricky]

The reason I ask is wherever I've looked they ask for experience.

IT is quite difficult to get into now, for exactly this reason. New programmers (read "fresh out of uni") are viewed as a liability for the first year or two - even the really really good ones cost money at the start.

If you're saying that "I know Java", would it be correct to say that it is your only strong language? If so, then you'll need to broaden a bit - java on it's own is never enough (you'll need at least some database and web skills in most cases). Keep in mind that a good programmer will learn a new language in a week or so (and faster if reqd), so one language isn't enough to impress.

And the easiest way to get real (and indeed very fulfilling) experience is to contribute to open source projects. Find something that interests you on google-code/github/whatever - fix of few of the bugs or add some new features, and do so publicly (i.e. use a nick or handle that is obviously you). If you can (for example) put something like "Wordpress Contributor" (with a link to a patch or two that you submitted) into you CV, then it will almost certainly get noticed.

hth



Re IT Salaries in Argentina: In my (admittely, very limited) experience of jobs in this country, I believe that expats working for foreign/multinational companies here tend to get higher wages than the locals. (the links in the early posts in this thread are for local wages I believe)

 

[ciudadania101]

IT is quite difficult to get into now, for exactly this reason. New programmers (read "fresh out of uni") are viewed as a liability for the first year or two - even the really really good ones cost money at the start.

If you're saying that "I know Java", would it be correct to say that it is your only strong language? If so, then you'll need to broaden a bit - java on it's own is never enough (you'll need at least some database and web skills in most cases). Keep in mind that a good programmer will learn a new language in a week or so (and faster if reqd), so one language isn't enough to impress.

And the easiest way to get real (and indeed very fulfilling) experience is to contribute to open source projects. Find something that interests you on google-code/github/whatever - fix of few of the bugs or add some new features, and do so publicly (i.e. use a nick or handle that is obviously you). If you can (for example) put something like "Wordpress Contributor" (with a link to a patch or two that you submitted) into you CV, then it will almost certainly get noticed.

hth



Re IT Salaries in Argentina: In my (admittely, very limited) experience of jobs in this country, I believe that expats working for foreign/multinational companies here tend to get higher wages than the locals. (the links in the early posts in this thread are for local wages I believe)

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it.

I don't just know Java, I know C, HTML, CSS, SQL, Processing, etc (very basic PHP). But yes, I only mentioned Java because that was the only language sleslie mentioned. I have about zero experience since I am still studying full time.

But thanks for the advice about open source projects. I'm definitely going to look into that. I wasn't aware that that was considered "valuable".

 

[Bricky]

But thanks for the advice about open source projects. I'm definitely going to look into that. I wasn't aware that that was considered "valuable".

I can't stress enough just how valuable it is. Anyone can bluff their way through a few uni exams, but get your code accepted into an established open-source project and you're in a much more elite group. Another option to consider would be to do a GSOC (if you haven't already). Positions are mentored, so this will add weight to your CV.

 

[sleslie23]

An entry-level job of any kind, but especially programming, requires a combination of three things:

1) Education (because if you don't have experience, that's all you've got)
2) Contacts
3) Experience

You need at least two of those to get a job. Once you've been working for a few years, 2 and 3 (but especially 2) are all you need.

One thing people aren't considering in this thread is that most Argentines work while they are studying, and many of them in what would be considered professional jobs. Most of the "entry-level" programmers my company hires are students, currently studying engineering or computer science. That doesn't mean they have zero work experience, just that they haven't finished their degrees.