Jobs?

Has anyone had luck with a real job here without speaking much Castellano? I am open to possibilites and my Castellano will become fluent as time progresses. I am also thinking about starting a business here too... Any stories/advice/experiences would be good! Thanks.

 

What kind of business are you looking to start? Although im fluent in both English and Spanish, but ive just arrived and am looking for a job teaching english...

 

not sure about the business, I am open to possibilities. I want to be able to sustain myself here for a couple years and i know teaching english won´t cut it... (I have bills in the US that need to be paid as well)

 

Hi,
I`ve been here for a few years....worked at a dairy company and then started my own business, (restaurant deli)....for three years I worked very hard to overcome all the obstacles....NOT EASY....think a LOT before you start a business and consider finding a more local person to assist you....and BE very carefull of nice and kind "faces" that rip you off BIG time....(I`ve had everything!).....Many of the argentines have an impression of us Americans as being naive....easy targets....
And remember its better to pay for consulting than take on a business partner!
If you want email me at californiadeli@hotmail.com

Good luck!

 

It's very tough doing business here. Hard for locals and a lot harder for Americans. Business is not aboveboard and you will not know how to handle the corruption. Without a reliable a reliable local partner (very hard to find in this country of users) you will have a tough time. As for normal jobs, it's virtually impossible if you don't speak Spanish, have legal residence and know someone. And even if you DO land some job, what would it pay? $2,500 pesos is a very good executive salary. About 800 dollars. Would that pay your US bills and let you live here? 500 to 800 pesos a month is a more normal BA salary.

 

[California]

I have to agree with the last response...all those numbers are right on target....and living in Argentina with very little income is not a nice experience...

 

[bigbadwolf]

$2,500 pesos is a very good executive salary. About 800 dollars. Would that pay your US bills and let you live here? 500 to 800 pesos a month is a more normal BA salary.

The official GDP for Argentina is US $275 billion. Population is 38 million approx. That should translate to a per capita GDP of roughly $7250. If your figures are correct -- and I have no reason to doubt them -- then the official figures are a load of old cobblers.

How do the locals live on such paltry sums? 500 pesos is about US $170. What do they eat,what clothes do they buy,what do they buy at all? This is third world poverty,period.
What do all of you find so enchanting about the place that you´re willing to abandon North America/Western Europe? I must be missing something.

 

The figures are correct. If your figures are right, I would assume that the wealth here is controlled by a small group.

How do people live here? First of all, people pool their resources. The family unit, if only out of necessity, is stronger here. Children live at home until they are married and sometimes stay at home after marriage. Most people do not own cars. People do not enjoy the lifestyle of the expats who read this website. They seldom, if ever, dine out. If they can not afaford health insurance, they use substandard public hospitals. A large percentage (this grew dramatically after devaluation) live below the poverty line. In the northern provinces there is growing malnutrition. In a nutshell, local expectations are very low compared with those of Europeans/Americans.

Why do Europesns/Americans stay here? Most are in a transition. Just passing through. They often like to rant and rave about how bad the US is, stating or implying that Argentina is somehow superior. The fact is that few would be willing to settle down here and live like a local. There are some people who have married locals and for personal reasons are stuck here.

 

[igor]

Well, next time when you get caught in a traffic jam
or stay in line for theater tickers,
or can not find a place in a restaurant at 10pm because everything is packed,
or have a doctor appointment at a paid hospital and it is a week away.

You will have to wonder where all these people came from, because argentines
do not drive cars,
don't have money for entertainment,
do not go out and
do not buy health insurance.

Or may be these are the ones who "control the wealth".

 

[bigbadwolf]

Well, next time when you get caught in a traffic jam

or stay in line for theater tickers,

or can not find a place in a restaurant at 10pm because everything is packed,

or have a doctor appointment at a paid hospital and it is a week away.



You will have to wonder where all these people came from, because argentines

do not drive cars,

don't have money for entertainment,

do not go out and

do not buy health insurance.



Or may be these are the ones who "control the wealth".

Igor, those are the lucky few. There is malnutrition in the provinces -- which is why provincials are magnetically drawn to BA, where they might be able to eke out bare sustenance. Guest --whoever he is -- is bang on target. Though GDP is back to 1998 levels, overall consumption is still not at 1998 levels, leaving people to suspect that the Gini coefficient (index of income inequality) has gone up.