Looking For An Entry-Level Job

[anmara]

Hello everyone!
I am an Austrian girl looking for a job in beautiful Buenos Aires. After living on/off in Vienna and Buenos Aires I decided to move to Argentina permanently and start to look for an entry-level job here. I recently graduaded from university and am now holding two degrees: a masters degree in international development and a bachelors degree in international business. I have experience working in the public sector administration and the tourism industry. As far as language skills are concerned I have a fluent command of German, English and Spanish, intermediate French skills and basic Portuguese.
I would like to work in the public sector, non-profit sector, or a think tank in Argentina, but I guess it will be a very difficult undertaking to find something in this area of work (and make a decent living out of it). But I am open to take on new challenges and look into new industries. I am aware that there is a lot of competition as a lot of argies are university educated and bi-lingual. But I guess my German skills may help me a bit. I am also aware that jobs here are not well paid - but I would be ok with 5500+ pesos to start with....
So far I concentrated my job search on websites like zonajobs, computrabajo and craigslist. I would be very grateful to get some more information about job openings which may not be posted on this sites or if you know some companies hiring and you think my profile suits what they are looking for!
Thank you in advance!

 

[cmmiori]

Let me see if I undertand this: you lived in Vienna (which means you probably lived/visited other cities in Europe), you have advanced degrees, you speak several languages...and you decided to "move to argentina permanently"...argentina...a country with 30% inflation rate, insecurity out the wazoo, dollar/euro purchase prohibition similar to 1920s USA prohibition, incredibly reckless drivers who, on a great day, may consider letting you cross the street with the light in your favor and all-around unpredictable personalities ...wow...I truly admire your spirit of sacrifice. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.

 

[internationalguy]

It might come as a surprise to you but some of us actually chose Argentina willingly. Buenos Aires has a charm that is very hard to explain. Despite being very troubled it's not all bad and few cities in the world have some of the things Buenos Aires offers. As far as the city being unsafe.... I walk anywhere I want (within reason) and feel perfectly safe. I don't know about the suburbs but as long as you have some common sense I don't see this as a very unsafe city, quite frankly in a way it feels safer than downtown in most major US cities. How would you like to go out for dinner in downtown LA, New Orleans, Detroit, Philadelphia and feel as safe as walking back from a Recoleta steakhouse at 11 pm?

About the job, it might take a while but you sure have a lot to offer a potential employer. Hang in there and good luck.

 

[cmmiori]

Intlguy: I'm glad you haven't been robbed; my sister was robbed at least 3 times, once at gunpoint, my mom was robbed at noon on Florida ave; I live in the Cañitas neighborhood aand we've had numerous apt invasions. I've been living here for 7 years and have been visiting for the past 40 and can assure you that there are many places I used to walk at night that I wouldn't dream of walking during the day. I used to live in the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area and felt safer walking home at night (except in a few areas) than I do here...to each his own I guess.

 

[trennod]

It might come as a surprise to you but some of us actually chose Argentina willingly. Buenos Aires has a charm that is very hard to explain. Despite being very troubled it's not all bad and few cities in the world have some of the things Buenos Aires offers. As far as the city being unsafe.... I walk anywhere I want (within reason) and feel perfectly safe. I don't know about the suburbs but as long as you have some common sense I don't see this as a very unsafe city, quite frankly in a way it feels safer than downtown in most major US cities. How would you like to go out for dinner in downtown LA, New Orleans, Detroit, Philadelphia and feel as safe as walking back from a Recoleta steakhouse at 11 pm?

About the job, it might take a while but you sure have a lot to offer a potential employer. Hang in there and good luck.

Not sure how charming it would be living like a real Argentine though taking home 3,500 - 4,000 pesos a month (approx USD 600 - 650 at official, USD 350-400 at the blue) meanwhile working as a fresh graduate. If you can find a job that is. That doesn't leave much money to live in a decent barrio and enjoy what this city has to offer...

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

CMMIORI:Are you going to post the same spiel in every thread that someone opens looking for advice? Perhaps you could open your own thread for venting and ranting.

To the OP. Your german skills might not be significantly useful here professionally, although as a sideline you might consider some translation work and some tutoring of German language to kids. There are some German schools here, am sure parents would be open to extra help for the well to do kids who attend them !

Also, at the risk of repeating what you'll find in similar threads, networking and who you know is all important. If you make it over you will soon realise that your qualifications won't open as many doors here as they would in the US or Europe. I imagine think tanks will be dominated by nepotism, left leaning groups will be dominated currently by campora alumni, typically having spent many years in UBA, a chaotic but highly rated left leaning public university.

Next, your visa status matters. There are a glut of graduates looking for work here, you will struggle without the all important residency and DNI. If you haven't researched these yet, you need to. If you don't qualify, it is going to be very tough to work legit, outside of translation/language teaching or other cash in hand type jobs.

My advice would be not to limit yourself in your job search, research the various residency criteria and to brush up on your portuguese. Portuguese is way more relavant than German in BA right now.


Also, bear in mind that the economy will trend downwards over the next 2 years minimum, after that ...who knows, but you would be entering into a very unstable economy.

ps...yeah, you would 100% need savings or you are going to struggle by on that money. We rent out a single bedroom apt in palermo (the most popular young expat neighbourhoo) for just under 4000k pesos. Wouldn't leave you much for enjoying yourself....or eating. You'd be looking at a flatshare of course.

 

[mc kenna]

Hey Anmara!
Can't help you with the job hunting but i wanted to welcome you to Argentina and i wish you the best of luck!!!!
Please don't take everything you read here to heart,some people make sounds like it is impossible to live here,and others might make it sound like it's just a piece of cake.
No secret that is not gonna be easy but ain't impossible either
Make your own fate a reality!

 

[trennod]

Anmara, apologies I didn't really offer up much advice. There is a lot of people that come here without jobs, struggle to find them (or find them and realise the pay is well, nothing), blow their savings and then leave. Particularly at the moment, the job market isn't great and neither is the state of the country, but then having said that if you understand what you are getting in to there is plenty to love as well, particularly if your young which I assume you are.

Unfortunately I don't have too much experience in your field and our contacts. If accounting, finance, banking is your thing perhaps I could be of more assistance.

I would concur with most of what D2BA has said and add that in terms of sources contacts can be really important as especially in smaller-mid size organisations people prefer to employ someone they know even if there are better qualified people (as people are very unstrustworthy and dont trust easily hence they prioritise that).

A few things I can think of the top of my head which may help:
1) Bumeran.com.ar which is another jobs web site
2) Getting a linkedin profile and setting it up with your location here. I get dozens of job alerts and I have ex work mates that have picked up very good jobs through here. Plenty of recruitment agents scour it in addition to the company job alerts. I think its more aimed at experienced hires but it can't hurt right?
3) Look up Austrian and/or German companies and see if they have anything going. A client of a colleague of mine is German and the office is 80% Germans. I know this might not be think tank related, but your international business degree could really help plus your languages. And hey once you get a foot in the door somewhere and the work visa/DNI down, you will find your way;
4) Contacts, contacts, contacts. When you get down here I would try and hook up with people you find working and living here. This web site is not a bad start. I would try and join a club(s) - whether it be gym, roller blading, yoga etc Argentines love their activities and if you already speak Spanish its a good way of meeting people.
5) Housing - I would recommend trying to find a shared house, your house mates may even open some work doors for you, plus it would give you an immediate crew to go out with. It will also save you money
6) Brushing up on your Argentine spanish - if you already speak fluent Spanish this won't be too hard, but it could help to familiarise yourself with the lunfardo and local stuff. I can recommend you a teacher who is awesome if you need
7) Things to bring - USD/Euros (preferably USD) and plenty should be at the top of your list.

Anyway, all the best and hope it works out.