Looking For Work

[solita]

Hi there, wise fellow expats.

In need of some job advice/employment. I have a BA (from Yale) and a PhD (from UCLA) in English lit. Been living in BA off and on for about two years, doing some teaching, editing, communications/project management work. People think that I'm crazy for wanting to remain in BA, particularly when I have robust connections and opportunities back home in the States, but I love the city and I have an Argentine partner. It hasn't been difficult for me to get part-time gigs, but long-term work has been tougher to find, especially since I am not fluent in Spanish (though I do read it well). I'm a curious, smart, and meticulous worker who understands the nuttiness of doing business in Argentina. Any thoughts about how someone with my background might find a long-term position in Buenos Aires?

PS- I'm in Los Angeles for my commencement right now, so I'm in a position to throw in some peanut butter for anyone who offers suggestions...

Gracias!

 

[argsteve]

bribing with peanut butter is a good start.... good luck in your search...

 

[Tangerine]

A six pack of Dr. Pepper will almost guarantee a job and
from Dublin, Tx a good job.

 

[sleslie23]

I don't think you are crazy for wanting to stay in Buenos Aires. Just this afternoon, I was discussing with a coworker why I stay here, despite the fact that it is economic suicide.

However, I do think you are mis-guided in wanting to look for long term work that pays in PESOS. I would focus my energies (and in fact, recently I have been doing exactly that) on using contacts to find ways of getting paid in a different currency.

Practically speaking, this means working freelance. But you have the skills and qualifications to be an editor, writer, or even translator depending on your level of Spanish. I would focus on that, because being paid in pesos SUCKS.

Disclaimer: I have been paid in pesos for 6 years and, when calculated using the blue rate, my salary is less than what I made in my first post-university job 17 years ago. When the exchange was 3.2 to 1 and relatively no inflation, life was good. Now, not so much.

 

[sleslie23]

Duplicate post..

 

[la_guachita]

You say you're smart but got a PhD in English lit, ba ha ha. :lol:

 

[robwerwe]

I don't think you are crazy for wanting to stay in Buenos Aires. Just this afternoon, I was discussing with a coworker why I stay here, despite the fact that it is economic suicide.

However, I do think you are mis-guided in wanting to look for long term work that pays in PESOS. I would focus my energies (and in fact, recently I have been doing exactly that) on using contacts to find ways of getting paid in a different currency.

Practically speaking, this means working freelance. But you have the skills and qualifications to be an editor, writer, or even translator depending on your level of Spanish. I would focus on that, because being paid in pesos SUCKS.

Disclaimer: I have been paid in pesos for 6 years and, when calculated using the blue rate, my salary is less than what I made in my first post-university job 17 years ago. When the exchange was 3.2 to 1 and relatively no inflation, life was good. Now, not so much.

When I first started work in BA 3 years ago my salary was really good but now the inflation has eaten it away and my pay rises haven't kept pace. I feel a bit like a student again 12 years after graduation. ;(

 

[solita]

Sorry for the duplicate post, tablet mishap and then people started replying to both. Indeed, guachita- youthful folly Thanks for sharing your advice and stories- I've been paid in pesos for the last seven months, so I'm familiar with the pain of inflation!

 

[Montauk_Project]

I am similar to you: BA in History from Columbia. It is nice thing to have on your CV, but it isn´t going to get you jobs. I studied a second career in Buenos Aires. I didn´t go back to school to get another degree, I took technical classes. It was cheap, I improved my Spanish and got marketable skills. I also made a lot of contacts in the classes, contacts that I still use to this day. I choose filmmaking (my technical focus is editing, though I can also operate a camera). I can work locally or for international clients, and I get to use the soft skills I used in my university education. Thanks to forums and youtube I can also keep up on new technological developments.
While I always liked movies and made some shorts in high school, I never even took a class in this in New York. I also studied the job market here: while filmmaking seems like a crazy career choice in the US, it isn´t in Buenos Aires.
Don´t be limited by English teaching and translating. I did it for a while and it wasn´t for me.
Maybe you are a clothing designer, a nurse or a carpenter. . . find your passion and get the skills you need to make it happen. I had some lean years but now am doing pretty well, if you can rely on your partner while you possition, give it a shot.
ps--"dame mani" is really good, no need to bring PB back.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

For what it's worth,…
You might send your CV to The Buenos Aires Herald.
It's the oldest English language newspaper in Latin America.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/