Relocation To Ba

[paulbrucker]

Hello everyone,

I am currently unsatisfied with my career and where life is taking me. I am a young professional in their mid twenties in medical device sales (3 years exp) living in Detroit, Michigan (United States). I have a bachelors degree in chemistry and communication (double major) and played college football for four years. I thought this is all I wanted out of life but recently my heart is calling me to travel and Buenos Aires has caught my interest.

I would like to relocate there for at least a year. My goal would to be able to support myself financially enough to pay rent, food, join a gym, cheap travel around other parts of Argentina/South America, and a decent amount of fun money for restaurants, bars and clubs. I do have a fair amount of money saved up but don't want to relocate only to spend it all.

Any recommendations for employment opportunities? I would be open to pretty much anything that would pay the bills. Would two part time jobs in coffee shops and bars (40-50 hours a week) be good enough? I hear native English speakers are in high demand as English teachers. Do businesses seek out candidates like myself for more traditional 9-5 jobs? Are tourism jobs a good fit for me?

I would be planning to move Jan 2017 the earliest. I wouldn't mind a roommate but would prefer to be in a neighborhood in the city. I took 3 years of Spanish in high school and an accelerated one for a semester in college where I've always done well. But obviously I will study up on it before I move out there.

Any advice or direction you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Gracias,
Paul

 

[joeschmoe1920]

Believe it or not, you're not the only young American unsatisfied with their career and where life is taking them. In fact, Buenos Aires is teeming with folks just like you. That is why teaching English pays so little. And no, businesses do not seek out candidates like yourself because they would have to sponsor you for a work visa. Good luck and use the search function, as these questions have been asked many times here.

 

[Ceviche]

I think most Americans in their mid to late 20s and early 30's who visit here or think of visiting here want to live here long term for a few years. Too much competition amongst your guys. You need to find skills which no one ( or extremely few have) in Argentina to thrive here else life can be hard here. The saved money back home in a bank in US runs out pretty fast and teaching English all day long is no fun expecially if you have no teaching experience. Your degrees from back home have no value - what matters is real skills which can bring in money.

The best way would be to have at least 100,000 usd ( the more the better) saved up with no debts before you come for a holiday here and then look up/meet people and try to find what you can do here to survive. Cos even 100 k usd wont last forever.

 

[estebandepraga]

Hi
BA is a great place to visit but to live here is another story! To rent an apartment at this moment(a studio not in hot areas like Palermo or toruisty areas like San Telmo or Recoleta) will cost you a minimum of $500 usd and thats not furnished and not in the heart of things. Most likely as you will have no Argentine documents or guarantee for a flat you will either have to pay 1 year up front or rent throught something like AirBnB. Teaching English involves traveling often more than 1 hr on crowded transportation for an hour's lesson where you might get paid about $10usd IN PESOS. Food in supermarkets is about double the price than in USA for many things and forget many things you might like to eat! Wine(bought in a shop) and public transportion in the city(just went up 100% last week) are in my opinion the 2 only cheap things left here. Argentina is like a weed its grows fast then is cut down and grows again! It can be the cheapest major city in the world like in 2002/2003 or amongst the most expensive like now and in the 1990s ESPECIALLY in relative terms to what one earns.
My advise is to come for a few months at first and get your own impression of the place and situation. Good luck with your decsison!

 

[alliek]

If there is any way you can work online and get paid in USD, I would do so. It's how a lot of young people (like me) "make it" here!

 

[Noesdeayer]

Paulbrocker:
I had an in company English instruction business here from 1980 until 2005. In about 2002 most U.S.companies.stopped funding language instruction because they weren't getting the necessary ROI on their core businesses.With the change in business climate some of that funding could return (we keep our fingers crossed).
I'm a New Yorker,now retired in the U.S. & Argentina,who came in1979 If I were you and still interested in Latin America,I would take a good look at 1) Chile,2) Colombia and 3) Peru in that exact order
Argentina is presently a fun place for a visit but not quite yet for working that might not sufficiently improve for another 2 years or so.

 

[fred mertz]

If you don't speak Spanish, I'd cross Colombia off Noesdeayer's recommended list.

 

[gpop]

This type of question comes up often.
Seriously, take a fact-finding trip and then decide.There have been scores of people who've left when the money ran out, or jobs were not available, or a combination of things just didn't add up to what they expected.

Searching/Reading this forum you will find A LOT of advice already available. Currently, I think it's a fairly volatile spot.

 

[Noesdeayer]

Fred Mertz :
I don't mean to overdo a comment,however, as an almost yearly visitor to Colombia, I find it a little difficult to believe that you were unable to make yourself understood as a tourist there in English.
Nonetheless,trying with as much Spanish as you knew,would have gone a long way in human interaction. People everywhere really appreciate visitors who even though they do not command the local language make a concerted effort to communicate in it.I can assure you without doubt that in presnt day Colombia ,if you are interested in working,even just teaching English,you will definitely find peploe willing to listen.
Soy testigo--I am witness to that.

 

[Sockhopper]

I'm shocked at how things incl meals out, rents on unfurnished long residential leases, utilities, theatre tickets, ice cream, wine and groceries are costing this year almost as much or the same as we pay in Nice, France's second most expensive city. I'm always comparing my bills here with what I read about current prices in BA because I want to spend 3 months there. I can't afford to spend like that in BA this year.