we are taking the plunge and moving...

[carlywilkins]

ok, so I'm officially doing all of the research I can to finalize my move to BA in *hopefully* less than a year. I a complete beginner here, starting from absolute scratch. I'm hoping to try and land a job before moving, but know that can be difficult. I'm currently an Online Marketing Manager for Madison Square Garden (hopefully that's a recognizable venue with BA employers) and my husband is a reporter for the NY Daily News.

Anyone that has taken the plunge before us, willing to offer advice?

Again, we are starting from square one, so I'll take any advice/info on jobs, visas, where to live, etc. Has anyone moved with a pet? Are there any special restrictions? (we have a 3-legged cat and I really can't see leaving him behind)

 

[Bianca]

My husband and I recently moved here (about 3 months ago now) for his job. It's a bit of a different situation because we had his work helping us with the move. One thing I can offer advice on is traveling with a cat. I did the research and wrote everything down so I would always be able to refer to it. Click here for my posting on traveling with a pet. There are many posts in this forum about pet travel and visa stuff, so you'll probably find a lot of what you need already here!

Good luck with everything!

 

[gouchobob]

Not to throw cold water on your plans but it sounds like you both have good jobs there, why would you want to throw that away? Your chances of getting a job here that pays more than a fraction of what you are probably making are very slim. Yes B.A. is less expensive than NYC but if you can't make any money how do you plan on paying for the cost of life even though costs are reduced. Have you spend any time here beyond a short vacation? Visiting a place on vacation and living there are two very different things. I would advise extreme caution before burning any bridges there.

 

[carlywilkins]

Thank you very much, Bianca for this info. I'm combing through posts about visas now.
And gouchobob, yes, we do have good jobs. But NYC isn't a permanent place for us. We are transplants and never intended to stay permanently (we are currently completing our 5th year here). We're both still pretty young (in our twenties) and really want to try living in South America. We are pretty savvy world-travelers (I'm the child of an airline employee) and I lived abroad while in college, but we really see "surviving" in a new country the next frontier for "us." Ultimately I would LOVE to convince my employer to let me freelance from abroad, but I'm not sure if that will happen. And really, we are still in the VERY early stages of planning... and the Peace Corps is still an option.

 

[jp]

Hi

If your background is online marketing - I'd think of ways to earn dollars. Try and get a job you can do from a distance, or failing that, think of a service or project that you can do yourself. BA can be a great place to "go it on your own". If you've ever had plans to run your own business, try making them in advance of gtting here, lay down the groundwork while you're still in NY, and maybe try and sound out some potential clients.

Hows your spanish? Having business spanish is essential. Online marketing is growing rapidly across the region, but its still a very traditional advertising market, and the way the job market is structured means it can be difficult to break in. Hiring and firing are complicated and bureaucratic, so landing a permanent job in an agency might be very tricky, even with all the right paperwork. Most people seem to network their way into jobs as opposed to presenting a CV. Its a relatively small city and a small job market.

Best way to get ahead in BA is to be self reliant. If you can contract or sell a service in BA and internationally you are in a much stronger position than being reliant on finding an employer to sponsor and support you. I'd plan to be independent if possible, instead of relying on finding work.

 

[LiXueLee]

I do know some people who have managed to come here and work their way into jobs, but in general, these jobs are not high paying. And, it took between 1 and 2 years for these people to garner connections and improve their Spanish in order to be in a position to get the jobs. And, they were tremendously dedicated. And, they really had no shot of starting that process from overseas; the clock started ticking upon their arrival. And, they had significant savings to afford to live while trying to land that local job. And, I'm a total downer, I know!

 

[RobW]

Definitely agree with JP, if you can secure an online job that pays in dollars and live here you will be quite happy. 1,000 US a month for one person is survivable money in BsAs, some would even say that is a lot. Finding work that pays that or more here is not easy as a work visa-less foreigner. Getting a work visa here is not easy either.

Neighborhood choice: I'd do some research either at http://landingpadba.com/cityguide.php or in a guide book to decide what is best for you guys.

Visa stuff: http://baexpats.org/expat-life/5075-overstaying-your-3-month-visa.html is how a lot of people do it here. Run with the tourist visa and pay the fines. Getting a work visa with an Argentine company is not as common.

Take the plunge, its a lot of fun here. Definitely worth it-

 

[tangobob]

(we have a 3-legged cat and I really can't see leaving him behind)

Have you thought of the Isle of Man?

 

[RWS]

But it isn't a Manx, Bob!

 

[tangobob]

But it isn't a Manx, Bob!

I thought if it had three legs, oh never mind.