Expert: Sandra - 7/27/2009

Question
Hi Sandra,

I have met a Brazilian guy and I really like the country so I am planning to move there in December '09... my dream is coming true :) But to help a little I would like to find a work there. I have heard that it is not easy for a foreigner (I am from Europe). Will it be possible before we get married? I am architect, I run in my country my own business. I speak English and Spanish and I am studying Portuguese now. Can you please tell me where I can look for any kind of information about vacancies? We will probably live in Vitoria, ES o Vicosa, MG. But any city will do for the beginning.
Thank you for your help.

Karolina

Answer
Karolina,

You’ve chosen a very difficult path, but hopefully love will overcome all. Life in Brazil can be wonderful.

You first need to marry and then start the process for Permanencia before you get official permission to work.
But in general, there are so many well-trained and un- or under-employed Brazilians that finding a job is difficult, be it with a firm or independent design contracts. I would be prepared with savings to live on for a least a couple of years. And I would not let any existing contacts in Europe lag, just in case. I hope your fiancé has an excellent paying job as well.

Jobs in Brazil are very dependent on personal contacts. You should talk to your fiancé and his family, and ask them to start speaking to all the people they know, regarding work for you. Brazilians like to know, even second hand, the person they are hiring, or in the case of your own business, contracting with, so they have confidence in that person.

Reports are that recruiters or head-hunters are not very effective in getting people jobs.

Also, the construction industry, including residential, in Brazil seems to me to be one where a lot of money might change hands over access to various jobs for skilled labor on a job site, so this might effect the choice of architect as well.

Do you already understand the way most residential structures are constructed in Brazil?  I believe it is quite different from what you may be used to in Europe.

The city you pick, after you put in all the effort to make the right contacts, should be the one you plan to stay in.
Before deciding on a city to live in, you should go in person to see the state of the construction industry there. Viscosa, being between Juiz da Fora and Belo Horizonte, might give you possibilities in both cities. Victoria is a sizable city itself. Also look at places where foreigners are constructing homes, like maybe Joao Pessoa, or other northeast cities like Salvador, where there seems to be a lot of new apartment construction. Sao Paulo is, of course, the largest business city, with a great deal of construction. If your relatives can help you by using any influential friends they have, then I would advise choosing to live near their location.

Best of luck.