Expert: Sandra - 6/7/2011

Question
Hi there,

I am considering moving to Brazil and I would like to know how hard or how easy it will be for me to get a job and which city would be more convenient to move to. I have a degree in information technology. Would my English skills be helpful.
Thx.

Derek

Answer
Lots of people seem to get caught up in the romance of Brazil. Your question comes up quite often on various forums. The reality of living here is quite a bit different than those posing the question might imagine.

First of all, it is illegal to work or volunteer in Brazil on a tourist visa. A company must prove that there is no qualified Brazilian to do a certain job, in order to spend the time, energy and money to apply for a work visa for a non-Brazilian.  Certain sectors might currently be hiring a few experienced foreign workers; oil rig workers, for example.
Another way to work legally is to fulfill the conditions for a permanent visa (by marriage, parenthood or investment).

There are lots of well-trained and highly qualified Brazilians who are under or un-employed. Many of them have fluent spoken and written English. However, the language used in the workplace is Portuguese.
Salaries are quite low and living costs quite high in major cities (where the jobs are), but Brazilians have already come to terms with the living standards, as a gringo might not, even for the short term.
Most jobs are found through your personal network (in Brazil). Do you have one?  Most people who've tried report that headhunters have been useless.

Hope springs eternal, I suppose, so if this is a closely held dream, do try to pursue it and perhaps you will be luckier than most.