Where to Get a Job in Brazil | Part 1
Its is difficulty for skilled Brazilians to find a job, imagine for a foreigner who dont know anything about…
If there is one question people ask me for the most help on, it’s getting a job in Brazil. And rightfully so as employment equals stability, quality of life and a great reason to come to Brazil.
The jobs are out there, though it seems that the biggest struggle you as a foreigner will have is to land the interview. How do you find a job in Brazil, apply for it and land that interview?
You may remember a post from a couple of weeks ago about my brush in with a 6 figure job in São Paulo.
Well, I owe landing that interview to the step-by-step instructions that I will share with you throughout this series of weekly posts.
But beyond landing an interview, I will take things a step further and bring in people who’ve successfully landed jobs in Brazil to share with you about it.
Let’s take a look at what you will be walked through:
- Finding jobs in Brazil.
- Creating an amazing application.
- Fine-tuning your CV / Resumé.
- Getting the interview.
- The successful interview.
- Success stories.
So let me kick this blog series off by sharing with you how I found that 6 figure job in a place where no one really looks…
But first, let me tell you the reality of finding a job in Brazil and landing an interview – it’s all a numbers game!
Finding a Job in Brazil is a Numbers Game
When looking for a job in Brazil it’s all a numbers game, it’s all about increasing your chances of finding a great job that less people know about while at the same time being highly influential and selling yourself well.
Think of it this way:
If you find a job that you’re qualified for and there are 350 applicants how easy will it be to get an interview?
If you said difficult, then you are right!
But let’s say that you you find a job in Brazil you are qualified for where there are only 40 applicants, how easy will it be to get an interview?
About 9 times easier.
Then if you add factors like a great video application, excellent CV / Resumé they are looking for and personal contact to them, then that makes the statistics even more favorable over the other applicants thus putting you into the top few percentile.
This is what will land you the interview (and will be what I walk you through)!
Looking for a Job where Other’s Don’t
I recently read that most jobs are found through your network and aren’t even posted into job databases, though this is true, what do you do when your network isn’t built up or you aren’t even in Brazil yet?
You look in places where people tend to overlook and turn rocks to find hidden gems!
The truth is that people try to find the easy way out…
They like to look on mainstream job databases where everyone else looks, send their applications in like 100’s (or 1000’s) of other people and get frustrated that nothing fruitful comes of it.
Stumbling Across that Great Job
When I stumbled across the job for a Communications Consultant and Project Manager in São Paulo, it was in an odd place – and only there!
It was in such an odd place that only 40 people (I asked) applied for the job: on a Danish job website.
You’re probably thinking “oh well that just means that you have to speak Danish for that job”, nope!
A picture speaks louder then a thousand words and I’m guessing that a video does better then that, so let me show you exactly what I did!
(Watch on YouTube)
Video summary, I showed you:
- Why some jobs are hidden.
- How to find a job website in a foreign country (not Brazil)
- How to find jobs in Brazil through those sites
- How to find “English” results.
Here’s a list of some local country websites to get you started (just type “Brazil” in job search box):
- Denmark:
- Sweden:
- Norway:
- England:
- England:
- International:
- International: (you can change the country at the very bottom)
- International: (you can choose individual countries)
Note: I forgot to mention in the video that you can subscribe to get updates from the different job sites whenever something that fits your search pops up!
Other Places to Look for Jobs in Brazil
The one trick I used above to find that great job was just one of many different methods you can utilize to find a job in Brazil.
A few other methods that are worth showing you are:
- Directly with the companies
- Networks
Finding Jobs in Brazil on LinkedIn
About a month and a half ago, I wrote a post on 3 Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find Jobs in Brazil.
Within it, I covered the main ways LinkedIn helps you to get into the right circles, find the right jobs and connect with the right people that will get you closer to employment in Brazil.
Since writing that post, LinkedIn has really been developing the whole “finding a job” side of things and catering it to you. And one of the beauties of being on LinkedIn is that you can follow companies in Brazil who when they post a new job, you will be notified.
What’s even better is that you can see exactly how many people have clicked on that position!
So if you aren’t on LinkedIn, make sure and create a profile and check out that post I wrote so that you can get started right away!
Finding a Job Directly With the company
Many companies will post vacant job positions directly on their websites, they then either will choose to post it onto a job database, LinkedIn or nothing at all.
Yep, some companies expect job databases to find their job positions for them.
The first step is to find out what international companies operate in Brazil, this can be done by searching Google, LinkedIn and by contacting different embassies in Brazil to get a list of who’s who.
After you have your list of companies, then check to see if they are on LinkedIn or generally where they post new jobs.
The idea is to set up a system, where it will be easy to be notified when a new position opens up.
This leads me to the next suggestion.
Finding Job Networks
When you create the right network of people, information about new jobs will flow to you pretty easy, as people will be on the lookout for you.
This will increase your probability of getting a job by a lot!
A friend of mine recently told me about a job opening at a buddy of his’ business.
He then told his buddy about me who then wrote me asking if I’d be interested in applying for the job.
Let me say it again: this guy contacted me asking if I would be interested in sending him an application!
The job was unfortunately way out of my area of expertise and I politely thanked him for contacting me…
The idea is the same for you, contact companies directly over the telephone and ask if you can send them a CV / Resumé.
Join in Brazil focused groups on LinkedIn and chat with people in there to build relationships so that people will be on the look out for you.
Find like-minded associations or groups and join them, go to networking meetings or conferences they offer.
Final Words
It’s all a numbers game and about increasing your chances to get that one-time shot at the spotlight – the interview!
In the end and through this series of posts, you will be able to land the ever-so-coveted job interview.
So make sure and for future posts.
Now let me ask you a question:
What is your experience with finding jobs in Brazil?
Valeu – cheers!
Kevin
P.S. please give this a thumbs up and share it with others – thanks!
This is some great info Dude.
Good to hear, I'll make sure to get more stuff like this up!
Its is difficulty for skilled Brazilians to find a job, imagine for a foreigner who dont know anything about Brazil working environment. Trust me, if you want to work and have a good salary in brazil, you should try to relocate from overseas earning in dollar or euros, otherwise it will get only low wages skilled jobs, like english teachers, and will not be easy to live with that, specially in capital cities like sao paulo and Rio. Brazil is the best place for holidays, not for work. I have been working in digital media for the past 12 years, born Brazilian, speak 4 languages and for me its hard to keep up my wages in brazil, even been good salary for brazilians standards. I will be emigrating to Ireland next month because salaries are better there and my skills are more valuable, as 2 high skilled brazilians friends living there, at the moment ,told me. Here we had slavery for long time, so we have the culture that you should be blessed for the job you have, and does not matter how hard you have studied to became skilled, your skills never will never be valued in terms of money and recognition. For instance, I had a job offer for web producer, but they want me to have the skills and responsibilities of a digital project manager, but earning as digital producer, which is half salary of an project manager, As I said, don’t be deluded, Brazil is hard for living on wages and, apart that, is dangerous and got really, really expensive to live on the last five years.