It’s been over a month now, and my shift from Peru to Buenos Aires is starting to feel complete. In the short amount of time since arriving in the Porteño capital, I’ve undergone some major lifestyle changes, the biggest being my jump from the world of rural community volunteering to my new role as a marketing intern for a decidedly for-profit agency.
Unfortunately, despite my return to normal business hours, one thing my new profession doesn’t provide is a paycheck. Having shown up in Buenos Aires on a bit of a whim, I decided to take the position as an unpaid intern in hopes that it might eventually lead somewhere. I know what you’re thinking: “How is not getting paid to work much of a survival plan?” The truth is maybe it isn’t, but I’m trying to exercise a strategy based on a few simple observations about survival in the Buenos Aires job market.
As far as I’m concerned, Buenos Aires provides two obvious options for the hard working foreigner. The first usually necessitates an established specialty or connection and is inspired by a desire to live here for the long-term while at the same time capitalizing largely on American visitors. For example, there are many apartment rental agencies, online businesses, tour companies, and hotels all looking to grab up foreign dollars. These organizations are oftentimes operated by entrepreneurial Westerners, staffed by Westerners and focused on doing business mostly with Westerners. Certainly not bad options, since paychecks in these industries are inspired by Western profits. Nonetheless, in a city of 17 million, these positions are tough to come by, and what’s more important, this type of work often leaves one far removed from most if not all aspects of Porteño culture.
The second route many newcomers take is slightly more difficult to piece together. It involves combining a variety of entry-level positions in order to make ends meet or supplement one’s holidays. These options include part-time jobs such as teaching English, promoting on behalf of bars or clubs, working in call centers or picking up odd hours at hostels – positions that are often ideal for the short-term resident, as they are easy to come by and pay in cash. Although you will be consumed by longer hours and less pay, working in capacities such as these can allow for greater exposure to Buenos Aires culture outside of the wealthy tourist class.
I’m working out a hybrid of these two choices. I’ve concluded that my resources are better spent cultivating contacts and gaining experience by working for free, as opposed to supplementing a budget with low-paying and random jobs. If you are interested in coming to Buenos Aires, know that besides those that I’ve mentioned, other scenarios can work. There are still plenty of opportunities here for the steadily growing expat community, and I’d like to hear if others have experiences or ideas to share.
Latest posts by curtisfox
- Sometimes You Can't Even Give It Away - July 13th, 2011
- Making It Happen For Yourself - February 5th, 2010
- Left My Heart in San Francisco - January 29th, 2010
- Peru: Most Romantic Place on Earth? - December 28th, 2009
- Could You Pick Up Some Milk and a Second Language While You're Out? - December 7th, 2009
- What Your Language Teacher Doesn't Want You to Know - December 3rd, 2009
- Going Into the Wild? *Almost* 10 Things You Should Take - November 23rd, 2009
- Thinking as a Nation - October 26th, 2009
- Your Friend, the Poncho Guy - October 19th, 2009
- Direct TV to Your Adobe - October 13th, 2009
