“Find a job in Brazil” by a HR manager in São Paulo

April 14, 2016

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Marie Doremus

Finding a job in Brazil is not easy for various reasons, from the economic crisis the country is suffering, to all the paperwork needed from foreigners to work in Brazil. Once more, our Talent Recruiter and HR manager Marie Doremus tells you all about it, and guides you throughout this lengthy process.

Most people are “job seekers” and send their resumes to whoever they can and hope for a favorable outcome. This might work in some countries (I don’t know where but I guess it sometimes works), but not in Brazil. It is very important to bear in mind that quality is better than quantity, it is better to send a few well-done application forms, than many forms not nicely done. I always tell my students to present themselves as “competence providers” and to first have a clear view and plan of what they want to achieve.

1. Define your goals and strategy:

The first step is to define your project:

What do I want to do?
When do I want to achieve my objectives?
How do I plan on doing it?
Which recruiters would be interested in my profile?
What is my added value to companies?
What tools do I need to have in order to find a job?

For any good job research, you must define your strategy and have the right tools according to what you are looking for, and where you are looking. Recruiters refer to it as “personal marketing”. To be successful in sales, you must, aim the right people, aim them the right way and have the right tools. When you are job researching, it works the same, but you are both the seller and the product.

Ask yourself: Why would they recruit me? I have one advice: Business model yourself.

2. The tools for a successful job research:

In Brazil, resumes are used (like in most countries) but they have a different format than in other countries (do not forget to mention your capabilities, what you are looking for, and your past experience). However cover letters are not very common, usually a simple email describing your motivations and skills is enough.

A great tool used in Brazil, as you might know, is LinkedIn. It is the number one curriculum database used by recruiters in the country. In fact Brazil is the third LinkedIn user in the world! Having a well-designed LinkedIn profile in Portuguese, will help you find your dream job in Brazil. Add the right people, linked to your job research, and check for opportunities in your desired sector.

As I said before, be a “competence provider”, show how you can help the other person, do not just add as many people as you can asking for jobs on LinkedIn. Networking means sharing, it can be contacts or competences. Therefore when you network, show interest in the other person and have something to offer, networking is exchanging!

3. Networking:

Once your LinkedIn profile is done and perfectly shaped now comes the real networking part.

“Quem indica” which means “who recommends” is very important in Brazil and facilitates the finding a job process. If someone strongly recommends you, it will be easier to achieve job opportunities. But just knowing someone is not enough. Brazilians, even though they are very friendly and helpful will require knowing you in depth before recommending you.

I estimate that 80% of job offers are hidden, whereas in Europe, this rate is close to 40%. You must thus participate in networking events, have a pitch to present yourself in a few words with catchy phrases to meet as many people as you can who might help you find a job.

4. Contacting and meeting the right people:

Once all these things are done, you can send emails to people offering your services and competences, not before! Now that your objective and plan is well defined, now that your tools are ready, now you can contact people by mail.

Then, once you met or contacted people by mail (or LinkedIn), then comes the final part, interviews!

In Brazil, job interviews are not necessarily formal; these are referred as “Cafezinho” which means “little coffee”. This does not necessarily mean you will drink coffee, but it’s during this second meeting that you must show how you can help your future employer and what can you bring to him. Be ready to sell yourself!

5. The golden rule: Speak Portuguese!

Last but not least, the mandatory tool you must have in order to work in Brazil is to speak Portuguese. Usually Brazilians only speak Portuguese, therefore you will have a strong competitive advantage if you speak Portuguese and your mother tongue (basically, the more languages you speak, the better). Learning Portuguese is easy if you speak another Latin language. Furthermore you will easily be able to express yourself in a work environment by practicing with other people, Brazilians are always happy to speak Portuguese with foreigners, and you will make progresses very quickly.

These steps and rules I gave you, are basically the ones you should respect for all job research anywhere in the world, even though some of them are specific to Brazil. Indeed Brazil is a singular country, with its own culture (even though Brazil is a melting pot of many cultures) and this applies also for the job market. Therefore even if you are not Brazilian, the main tip is to incorporate local ways of doing while keep showing your difference and added value to recruiters!

At Speak Portuguese Brazil, we offer professional coaching to prepare you for this difficult and sometime frightening process of job searching. We thus developed a program called “Find a Job” (Catchy name right?).

During one week, you will with a coach: