Tips for getting your first job in Brazil

You need to learn how to speak portugues first and then have a valid document.

I got extremely lucky. I have a friend who works at a private American school in my city, and she got me an interview with the superintendent of the school, who hired me to tutor a special needs student in Math and English. Since I don't have a car, I take a taxi to and from work, and the school reimburses me. Someone in my situation couldn't have asked for a better job! Two months later, thanks in large part to the same friend, I acquired 2 more students to privately tutor. I tutor my students in all subjects including English, IB Biology, IB History, etc. While my job isn't stable (students will come and go), I am making good money for the time being.

My advice:  Make sure to have all your paperwork in order because you never know when a job might come your way. I received my RNE in February and I applied for both my CPF and Carteira de Trabalho the week before I started working. I also received my Brazilian driver license a month ago, so I'm all set in terms of necessary documentation...just waiting on my CIE. However, until we buy a second car (our current apartment has only one "vaga," so we can't buy a second car even if we wanted to), my husband drives me to and from my evening tutoring sessions.  It's not ideal, but we are both just happy that I'm working! I've been in Brazil for 9 months and until I started working 2 months ago, there were some days when I thought I'd go crazy from boredom. Now, I'm working and my Portuguese has improved, and things are definitely looking up. 

An extremely daunting task at the best of times for an expat because of the very protectionist hiring laws in this country. Employers must prove to the Ministry of Labor that they have exhausted all efforts to place a qualified Brazilian in any job vacancy before they can hire a foreign national to fill it.

The vast majority of expats coming to work in Brazil each year are on temporary assignment from major multinational companies they're already employed by; however there are always new hires among those with degrees in highly specialized STEM (sci / tech / engin / math) field professions.

A reasonably solid foundation in Portuguese is absolutely essential. Portuguese is the language of the workplace here in Brazil, English is NOT widely spoken even in major companies. You will need a firm base in the language in order to communicate effectively with your superiors, co-workers, customers/clients, etc.

Finding work in Brazil while still abroad is extremely difficult, but not impossible. You must realize however that candidates that are here in Brazil and can actually attend personal interviews are going to be at a distinct advantage over anyone who is not. The most successful way to find work from abroad would be to contact large multinational companies in your home country that also have operations in Brazil. If they can't help you with direct placement, they can often put you in touch with the right people in their Human Resources Dept. here in Brazil.

A highly professional CV/Resume written in perfect Portuguese is an absolute must. You should also remember that here a lot of things are included in the CV that would not even be permitted in other countries. Here you should indicate your age and marital status right on the CV. Keep the CV short (two pages max.), list your educational background and work experience in reverse chronological order starting with the present/most recent and work backwards from there. In work experience, name the company, position, describe the role and list major accomplishments. Do not give personal references until the actual interview, just indicate that references are available on request.

University degrees for regulated professions which have overseeing governing bodies, medical doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc., will most likely need to have their foreign degrees recognized here by a process called "Revalidation".

Remember that (at least for the present) all public service jobs and (direct) employment in state-owned companies is strictly reserved for Brazilian citizens, so don't waste your time trying out for them.

Cheers,
James      Expat-blog Experts Team

In my opinion the best thing to do is to get a job offer from an international company that is operating in Brazil.
It is very difficult for a Non-Brazilian to find work as most companies prefer to hire Brazilians only and you will be discriminated against for getting jobs because of  this as well. 
Fields I have found that require fluent English in Manaus are in the IT sector. You must also be aware that jobs are not regularly advertised in the newspaper, radio or television. 
Your best bet is to have good contacts with people working in some of the companies of your target search. One way to do that is to teach English this may open the door to make friends and contacts with business people in Brazil.  But Prior to coming to Brazil it would be a good Idea to enroll in language classes that teach the Brazilian form of Portuguese.  Your task will be further complicated if you don't have a working knowledge level of the language.

In a nut shell :
1. Research and get the job first while in your home country
2. learn the Language
3. Realize you will be competing for jobs and the discrimination and preferences of hiring a Brazil citizen comes first.
4. Develop good contacts for job referrals in Brazil
5. Having a profession that is in extreme need in Brazil is also a plus.
6. Be prepared for culture shock, It is entirely different than living in the US the bureaucracy is oppressive and difficult for some to deal with.
7. Finally you will need a good measure of luck and timing

Just be better the the rest, and for what ive seen, its not hard
Dont talk, work
Dont take, so much time off,, like the others
Be on time, or even better, be early
Stay late,

Hi Victoria,

Wonderful & Smart Way to start your career. And gradually you have grown to a better position.
Thank You for sharing your positive experiences.

You can also ask for your " Cartao Cidadao " , at Caixa Economico Federal . It can be useful sometimes .