Latin America is a vast region comprising 33 countries, each with its own economy, infrastructure, and government. But regardless of whether you are looking for fintech opportunities in São Paulo or want to help create sustainable agribusiness outside Buenos Aires, Latin American employers from every country and sector are looking for the skills that an international education can deliver.
Read on to find where to look for a first job with a Latin-American company, the qualifications employers are looking for, and how to identify university programs that will develop the skillsets you need to land the interview.
Which Latin-American Regions Have Great Career Opportunities?
Many international students enter university thinking they will either stay in the United States or return to their home country after graduation. However, even though job opportunities in different sectors are becoming increasingly available as infrastructure develops, students often must move to where positions are available.
“Because Latin America encompasses so many different countries, job prospects for many students are going to be dependent upon the infrastructure, including digital infrastructure, that each of those places has,” said Brittany Chill, assistant director of career services at Shorelight. “Places with a developed digital footprint are [those] with multinational IT companies, and those companies are looking for a lot of the same things as US tech employers in newly graduated employees.”
Big Latin-American Cities Offer Opportunities in Many Business Sectors
São Paulo has one of the most robust economies in the world. It is home to six of the 10 largest companies in Brazil in sectors as diverse as food and beverage, finance, and technology. Often called the Silicon Valley of Latin America, São Paulo is also the most critical startup hub in the region.
More established cities such as São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City may represent Latin America’s most significant business hubs. Still, they are not necessarily the best areas of opportunity for new graduates. Depending on your area of study, there are several diverse opportunities with high-ranked corporations throughout the Latin-American region and in cities of all sizes.
In addition, opportunities in smaller cities — especially those in politically stable areas with business-friendly policies — may provide an attractive alternative for students looking to start their careers in growth areas with lower living costs.
Starting Careers in Growing Latin-American Cities
Growing cities may be perfect for new graduates looking to develop a career: You might not make as much money at first as you would in a big city, but it’s likely you’ll get more experience. It’s also much cheaper to live in smaller Latin-American cities.
It’s 16% more affordable to live in Córdoba, Argentina, than in São Paulo and 66% cheaper than living in US tech hub San Francisco. Córdoba is home to a software center for Mercado Libre, the region’s largest ecommerce site, and many other tech opportunities perfect for recent grads.
“Often, where Latin-American students end up depends on the major that they chose,” said Chill. “Grads will have to apply to and move to cities that have a more advanced tech infrastructure rather than their home city or country if that’s not where the job availability is.”
Places like Medellín — home to the Ruta n center of science, technology, and innovation — offer less competition and a growing business sector. Still, Mexico City has 130,000 more tech jobs than Guadalajara, the second-strongest area for tech jobs in Mexico, and that’s hard to ignore.
Regardless of where you settle, in both larger and smaller areas, global corporations and transnational mulitlatinas are looking for the skills that come with international education.
The Skills that Employers in Latin America Seek
Florida International University (FIU) is located in Miami, which is sometimes called the commercial capital of Latin America. Miami is also home to more than 1,100 multinational corporations, many from Latin-American countries. As managing director of the Global First Year program at FIU, David Lecón interfaces with Latin American international corporations as they search for students with the right combination of skills.
“These companies are coming to campus and looking to us to provide them with the next generation of talent, and we have thousands of alums that have grown into senior leadership positions throughout these organizations,” said Lecón. “They want young professionals that speak perfect English and Spanish or Portuguese — for Brazilian corporations — and they want employees with the globalism of an American degree. That is the profile for close to 70% of the employees working in those Latin American headquarters.”
According to Chill and Lecón, many companies place a high premium on students’ abilities to speak fluent English and Spanish or Brazilian Portuguese (or both). Similarly, if students can combine a natural familiarity of Latin-American customs with an international perspective, then Latin-American employers are likely to take notice.
“Many businesses need folks who have a cultural understanding of Latin-American business practices, which are often about relationship building,” said Chill. “Candidates who are going to stand out have great networking and interpersonal skills — relationship building, conflict resolution, problem solving.”
Proven Skills with Real-World Applications that Go Beyond the Classroom
Just as interpersonal and other soft skills improve with practice, real-world experience helps students hone the hard skills they develop inside the classroom. It’s hard to overestimate the value of a degree from a US university for Latin American employers. Still, sometimes, the added certifications and credentials that come with internships, networking, club and organization involvement, and the time spent in interview and resume prep make the real difference for employers.
“The companies we work with at FIU will hire our students because of their well-roundedness. They even give them sponsorships and permanent work visas,” said Lecón. “Even if students don’t spend their entire career in the United States, that experience opens up doors when they move back home or to another Latin-American country.”
It’s important to note, as well, that even the most cutting-edge university programming needs to respond to rapidly changing technology. As a result, employers want specializations and credentials proving that students are familiar with the most current job workflows and requirements and can start a new role with familiarity.
“Our students do more than just look good on paper,” said Chill. “Our students use tools like Pluralsight to complete industry certifications alongside their degree, so they’re a step ahead of their peers and fellow job seekers when they graduate.”
How Do Students Get the Skills that Latin-American Employers Want?
For students looking to work in Latin America or for a Latin-American company with headquarters in Miami, FIU is a great opportunity to combine a prestigious degree with access to the region’s major employers.
“Students have a better chance at finding an internship or full-time opportunity with a Latin-American organization in Miami through FIU,” said Lecón. “FIU has direct connections with these companies in Miami, they come to campus and host job fairs on campus and engage with students.”
At FIU and other Shorelight universities, students can also develop alum relationships and schedule corporate office visits — taking their career skills off campus and into the real world.
“They’re also going to have a chance to connect with alumni through the cybersecurity club, the finance club, or the entrepreneurship club before they graduate. Many of these folks hold roles with prospective employers. They really start to build their network,” said Lecón.
While Miami is a massive area for Latin-American opportunities, students who work with Shorelight receive guidance that helps them determine the right academic program to achieve their career goals. For example, counselors may work with students to determine that a school with a high-ranked business analytics program might be better suited for a specific student’s objectives, or a different university with more industry-specific and less region-specific access to business leaders might be the better choice.
“For students interested in game design, we suggest they look at the University of Utah, because there are several game design companies and tech firms right in Salt Lake City,” said Chill. “Similar to schools like University of the Pacific near San Francisco for tech, or Adelphi University in New York for business majors.”
In addition to the University of Utah, University of the Pacific, and Adelphi University, several Shorelight universities have strong professors, programs, alum networks, and corporate connections covering just about every field and career interest. In times of economic uncertainty or when other outside factors make it challenging to find a CPT, OPT, or an in-person internship to build real-world credentials, many Shorelight programs offer access to virtual opportunities.
“Right now, there is a lot of competition for those internships and early-career roles, and there is no guarantee a student will get one,” said Chill. “Many students who have done a virtual internship have either been offered a paid opportunity at that same employer or used that experience on their resume to attract another employer to hire them. Our strategy is to give students more experience to get them in the door, and so far, it’s working.”
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