# Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile



## MediaShopMaven (Mar 14, 2010)

Hello Everyone,

My brother is co-owns (with his a wife) a small manufacturing operation in Irapuato. I will be staying with him initially. My brother says he may be able to get me in touch with some expats who may be able to get me a job (no guarantees though).

I'm very flexible and welcome any ideas (brick and morter, online, etc.). My reasons for moving are being sick of my career in the states, wanting to learn Spanish and computer programming (my brother is also a programmer) , and in general looking to take my life in a new direction away from the drudgery of American corporate life.

Grad school may be on the horizon, if I can ever get a high enough GRE/GMAT score, which despite my best effort, I have not been able to do working 60 hours per week. Assuming grad school doesn't work out, I'd like to make my way south once I am fluent in Spanish and possibly settle somewhere in South America.

Any insights into ways I could potentially support myself would be greatly appreciated.

A little additional background on me below:

Vitals:
Age - 28
Sex - Male
Ethnicity - African American

Education:
BS Business Admin Emphasis: Finance and Security Analysis
AA Business Admin Emphasis: Economics

Relevant Experience:
Financial Analyst (Industry: Visual Effects/Media/Technology) 2.5 years
Budget Analyst (Industry: Film) 6 months
Intern (Industry: Asset management, specifically credit derivatives) 6 months
Languages: English and very, very basic Spanish


Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

George


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## MediaShopMaven (Mar 14, 2010)

*How common is it for expats to earn US dollars in Mexico?*

Also, I'd like to secure a position in the banking, finance or media industries. I also have an interest in teaching English and/or financial modeling. 

I'd prefer to earn dollars or euros. I'm not sure how realistic this is. Any insights on making it happen would be helpful.

Thanks!


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

You will face several challenges. First, you must realize that living in Mexico, for more than a short tourist visit, will require that you meet the financial requirements for a visa; some $1100-1200 USD of foreign income/resources per month. This must be proven annually. To find a job such as you describe you will need fluent Spanish and a lot of personal, face to face connections. Once found, the prospective employer must sponsor your 'working permit' for that specific position and location. This is an immigration requirement and not at all easy to obtain. Obviously, you would be paid in pesos at Mexican wage levels, which you might find amazingly low. As such, you will be at a distinct disadvantage, competing with young professionals who are citizens, linguistically capable and members of the country's unique culture. I would suggest that you do some online research with likely employers or agencies, while you gain additional experience at home. Perhaps a US company with Mexican or South American interests might employ you in the US and then, with time, you might be able to get a transfer abroad. Meanwhile, you can continue to study Spanish.


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## MediaShopMaven (Mar 14, 2010)

Thanks RVGringo,

I figured it would be tough. I'm basing my prospects on what my brother has told me. He mentioned teaching English and possibly getting a job through his expat network. 

Apparently, given the interpersonal nature of finding a job in Mexico, I won't know for sure if it's possible until I get there.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Many young Americans find that they keep running into 'brick walls' and don't understand why, and aren't usually told. If an applicant for a decent position is perforated or is tattooed, anywhere on the body, job prospects can be virtually impossible to find; it is a cultural thing.


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## Rodrigo84 (Mar 5, 2008)

My American cousin did have the high level connections there and wouldn't have gone had he not had the job in hand before he left. He knows other American expats who tried it the way of going there and searching (he even hosted a friend for 3 months while the guy tried in vain), but it was really miserable (and that was 5 to 7 years ago when the economy was in much better shape. He worked in Fortune 500 company and the corporate experience was only somewhat similar to that of the American and the business is much more difficult and uphill than the U.S. though simply because of the culture and different economy. People really don't have the money they did several years ago and there has been a lot of corporate downsizing.


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## tanderson0o (Aug 30, 2009)

I don't know about the financial markets, but I can tell you that the going rate for IT professionals in Mexico is about half of what it would be in the US. I have started looking at out-sourcing some of my business requirements, and I can hire someone in Mexico (fluent in English and Spanish) for $1,200 USD per month that would require $3,000-$4,000 per month in the US.

Unless you have extremely one of a kind skill sets, you should be prepared to earn considerably less than an equivalent US position. And from what I have seen, the rates for English teachers are somewhere close to $10.00 per hour.

I don't mean to burst your dreams of living and making a living in Mexico or other places in SA but please understand this is a significantly different job market and US standards usually do not apply.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

For all the reasons above, I would seriously look for all the international companies in the Irapuato/Salamanca/Silao area and try to get a job offer outside Mexico that would move you here. You will have some key benefits in that you can trade-off a lot of the company expat expenses. Other alternative is to look at what you might be able to do online.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Most Mexican households have several wage earners, built in baby sitting and communal eating, etc. Most homes are without mortgages and taxes are miniscule, as are basic utility costs; until an expat arrives and wants a whole home to himself and uses many more appliances, etc. That's when costs begin to rise; along with the added expense of buying familiar US brands of imported groceries. As such, the Mexican family lives much more economically than the expat and is able to support a few unemployed members.
Also, remember that Mexican minimum wage is about the equivalent of $5 USD per DAY! Few work for that, but you should know the 'bottom line'. There are also few 'safety nets' and none for expats.


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## Rodrigo84 (Mar 5, 2008)

tanderson0o said:


> I don't know about the financial markets, but I can tell you that the going rate for IT professionals in Mexico is about half of what it would be in the US. I have started looking at out-sourcing some of my business requirements, and I can hire someone in Mexico (fluent in English and Spanish) for $1,200 USD per month that would require $3,000-$4,000 per month in the US.
> 
> Unless you have extremely one of a kind skill sets, you should be prepared to earn considerably less than an equivalent US position. And from what I have seen, the rates for English teachers are somewhere close to $10.00 per hour.
> 
> I don't mean to burst your dreams of living and making a living in Mexico or other places in SA but please understand this is a significantly different job market and US standards usually do not apply.


I fully agree. I've actually seen IT people in Mexico City at smaller companies offered as little as $400 USD (local). My cousin did have a fellow American friend who worked for a telcom firm here about 5 to 6 years ago for about $60K a year (and that was of course excellent), but again his skill sets were extremely unique and the company had tried in vain to find local talent with no luck. I forget what it was but do know it was not an IT skill taught locally and he only came down because his wife had a good paying job here for a few years.


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