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9. Working in Chile

Chile at a Glance

Working in Chile

Expats working in Chile benefit from the country's strong economy.

The Economy

Chile’s economy is largely dominated by foreign trade and its reputation for strong financial institutions. Moreover, expats working in Chile may benefit from the fact that Chile received the strongest sovereign bond rating in South America. Reforms undertaken in the early 1990s strengthened the country’s economic position on the continent. Since the end of the 1990s, the economy has grown at a rate of about 5% per year.

Chile prides itself on being the country with the most bilateral or regional trade agreements in the entire world. Currently, there are about 60 such agreements between Chile and different countries in the world, including China, India, South Korea, Mexico, and the EU. In 2010, Chile became the first South American country to join the OECD. Despite the major earthquake in 2010 and economic downturn in 2009, Chile managed an economic growth of about 5% in 2012.

The Job Search in Chile

One of the best ways of finding a job is through pitutos. Pitutos are your connections to Chile’s business world, people who will get a foot in the door for expats curious about working in Chile. This is a common concept in a country where personal relationships are incredibly important. However, even if you don’t know anybody yet, finding work in Chile is not entirely impossible. Have a look at the Sunday edition of El Mercurio and see if you can find the odd decent job among all the ads asking for salespeople.

However, even if you find a few job ads which sound exciting, you shouldn’t underestimate the persistence it takes to work in Chile. Many companies are hesitant to hire anybody who doesn’t have a valid work visa. At the same time, you need a work contract to apply for a work visa in the first place. Unfortunately, your chances of working in Chile do not exactly increase if you are older than 35. Large, international companies may be your best bet, as they have their own lawyers and are familiar with the process of applying for a work permit for their prospective employees.

Work Environment

Expats who dream of working in Chile should know that the country has the highest amount of working hours in the entire world. In recent years, the number of working hours was reduced from 48 to 45 hours per week. However, as long work days do not necessarily make for higher productivity many Chileans still work those extra hours to meet the deadline.

People working in Chile are not necessarily the quickest when it comes to answering emails or returning phone calls. Messages are often not acknowledged and your business partners may not get back to you unless there is a definitive reason to do so. Indeed, things move a little slower in Chile and you should make sure to check with your business partners every now and then, to make sure everything is getting done on time.