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BA job opportunities?

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CuriousUndergrad
  4/22/2019 06:31 EST

I’m Colombian, and am looking to move back home after finishing my BS in mechanical engineering. Over the past few years I’ve solidified a relationship and my partner would be happy to move back to Colombia with me after I’ve completed my year of work in the US, but he’s American and I’m currently worried about what job opportunities we would have there.

Are there opportunities for jobs hiring recently graduated expats in the engineering field? Is it realistic or is it a better idea to solidify a resume in the US and then move back?

morganstern
  4/22/2019 07:28 EST

Mr. Engineer.....I have some exposure to what you are asking about. First, I live with an engineer. A chem/petroleum engineer. Not a good profession these days. Also, my best friends are petroleum/geologists in Bogota...a whole family of them. Jobs are scarce in Colombia, period. Lots of engineers are Uber drivers, no joke. Bad for Colombians let alone foreigners.

Nothing is impossible of course....just be realistic.

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geoffbob
  4/22/2019 07:29 EST

I would think that developing Spanish skills would be even more valuable than building a resume in the field of engineering. Then too there is the legal residency question.

cafetero
  4/22/2019 07:48 EST

One of my Colombian English students just graduated from Colombian university with degree in mechanical engineering. From the way she describes her degree it is very different from the mechanical degree I am familiar with in the US. However, she did get a good job with an American company that has a factory in Medellin. She will do her internship in Medellin then move to USA. Her English skills are advanced intermediate now, and by the end of her internship I expect she will be at advanced level. Maybe you can look in the USA for a similar situation of an American company hiring people for their Colombian office or factory. I was once offered a job as a sales rep for an American company that makes the machines that make radiator cores. For example. Just a thought.

pocopelo
  4/22/2019 08:03 EST

@gb reread the first sentence

cafetero
  4/22/2019 08:50 EST

jajajajaja, good catch Pocopelo, sometimes it seems people answer questions they haven't read.

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testolas
  4/22/2019 09:02 EST

Are you two just getting out of school? Or have you been working in the USA as an Mechanical Engineering.? My suggestion would be work in the USA and save as much money as you can. before moving to Colombia. You will be only getting 10 cent on the dollar working in Colombia and only on contract year to year. So you will need an nest egg. Also you could buy you home out right in Colombia and have an edge on your month to month expense. Also you would have to live in Bogota or move around to each big city picking up your contract as a Mechanical Engineering..

Montholon
  4/22/2019 09:39 EST

Job opportunities for an undergraduate are not so many, and the entry salaries are much lower than in the USA, you will need to build some experience and save money. Try to see if you can work in Maquiladora environment, Bogota, Cali, Medellin. Keep in mind your friend situation with the residency requirements and the job challenges he himself will have. In short, is advisable that you don't make that move yet.

JustSomeGuy
  4/22/2019 09:43 EST

Pocopelo & Cafetero

Help me out guys. It looks like a Colombian and an American are moving to Colombia and looking for jobs. Geoffbob made the reasonable assumption that the American doesn’t speak good Spanish. Also that he might have some trouble staying in Colombia.

The OP does say the American will be moving “back” to Colombia with the OP, which I suppose could lead on to believe the American has spent considerable time in Colombia but that seems iffy to me.

So help me out, what info was in that first sentence that lets us know the American speaks excellent Spanish and can legally stay in Colombia?

cafetero
  4/22/2019 10:03 EST

Just Some guy, good observation and you may well be correct. When I read geofbob comment I sense he is overlooking the first sentence in which the poster says he is ÇColombian and I sense that geofbob has overlooked that if the accompanying American is working in Colombia he will be able to get a work visa.

Whether or not the accompanying American speaks Spanish is not given, so it appears geofbob is assuming that the American does not. I was assuming that the accompanying American probably speaks at least some Spanish since he has apparently lived in Colombia before.

Geofbob may also be correct in his recommendation that the couple build a resume in USA first. Other posters in the thread have pointed out the very low income rate in Colombia compared to USA. It may be a good idea for the couple to work a year or two in USA to build up a cash reserve before returning to Colombia.

I just thought as pointed out by Pocopelo that it was kind of funny the first sentence points out the poster is Colombian which I assume means he can speak Spanish and he is a naturalized citizen so he doesn't need a visa.

So, as usual, everyone in the thread is correct when answering the question through their own filters.

bigjailerman
  4/22/2019 10:31 EST

I see the most important Quaid are the last 2 sentences..
Are there opportunities for jobs hiring recently graduated expats in the engineering field?


In my observations, they are far and few between and income is still Measly

Is it realistic or is it a better idea to solidify a resume in the US and then move back?

I would say absolutely.. You can build up a strong resume and prior to returning to Colombia, you can build contacts while in the field. Wjy not grease the code to your future? I would expect you may want to stay in the states with good paydays and opportunities.

Seems that you didn't mention residence pending issues so I assume none.

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bigjailerman
  4/22/2019 10:32 EST

Questions

Elexpatriado
  4/22/2019 10:58 EST

I am a retired mechanical engineer with 35 years oil and gas experience.

When I first came over in 2012, I was interested in job opportunities, there was a lot happening back then with pipelines and Canadian Oil Companies..but still was hard sledding to try to get expat work..For personal reasons, I elected to give up on it and just enjoy my retirement. I actually found it easier earlier over the years to get offers in Peru, Trinidad and Tobago (I worked there 3 years) , and previously in the Former Soviet Countries and the Middle East. Actually had a short stint in Venezuela before the 2009 financial crisis put a kaybosh to it.Had great potenetial, but only lasted 4 months.

That being said, being young, a Colombian, graduate of a US university, with very high level of technical and conversational Spanish and English written and verbal fluency, and having a bit of international experience helps.

I dont know what your specialty is, and whether it is in demand in Colombia. I still think mining is big and oil and gas is on a slow upswing. However, you cannot be picky as far as work location .

But unless you have minimum 10 plus years specialized in demand work experience, dont expect US or Expat wages anywhere. You will be working for Colombian wages, maybe a bit more with English language proficiency and international experience.


What I would highly recommend , but which most young people dont like to hear, is to be very patient, take your time,stay working in the US, make contacts and inquiries with Local and International.Companies in Colombia on the internet and on vacations in Colombia. It may take years to get what you want, but if that is your dream, go for it.

Get your hoja de Vida updated in both languages. Get on LInked as soon as possible. They still keep sending me positions that come up in Colombia.

I also sent you this message in a PM, as sometimes it doesnt show up here.

Elexpatriado
  4/22/2019 11:03 EST

Also, to be honest, it will be very difficukt for you and your partner to get jobs in the same geographical area...

Elexpatriado
  4/22/2019 11:08 EST

Morganstern

Good honest pos

Lot of Colombian engineers in Canada driving taxis as well

WhoaNellie
  4/22/2019 11:09 EST

If you can even find a job in Colombia, this page can give you a good idea of what self-reported salaries are:

https://tusalario.org/colombia/tusalario/compara-tu-salario#/

For instance, the salary range for an "ingeniero de materiales" with 15 years of experience is quite low, from about 2.2 million COP per month to about 5.5 million COP per month, with an average of about 3.6 million COP per month.

The salary range for an "ingeniero de minería" with 15 years of experience, one of the higher-paying engineering occupations, is from about 3 million COP to about 7.3 million COP with an average of 4.8 million COP.

A civil engineer with 15 years of experience commands salaries ranging from 2.6-6.5 million COP with an average of 4.3 million COP.

SkyMan
  4/22/2019 11:55 EST

Curious.....I believe that the financial aspects of your "potential move" really answers your questions. Stay in the U.S. as you will be compensated much better(even considering the cost of living in the U.S.) If...some years down the road, some really good opportunities open up for you...either here in Colombia, or somewhere else...you will have a good resumé.

As another poster said...being young & having patience are not two(2) things that go together...but in the long-term, you will benefit greatly...by working in your chosen field and building that great track-record. Buena Suerte ! Tranquilo.

Elexpatriado
  4/22/2019 12:06 EST

Whoa Nellie

They ask for way , way too much info. on the site-i.e. previous salaries and bonuses-almost like the person is telling them what their salary is

Electricista
  4/22/2019 12:24 EST

I just can't believe a Colombian engineer student is asking such questions on this forum. I know a young female engineering student in Colombia who knows way more about the opportunities in Colombia vs USA in her field than anyone here and she is only in her first year. You are either a gay guy or a gal. Either way you are way better off to get hitched with your man in the USA and stay there for the job experience. I suspect there are employers recruiting from your university in the US.

WhoaNellie
  4/22/2019 13:37 EST

LX wrote:

"Whoa Nellie

They ask for way , way too much info. on the site-i.e. previous salaries and bonuses-almost like the person is telling them what their salary is"

Unless I am misunderstanding you - that is the point! Yes, they ask what your salary and bonuses are - yes, the person IS telling them what his salary is - the site is SELF-REPORTED salaries and bonuses, and that's the data they present, to give a low-high range and average.

But you don't have to give any of that info just to see what the low-high range and average is. You just type in the first few characters of the position, select the position from the drop-down list, slide the years of experience button, and then it shows you the self-reported data of those who have answered the questions.

Elexpatriado
  4/22/2019 16:41 EST

ha ha..blind..visually blocked out block no. 2-thanks

ponymalta
  4/23/2019 03:24 EST

Elexpatriado

My two cents as I have hired and managed engineers in both the United States and Colombia ( and a few other places).

I definitely would recommend working in the USA or Canada for a few years for several reasons. One is simple to get experience working for an American company and in an American way- this way an easier decision if a foreign company wished to ire you in Colombia or elsewhere rather than wondering about work ethic or working with foreign engineers. The second is contacts you can build in the industry from former contacts and new ones- as depending on your focus as an engineer, there will always be opportunities outside of Colombia you can use. We always would give some preference to someone who had been trained in North America and had work experience in North
America.

Mining engineers I have more experience with -outside of coal, not much demand now or in the future for mining engineers in Colombia to speak of. The Colombian government is following a path of reducing current or future non-coal mining opportunities. Having said that, for precious metals mining it is challenging to find a Colombian geologist or engineer with practical experience, together with a good work ethic. So getting practical experience with an American and especially Canadian company would be good if a position opened up in Colombia.

Plus if you go in as a US or Canadian hire your salary and benefits probably up to twice or thrice what you would receive as a Colombian hire.

I would assume petroleum engineering would always be in demand in Colombia but I don't know that for a fact.

bigjailerman
  4/23/2019 06:27 EST

So I guess CuriousUndergrad has left the building...

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