To work in Portugal or not???

[mikey]

Hey Everyone,

Just returned from a 2 week vacation in Portugal and i'm very familiar with the country from north to south as i go to visit family every 2 years.

I am currently 29 and just married, working as a network admin in toronto, I can speak and read in portuguese at a good level but my writting skills are at best basic.

Me and my wife are looking at the possibility of moving to Portugal and try a life there, i do have my portuguese citizenship and would like to get some feedback from those who have made the move to Portugal to work.

I know the salary is less but, quality of life such as 25 days vacation is in my mind more important than making $65 thousand cdn per year.

Any stories or information would be greatly appreciated.

thank you,

Mike

[Mario]

I moved from the U.S. to Portugal in my 20s and don't regret it. A few young people I know have done the same. A couple of them soon returned, while the same number is happy with their move and are staying in Portugal. I have no advice to offer, as I have found it is a very personal decision. Many people simply can't adjust to the lower salaries than in North America, while others have been lucky to find decent-paying jobs which allow them to have a comfortable life here. In your and many other cases, although Portugal is also your country, what you'd essentially be doing is immigrating. That is never easy, and adjusting to a new routine in a different place (and believe it or not, another culture and lifestyle) is not always easy. I always say the best thing that happened to me was my parents immigrating to the United States and the second best was my move to Portugal. But again, this is just me, and others have not felt the same.
In other words, if you're willing to try out an adventure where it's a 50-50 chance of succeeding or failing, do it. Otherwise, don't.
Remember that we're in a global economic crisis which of course has also affected Portugal and the size of the country's economy (not to mention geography!) will never make it a Canada, but it is possible to have an excellent quality of life in Portugal. It may take a while before you find a decent job, though.
All places have their positives and negatives, there's no perfect place, so it's just a matter of luck, willpower, and knowing exactly what you want out of life.
Good luck.

[mikey]

Mario, first off thanks for your advice; secondly do you mind me asking exactly what steps you took in order to move to Portugal? Were you able to find a job from the U.S or did you just back your bags and see what happens?
thanks

[Mario]

Mario, first off thanks for your advice; secondly do you mind me asking exactly what steps you took in order to move to Portugal? Were you able to find a job from the U.S or did you just back your bags and see what happens?
thanks

Hi,
I was young enough (had just graduated from college) to be able to spend an entire summer in Portugal where I was able to job hunt during those months. I didn't find anything that attracted me, so I returned to the U.S., only to then receive an offer for a good job I had applied to some time before.
Finding a job from outside Portugal will be quite difficult, since you'd naturally need to be interviewed, look for local employment sources, etc.
Another piece of advice is to not simply concentrate on jobs related to your degree or previous experiences, as we always have other qualifications or assets to offer and explore.
In my case it was being bilingual and determination, and my 100% fluency of the English language certainly opened a lot of doors. English is actually very well spoken by most Portuguese professionals (much more so than in other southern and central European countries), so knowing English alone is not strong enough of a selling point, but rather you being a "native speaker" combined with other qualifications you may have.
Lastly, when all else fails, why not start your own business? Start slow, even as a hobby or a part-time after a full-time job you may find, and build it over time. Think about what you're passionate about, what you do well, and follow that. Again, don't limit yourself to past job experiences or career paths.

[mikey]

Thank you for your advice. I am currently working on some more schooling within the IT industry ( Microsoft Certification) and also will begin taking Portuguese classes come January, as i can speak the language but my reading and writing skills do need some work.

I have come to the conclusion to span my work horizons to not only include IT. I am using the Expresso site in Portugal to look for IT jobs. Do you recommend any useful job sites?

Once again thank you, you are a wealth of knowledge and great advice.

Mike

[Mario]

Thank you for your advice. I am currently working on some more schooling within the IT industry ( Microsoft Certification) and also will begin taking Portuguese classes come January, as i can speak the language but my reading and writing skills do need some work.

I have come to the conclusion to span my work horizons to not only include IT. I am using the Expresso site in Portugal to look for IT jobs. Do you recommend any useful job sites?

Once again thank you, you are a wealth of knowledge and great advice.

Mike

Hi,

IT is actually a good field when looking for a job in Portugal (or perhaps I should say Lisbon or Porto). You're already doing the right thing when it comes to job search because the Expresso job listings really are the best ones available in Portugal. I will also recommend http://emprego.sapo.pt/ which lists all kinds of jobs.

Good luck!

[mikey]

Awesome, great advice. Thank you!