Costa Rica Job Search

In a Costa Rica job search, if you want your job application to be taken seriously you have to consider all national differences. The Costa Rica job search requires more than just the obvious Costa Rica CV with Costa Rica cover letter writing and translation – they require careful preparation.

You will be confronted with problems that in all probability did not even cross your mind when you decided to start a job in Costa Rica. Do not take too lightly the influence a Costa Rica job search can have on the result of your adventure! For example, you will experience the unfamiliar immigration rules and practices, strange job application procedures, bizarre job selection trends and weird management culture.

Most visits to Costa Rica are trouble-free but you should be aware of the risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers like restaurants, hotels, clubs and shopping areas. You should exercise a high degree of caution due to the deteriorating security situation.
Criminal activity, as well as demonstrations and occasional protests, remain a concern throughout the country. In recent years, the Costa Rican authorities have carried out a number of investigations and operations against drug-related crimes and terrorist networks.
Monitor local news broadcasts and consular messages. Ensure that your travel documents and visas are current, valid and secured in a safe place. Carry a photocopy of your travel documents in lieu of the originals. Maintain a low profile, vary times and routes of travel, and exercise caution while driving. Making local contacts quickly and seeking support from other expatriates will greatly increase your comfort and safety.

Realize the importance of language skills. Many people believe that having studied a foreign language at school or college means you are able to speak that language – but do not be mistaken. Having to convince your boss or pass a job interview in a language that is not your native tongue could prove a lot more difficult than you might expect.

You need to accept that not knowing the local language will put you at a real disadvantage from the local job seekers. The basic knowledge of Spanish is considered necessary to cope with daily office life and life outside work.

The Internet is now the best place to access employment information. However, it is wise to use as many different job sources as possible to find open positions. This includes national, regional, local, government, college, university and company websites.

In the effective  Costa Rica job search, you should complement online job search by methods that are more traditional because Costa Rica jobs are advertised in different ways and some jobs are not advertised in traditional forms at all. More than half of all jobs are not advertised at all and are filled through referrals or networking. We refer to this as the “hidden job market” and it is a very important aspect of the job search process.

With Costa Rica job search, quite often, it is not what you know but whom you know

A common way to find Costa Rica jobs is through recommendations of friends, relatives and colleagues.

When you are in Costa Rica, the most effective method of finding a job is to walk in and ask. However, most Costa Rican employers, who are subject to heavy fines if they hire illegally, will not offer a job to a foreigner who does not possess a valid Costa Rica work permit.

Temporary jobs like work in a trendy bar or restaurant and any work “on black” will never qualify you for a work permit. Furthermore, such unofficial employment can quite often lead to exploitative working conditions. If you are caught, you can be hit with hefty fines or even banned from the country.

However, working illegally is widespread in Costa Rica. Such unregistered work takes place mainly in the furniture and wood industry, agriculture, restaurants, transport and construction.

Run Costa Rica job search using the most powerful job-search engine on the Internet!

To run your Costa Rica job search, simply type keywords, job title or company name into the que/what box describing the kind of job you want and enter a city, region or postcode in the donde/where box. Then click the Buscar/Find button or hit the Enter key on your keyboard.

Careerjet performs Costa Rica job search on all of the major job boards, newspaper sites, niche industry sites and corporate job sites. Those include:

monster.es, microsoft.com, zonajobs.com, jobomas.com, bumeran.com, unmejorempleo.com, jobs2web.com, execuzone.com, computrabajo.co.cr, computrabajo.com, hpe.com, experian.com, bcforward.com, careermarketplace.com, ceviu.com, tuproximotrabajo.com, universobit.com, monsterlatam.com, siemens.com, posibilidades.com, secretariasenred.com, acciontrabajo.co.cr, johnsoncontrols.com, michaelpage.com, buscojobs.com, linkedin.com, pinoyjobstrabaho.com, cisco.com, learn4good.com, sesa-select.com, pragmaconsultores.com, roche.com, buscojobs.cr, acciontrabajo.co.cr, justconstruction.net, ivyexec.com, justlanded.com, ivyexec.com, staffnurse.com, encuentra24.com, worldwideworker.com, talent-latam.com and hundreds more.

If you are unhappy with the presented jobs you may use another powerful job search engine covering the different job sources.

You may run your Costa Rica job search right now, but when you find jobs you must apply immediately with your current CV and cover letter.

Remember that your Costa Rica CV must be targeted, scannable and generate hits. If you have difficulty with your CV writing, instead of staring at a blank piece of paper, use CV samples and CV templates.

We recommend that you send your CV together with a cover letter. If you have difficulty with your cover letter writing use a cover letter sample and cover letter template.

In recent years it becomes increasingly popular to join the LinkedIn or Facebook social networking websites for professionals, where you may search for jobs and have your keyword-optimized, rich content profile with a current CV. Hiring managers use them more frequently to consult your profile and supplement or check against the CV you send along. If you do not have an account, create one and include your social media link(s) on your CV.
You should manage your online presence. Eliminate any photos and statements that could reflect poorly on you. From an employer’s point of view, someone who emphasizes partying on a social networking site is not focused on jobs and those who post complaints about work or colleagues are less desirable candidates. The online CV should not include sensitive information as it could show a lack of respect for confidentiality and discretion.

Other Costa Rica Job Search Info

To be successful in your Costa Rica job search and get the job you want, you need to prepare a Costa Rica cover letter and Costa Rica CV which you must email them instantly to the prospective employers selected during a job search in Costa Rica.

When you receive an invitation to the Costa Rica job interview, you may apply for a Costa Rica visa and Costa Rica work permit. Then prepare yourself for a job interview and take a look at the Costa Rica dress code because how you dress is one of the most important attributes in being hired.

Check the job interview dos & don’ts and other job search skills pages. Find out why people are not hired for available jobs.

In addition, on the international info, job search, visa, work permit, cover letter, CV & resume, job interview and dress code pages you will find many useful tips for overseas job seekers.

Good luck with your Costa Rica job search!