Successful job interview in Puerto Rico

You do realize PuertoRico is part of the USA? Interviews and resumes are standard...if you are applying for a teaching job....dress the part.  If you are applying in a hotel or pharma dress the same way you would in new york. We do nit we
ar pastels or white shoes; dress to impress always!

To expatter12-  I have no personal experience in job application here. Obviously it would be to your advantage if you speak Spanish. Although many people here do speak a reasonable amount of English, they will always feel more comfortable with you if they know you speak their language. Based on what others have told me that came here to work or are from here, you can probably expect to get paid less compared to what you got in the states for comparable work. As others have said, just remember the basics. Dress appropriately and do most of those things you would normally do. Above all, show up on time. And yes, electricity and food are very expensive. But don't let that discourage you. Just be very mindful of it and factor it into any decision you make. Even though PR is part of the states, living here will in fact be totally different than in the states. Expect to make many adjustments and you will be ahead of the game. Just remember to practice a little more patience here in order to get anything done. Best of luck in your job search and please keep us posted.

Gregg

As stated above, the application process, including interviewing, is the same as it is in the States.

That said, except for non-hourly service positions, there is one crucial difference in getting hired and it has nothing to do with the process of applying and interviewing but everything to do with who you know. Simply, the weight given to an applicant with a personal connection to someone in the hiring organization (even indirectly) far outstrips the weight afforded to the best candidate for the job. There is even an expression in PR for this rule: "El que tiene padrino se bautiza."

Obviously, personal connections get people jobs in the States as well, but I have yet to meet a non-Puerto Rican who has sufficiently grasped the depth to which it is absolutely crucial to have a personal connection to get a job in PR. The reality is that it is very rare in PR that the best candidate for the job is hired.

One of the many aspects to the prevalence of this practice is the thinking that, "Why should I hire this guy when I can hire so-and-so's nephew, and then both of them will owe me a big favor in the future?" We would think that the profit motive would dictate that the best person for the job would be hired but, amazingly, we would be wrong. Unfortunately, extensive networking does not counter this regrettable cultural practice. This is one of the few aspects of Puerto Rican (and Latin American) culture that I have never been able to accept or grow even somewhat comfortable with.

The only exception to this tribalist hiring culture that I have seen is the very rare cases where you may be interviewed by a non-Puerto Rican North American or a Puerto Rican who has adopted the Anglo cultural practice of hiring based on merit due to their personal and professional experiences. Often Puerto Ricans who have served in the military or have worked in the States in the professions reject the custom of hiring so-and-so's nephew, but these people are few and far between.

I completely agree with GreggK that speaking (fluent) Spanish is essential to getting a professional job. The only exception I have seen to this rule is that I have known non-Spanish speakers who have interviewed for service positions like waiting tables and were hired because they applied at places that serve a lot of tourists.

Excluding doctors, I know only three North American professionals who have gotten hired by a firm in PR (four if you include myself) out of dozens if not hundreds of applicants. Three of these (including myself) first had to be licensed to practice as attorneys in PR either at the State or Federal level first, so having that license helped get hired. I also know two Argentinians who were able to get hired by a quasi-governmental body but that was due to the fact that they had valuable technical skills. 99% of non-Puerto Ricans that I have known in PR either came here because they work for the Feds or have their own businesses.

The sad fact is that this practice of tribal hiring hurts regularly Puerto Ricans the most and they are therefore the most vocal in condemning it. This has not changed anything though.

What are your skills? Unless you have some very unique and valuable skills, I would say it is virtually impossible to have a proper career in PR.

I don't like sounding like Debbie Downer but this is such an important issue with such devastating economic consequences that I feel obligated to write this.

One small suggestion I have is to have two resumes for each position: One in English and one in Spanish. Alternatively, if your resume is very light, just do one single bilingual resume. If possible, have names of prominent people in your field ready to drop during the interview. Good luck!

Great point Nomadlawyer. I forgot about what my wife tells me about "lambe ojo" or literally translated is "lick of the eye" which means you have to know someone, be related to someone, be a part of the politcal party that is currently in power, willing to cover for fellow employees like punching their time card, etc. in order to get hired anywhere. And if you aren't Puerto Rican you will be placed way down on the list even if your qualifications are far and above everyone else's. Just talking about workers here opens up a gigantic can of worms. Try to establish some solid connections before you get here. It helps greatly to have some niche skills that they need here and can't readily find among the population.