How to calculate your “sueldo líquido”

Nowadays, there are more expat packages which are host based. This means that a local salary is received. Also there are more global workers that move to other part of the world without an expat compensation. In this sense, it became more relevant to understand how to calculate your net salary in the country where you are working.

We are going to explain you how to do this calculation in Chile.

From your gross base salary, you should make the following deductions:

– AFP: it is the pension plan deduction. It is around the 10% with a cap of 72,3 UFs.

-AFP commission: around 1,3% (depending of your AFP).

– ISAPRE: It is the health care deduction (ISAPRE or Fonasa). It is the 7% with a cap of 72,3 UFs. If you have an ISAPRE and if the 7% is not enough to cover the plan, you can have an additional deduction.

– 0,6% Unemployment insurance. It has a cap of 108,5UFs.

In case you don´t know, the UF is an account unit used in Chile that is adjusted by inflation. In a lot of pages, you can check the value of the UF of the day.

After these deductions, you have the taxable income. From this base, you have to pay income tax. For that calculation, there is a table, you have to see in what part of the table you follow. You have to deduct the “cantidad a rebajar” and then from the remaining base, you have to apply the factor.

To facilitate this calculation, we recommend you the following web, you put your gross salary and then you have your net. That simple. http://www.calcular.cl/como-calcular-sueldo-liquido-chile.html.

For those that don´t have a pension or health plan in Chile, we will give you more important details in a following post.

 

Working in Chile: Maternity Leave

You should know that Chile has one of the best maternity leave in the Region. Here you can find a summary:

Timing:

– Before the baby is born, the mother has the right of 6 weeks of leave (“permiso pre-natal”). After the childbirth, the mother is entitled to 12 other weeks (“permiso postnatal”).

– After that period, it is the parental leave (“permiso parental”). Here the mother can choose between:

• Full time parental leave: 12 weeks after the “permiso postnatal”.
• Part time parental leave:  The mother return to work part time for 18 weeks

Payment

– During the maternity leave, the worker in reality does not receive the salary, receives a subsidy. To receive the subsidy, the employee should has 6 months of affiliation to an AFP and 3 or more, continuous or discontinuous contribution, within the 6 months prior to the “prenatal”. You also should be affiliated to a ISAPRE. This relevant to foreigner that are not paying social contributions in Chile, because they are doing this in home country. If this is the case, you should find out with your company.

– Amount of the subsidy: up to 66 UFs. If you choose the part time parental leave, you receive 50% of the subsidy.

Some companies pay as a benefit the complement of the difference between the subsidy and the salary.

Maternity Protection

The maternity protection last one year after the ending of the maternity leave (not counting the parental leave). During this period, the employee cannot be dismissed.

What about the fathers?

Fathers are entitled to 5 continuous days of paternity leave (excluding the weekly rest). They can use it when they wants after the delivery date.

Another entitlement for the fathers is that they can share the parental leave. If the mother choose the 12 weeks options, they can transfer 6 weeks to the fathers. If they choose the part time option, they can transfer 12 weeks to the fathers.

Where to study an online diploma in Chile

A good option if you want to do a post-degree in Chile and you don´t have a lot of time to go to the university is E-Class. You can find online diplomas that are certified by Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, one of the best universities in Chile. The diplomas are in Spanish, but maybe it is a good opportunity to master the language.

It covered a wide area of topics: HR, general management, start-ups, Finance, Marketing, Operations, Phycology and Retail. Some of them are starting in May! The cost is around CLP 2.612.500.

If you want to do a short course, you also could find some great options here: strategic marketing, successful labour relationships, product development, commercial negotiation, change management, among others. The cost is around CLP 522.000. If you only do the online courses, the cost is CLP 350.000.

Check if your company has Caja Los Andes because you can find very good prices for some courses.

Top Headhunters in Chile

Some of you requested if we can provide a list of headhunters in Chile. This is a difficult task because there a lot of recruitment consulting companies in the market. But we decided to select  the ones that are more relevant. Most of them are very active in social media, mainly in LinkedIn. If you follow the company or the group in LinkedIn, you will see the open positions. Please click in the name and you will be directed to their website.

Multinational Headhunters: In general, they have different specialized divisions for the different functions (Finance, Supply, Engineers, HR, etc):

• Michael Page
• Robert Half
• Hays
• DNA Human Capital (Latin America)
• Vonderheide (Latin America)

Executive Headhunters: this group searches for top executive positions. They are also international companies. They don´t normally published the recruitment process. They really “headhunt” the candidate. If you are in this category, you should try to be in their radar.

• Egon Zehnder
• Korn Ferry
• Spencer Stuart
• Boyden
• Stanton Chase
• Ray & Berndtson
• CT Partners

Local Consultants:

• Seminarium
• Hemisferio Izquierdo
• Seek and Match

 Specialized Industries Consultants (Mining, Energy, Engineering):

• Downing Teal
• Sterling Cassidy (mining industry)

Please remember to read our other post regarding looking for a job in Chile!

 

How to Start Up in Chile?

Do yo know that Chile leads a global list for innovation in Entrepreneurship? According to new research by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and Endeavor, Chile stands out from a sample of 44 countries for having avoided a common trap in entrepreneurial impact.

So, in case you are thinking, Chile could be a great place to start your own business. To help you with that purpose, we are going to provide you with useful data:

– Start Up Chile:  It is a program that is part of Chile’s economic development agency called Corfo. The program was created in 2010 and attracts early stage, high-potential entrepreneurs to bootstrap their startups in Chile from all parts of the world and from Chile itself. Start-Up Chile has created a solid ground as an innovation hub to reach the rest of Latin America.

–Chrysalis: It is a business incubator that depends on the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso. It was created in 2010. They just launched a call, jointly with Nazca Ventures, for start ups in Latam.

– Innovo:  It is a entrepreneurship platform from Universidad de Santiago de Chile.

–Vita Emprende:  The town hall of Vitacura has a NGO to support start ups. A lot of fairs and events are done, generally in Parque Bicentenario, during the year where small business could sell their products.

– http://www.emprendedores.cl/comunidad/: It is a web that has useful information for start ups.

–ASECH: It is a entrepreneurship association, you have to register as a member and you can participate in different activities.

– https://www.chileatiende.cl/empresas: You can find different information, for example how to create a company in Chile, how to hire employees, how to pay taxes.

– Fundación Chile: It a entrepreneurship platform integrated by the Fch business accelerator, the network of angel investors Chile Global Angeles and the Corporate Relations and Open Innovation area.

So now, no excuses! You have plenty of tools to start your business in Chile!

It´s interview time!

Now I guess you are 100%  prepared for the interview and you did all the preparation homework (If not you should read the previous post!). Here we go with the tips for the interview itself:

•       It is a simple tip but in case you are not sure, then ask for the dress code. It is quite important to wear the right clothes according to the job and the organization culture. In most of the offices in Chile, it is not required to wear a suit, just for banks or client face positions. But check it anyway! Do not wear too much perfume and keep make-up, jewelry and nail polish simple.

•       Be on time. Plan in advance the journey. In lot of office buildings, you can be around 5/10 minutes in the reception while they ask your RUT and ID. Take this into account. But don´t be mad if you have to wait for the recruiters. In Chile, it is common to be late for meetings. Don´t do it as a candidate!

•       During the interview, try to understand the communication style of the interviewer and answer appropriately. Listen to him/her at the beginning to realise the dynamic of the interview. Don´t jump to answer, wait that he/her finish. Some interviewers will want long and detail answers, some straight to the point. Read about communication styles to know how to handle it. In that sense, try not to monopolise the meeting, let your interviewer ask. Read his/her body language to know if you are answering what he/she expects. Listen carefully and be concise with your answers. You don’t want to answer with a “yes” or a “no”, expand your answers with enthusiasm but keep to the point and be honest.

•       Don´t give negative information or bad news. Don´t criticise previous employers or jobs. Be positive! Turn all the negative into positive and opportunities.

•       You should be aware that in Chile most of the recruiters are phycologist and it is very common to perform psychologist test to evaluate the candidates. The best tip here is to relax and be yourself.

•       Show initiative, ask relevant questions at the end (job contribution, challenges, business perspective, organisation culture, why the job is available, team, etc.)

•        If it is the first interview and you are applying for a middle/senior position, don´t  ask for salary/benefit questions at the very beginning.

•       At the end, ask about the next steps of the recruitment process and thank the interviewer(s) for their time

•       After the interview, don´t be anxious, recruitment process take a while, but show interest and ask how the process is in case you don´t receive any news.

Don´t forget: stay calm and be yourself!

Good luck!

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Global Mobility Services, our main sponsor, can advise you how to look for a job in Chile in the most effective way: CV preparation, interviews and job search strategy:info@gmobilityservices.com.

Preparing for a job interview? What to do?

Once you are called for an interview, you should consider a time to prepare for it. But what to do? You are not a fortune teller, so you don´t know what you are going to be asked for. Especially, if you have never been to an interview here in Chile.

Here we go with the tips:

– 1) Company information: this is something pretty obvious, but a lot of people don´t do it. Read about the company: website, public figures, google it. Try to discover the company culture and philosophy. Focus in the area that you are applying for. For example, if you are searching for an opportunity in Finance, you should understand figures and all the available finance numbers. Study the business if you come from other industry. The level of knowledge that you are expected to manage will depend on the seniority of the position that you are applying for. In some positions, it is expected that you do a very depth research, especially if the interview is with the Line Manager.

– 2) Try to think how this position will contribute to your career plan and why you are interested in it and in the company.

– 3) Nowadays, most of the interviews are based in competence questions. That means that you should think about examples where you put them in action. Read the required competences for the position (if not available, try to think which can be the main one). For instance, if the job requires project management, think about the most complex project that you lead. Or for customer service, think about how you manage a difficult situation with a client. Or a situation that you have to say no to a client.

– 4) Your strengths and “development areas” (or the so called weakness) will be asked in different ways. So think about it and search for examples in your previous jobs. For the development areas, don´t be afraid to mention something not positive about yourself, but try to consider how do you deal to mitigate this weakness. Think out of the box and don´t mention the typical things: “I am to responsible” “Very detailed” “Proactive”. A good interviewer could challenged and ask for a different example.

– 5)Think about your main challenges that you deal with, major projects, most complex situations. This could be asked. Think about your major failures and how you deal with.

– 6) For each position, have in mind your main responsibilities and your major achievements. The ones that you achieve and not other people. Sometimes the “we” is not so good, interviewers want to know your contribution and not that someone else did it.

– 7) What are your main skills? Your main talents?

–  8) What kind your working style you prefer? In what environments do you feel more confortable? What kind of bosses do you prefer?

– 9) If you are going to lead a team, think about your leadership style.

Spend some time reflecting about yourself. It is useful if you prepare a file with this information and you read it before the interview.

If you have just arrived to Chile, you could be asked why you are here, are you alone? do you have a family? do you plan to stay here all your life…  and a lot of uncomfortable questions. It is good that you are prepared to answer this personal questions. If you are changing jobs, be prepared to answer why do you want to change.

For next time, we will continue with the interview itself…

 

 

How to write a CV for Chilean Market?

This is a topic that we are frequently asked. Nowadays, international assignments have changed and in a lot of cases, both partners of a couple are workers. So, for the success of the expatriation, it is important that both of them find a job and continue their career development.

To write a CV seems something easy, but a lot of people lose the opportunity to get an interview because they are not accurate in their CVs. Here you will find some tips:

– Extension: This is a very important point, please don´t write a bible! Think that recruiters receive hundreds of CV per job search. Ideally one or two pages. It needs to have the most relevant information according to the job search that you are applying for.

– Format: We recommend to use a simple format that facilitates the reading. No grammar errors, no colours, simple font.

– Contact data: Please put in a handy place your contact data, especially email address and telephone. In the telephone, please put the complete number including the code area. If the recruiter is in another country, they could not know how to dial. Civil status is something optional. The age in European and Americans CVs are not included. In Latin America, to be honest, is something that sometimes is asked in the CV. Up to you. Regarding the RUT, a lot of recruiters recommend not to put the RUT number, but being a foreigners if you have a RUT, I recommend to put the number or what visa you have. If the recruiter is to close and don´t find this information, maybe he/she will discharge you because thinks that it is too complicate to hire you.

– Brief summary: We recommend to include  a paragraph with a summary. Maybe you can copy what you have in Linkedin. It is very helpful for recruiters to find at the beginning of the CV the most relevant information. Think about key words of your profile. 3 or 4 lines.

– Experience: Start with the most recent experience. Be very accurate. Put company name, job title, dates (start and end date) and a summary of the main responsibilities and achievements. Your story has to be understood with a fast look.

– Education: we see that in Chilean market, the education is very important. Check if your career is available in Chile or if there is any equivalency. Maybe between brackets, you can but the chilean correlation. Or clarify the years of study (maybe you study an university career and Chile that name refers to a technician career).

– Language: if you speak English, this is a very good point for Chilean Market. Put this information in a visible place. If the job ad is in English, send the English version. It is also important that you have an Spanish version.

– Salary: don´t put the salary in the CV. Unless it is requested.

– References: Think about 3 persons that can refer you is requested. If you have someone in Chilean market, it is very appreciated.

If you need tips on how to look for a job, you can read our previous post.

Global Mobility Services, our main sponsor, can advise you how to look for a job in Chile in the most effective way: CV preparation, interviews and job search strategy:info@gmobilityservices.com.

 

 

 

Haaaaave you met Ted?

 

How I met your mother´s fans will understand this introductory line.. In real life it is not so easy to meet people like Barney and Ted do it in How I met using that simple introductory technique.

One of the main challenges when you moved to other country is to develop your social network. Making friends abroad can be an intimidating experience and sometimes is difficult to know how to start. The sooner you start knowing people, the better and quicker you will start adapting to your new reality. Creating a solid network will help you to understand better the new culture, share experiences (both good and bad), have an emotional support and, of course, have a good time.

Below you can find some tips to meet people:

• Before moving, read information about Santiago in expats web pages or blogs (like Inside Santiago!).
• Check among friends if they know someone living in Santiago that can introduce you: Review facebook and Linkedin.
•  Register in Expat forums. Internations is one of the biggest expat network, there is a Santiago community, which has events almost every month. It is one of the best way to meet people.
• If you are not a native Spanish speaker, start taking Spanish lessons in an Institute with a group of people. Apart from meeting  people, it is critical to start settling in Chile.
• Enrol yourself in a social club. You can find social clubs in our Where to live section.
• Register in a sport activity: gym, runners club, golf, tennis, football, etc… Don´t miss our getting fit: outdoor and indoor mood post!
• If you have kids, invite kids their age over to play – you’ll get to know their parents.
• Become a member of business or professional associations.
• If you met neighbors, invite them for a drink or small party.
• Hang out in pub and bars. For example, California Cantina.
• Voluntary work: Completing voluntary work for charities is a further ideal method of making friends abroad while simultaneously contributing to a good cause. Before, check if your visa allows you to do charity work.
• If you have a baby, you can register into a mommy playgroup (we are planning to dedicate a post to this subject).
• Every two Wednesdays, check our What to do in Santiago section, you will find different activities and also could be a good way to meet people.

What worked for you? Share your experience with us!

How to look for a job in Chile?

 

We know that looking for a job can be a very uncertain and unpleasant experience, especially if you are adapting to a new country.

First of all, you must know where and how to look. Try to make new contacts that can get you closer to the right places. Remember that one of the fastest and most effective way to find a job is through recommendations, particularly in Chile. Do not miss the opportunity to announce that you are seeking employment in any social meeting; you will notice that there is always someone willing to help.

In many cases, Internet can be a great tool.

Latin America represents one of the regions with the highest annual growth rate in Linkedin at global level, and Chile is no exception. It is becoming more frequent the use of this social network as a personal profile and as a company page, which means that a lot of people are interesting in professional connecting and a many companies want to be in touch with more people.

Through the following video, Laetitia Saint Maur, international director of accounts and marketing solutions of LinkedIn gives you some tips for success in the job search through this social network: http://bit.ly/1eqZyp5.

In Linkedin, you can find job advs in the job section and also in the company page of different companies and consultant. There also some people that post jobs in their personal home page. Another good option is to request membership to different groups that can interesting for your career.

But Linkedin is not the only tool. You can also register yourself in the mail job portals:

• bumeran.cl
• laborum.cl
• trabajando.cl
• computrabajo.cl
• Opcionempleo.cl
• http://www.startupchile.org/

Offering for volunteering during an event or with a foundation can be a good way to meet people that can help you with the job search.

We recommend you to have an excel-sheet with all your contacts and jobs that you have applied to keep your record. Looking for a job is a job!

 

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  Global Mobility Services can advise you to look for a job in Chile in the most effective way. We help you with the preparation of the CV, interviews and the job search strategy in accordance with Chilean labour market practices. info@gmobilityservices.com.