Multinationals and International Organizations
If working for a Costa Rican wage is not what you are looking for, it is best you contact multinationals that have operations in Costa Rica. There is a large difference in the salary you will earn if you are contracted in Costa Rica directly or sent to work there from abroad.
You can also opt for working for an NGO. Costa Rica hosts several NGOs and aid agencies active in fields ranging from agriculture, micro-credits, health, education and environment. If you are looking for new experiences, consider getting in contact with them to see if they have any opportunities. The department of Foreign Affairs of your home country might supply you with a list of NGO’s from your country.
Newspapers & Magazines
In newspapers like La Nación, Tico Times and La República, jobs are posted in the classifieds sections. Some of these classifieds are both published in the newspaper and made available online. Jobs in Costa Rica are not only found in the Costa Rican media. Foreign newspapers like Le Monde and Le Figaro (France) and Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung (Germany) sometimes carry job openings for Costa Rica.
Internet
Several online recruitment agencies are active in Costa Rica, for example Latinjobs.com and ticojobs.com. Online recruitment sites allow you to search the database and post your resume.
Speculative applications
Speculative applications by mail and Internet are common practice in Costa Rica. Before writing a letter, try and find who is responsible for applications in the target company as this will mean that it gets in front of the right person directly and will have a better chance of being properly considered. This method can be successful especially when looking for student internships or when applying for a job as a teacher in a language school. Bear in mind though that most internships will not be paid.
Chambers of Commerce
National Chambers of Commerce in Costa Rica like the Costa Rican-American, German and French Chambers, often provide lists with companies from the home country that are active in Costa Rica. With these lists you can start sending speculative applications. Some national chambers of commerce run a service which receives applications and makes them available to companies looking for foreign workers.
Recruitment Offices
Some of these offices are specialised in recruitment for short-term employment. Many of the recruitment offices are internationally known companies such as Adecco and Manpower. Depending on your profile, you will probably not want to rely on an agency and have a better chance when taking a more proactive approach by contacting companies directly.
Language Schools
Language schools sometimes offer the opportunity of voluntary work or internships for foreigners. The language school charges a fee for this intermediary service.