Volunteering and Working for the 2016 Olympics in Rio

By Lisa Flueckiger, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The upcoming 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will not only feature the participation of around 10,500 athletes, but also will need the help of 70,000 volunteers and several thousand staff members. Thus, there are several opportunities to be a part of the first Olympics in South America.

A good way to participate in the organization of the Olympic Games and directly helping the Olympic Committee is currently as selection volunteers. Selection volunteers will hold online interviews in English with volunteer candidates from all over the world.

There are opportunities available to work in the volunteer training centers in Rio de Janeiro and in São Paulo. To apply people need to access the volunteer section on the Rio 2016 homepage.

Applicants to become selection volunteers need to be over eighteen years old, speak fluent English and have complete higher education or be studying. If possible, applicants should have some experience in relation with human resources.

Another great opportunity to participate in the 2016 Olympic Games that is currently open, are registrations to take part in the opening and closing ceremonies. There will be four ceremonies to open and close both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games and all of them will feature a great show and performance of thousands of people – the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games will have a cast of 5,000 people.

The Olympic Committee is therefore currently looking for candidates with passion for the arts and dance, although no prior experience is required to become part of the ceremonies. Registrations can be made until August 31st.

Candidates will be selected in auditions taking place in November and December 2015. Applicants need to be older than sixteen and have at least a basic understanding of Portuguese, as all trainings for the ceremonies will be held in that language. Also, one needs to commit for several training dates prior to the start of the Olympic Games, beginning in April 2016.

The registration for the 70,000 positions as volunteers during the Games have been already closed, and more than 240,000 people applied with a lot of interest from the USA, Russia, China and Great Britain. However, those who missed the deadline, can still register for the waiting list and hope to called up for one of the popular spots at a later stage.

Employment opportunities at the Olympic Committee are also opening up and are continuously published on the jobs-site of their homepage. The committee currently has 1,300 employees based at the headquarters in Cidade Nova and announced that during late 2015 and early 2016 venue specific opportunities will become available.

Usually, more jobs are announced on the Portuguese language version of the homepage, as most jobs require some understanding of the language. However, posts announced on the English language homepage are usually meant for foreigners.