3237 Do any expats have jobs in Italy?

I am not ex pat - I have a house in Italy but live most of the year in England but I have found employment in Italy. I have worked the month of March on supply in an international school in Pisa and I am going back to do the month of May.Took a little searching on the internet - no doesnt pay as well as supply here but I love it been living in Viareggio. Would have loved it to have been near my house in Abbruzzo but doubt I will find work in that area. Have to add I am not young - got myself a bike to get around. Hated the weather in March it was so so wet. Looking forward to May and hope it doesnt rain
Pamela

My husband (not Italian, or married to an Italian etc.) is working as a dentist in Puglia. It`s been quite hard going getting established down here but I think I could say that he`s in `gainful employment` now! I don`t think teaching English earns much money in Italy unless you manage to get a plum job working for the EU or maybe working privately.

[QUOTE=neilmcn]There are regular questions on this forum about employment in Italy - usually from someone asking if they can get work in Italy although they speak and write no Italian, or asking what opportunities exist in teaching english as a foreign language (TEFL).

I am interested to know if there is anyone who uses this forum who is not Italian (nor married to an Italian) and has obtained gainful** employment in Italy in any field OTHER THAN hospitality, TEFL, property, building, or working for other expatriates. I bet there are not many!

** gainful = earning a real live-on-able income, not 'pocket money' to supplement income and savings from outside Italy.[/QUOTE]

i came here or rather Ivrea near Turin in 1976, worked in a company connected with Olivetti for 6 months left for Milano worked in an industrial training company in a commercial capacity for several years,Later on became advertising and promotion manager in a large tour operator.Later appointed marketing manager for italy with a large Danish multinational in their Milano office (only with italian co-workers)after around six years of that was appointed marketing director in an organization involved in precious metals until 95 when i left to set up my own business and live in the countryside.
I had a very rewarding and interesting career parabola in this country was selected for jobs by head hunters in an open "competitive"context.Was treated generallywell by my bosses,given further training opportunities,travel and representative opportunities and considered the whole bit of life extremely positively in general.
However,i spoke Italian from the begining,wrote in italian reported in italian,English was NEVER MORE than an additional skill (it was never the reason for my employment)I also had to live IN THE RIGHT PLACE ,it's rather over the top the number of people who quite fancy living in deepest rural italy with expectations to find management/graduate level career opportunities.To do that onewould be advised to live in Milano .or places like that then it's just like living in greater London ..exiting if one's young enough.

Yes, I managed on my own too and found work by speaking and writing Italian from the onset.
Worked in tourism to begin with (Thomson Holidays)----I wanted to have the stability of a British company behind me while I decided if I would stay or not.
I then worked for a major Italian Tour Operator and some smaller local travel agencies.
Followed that with a spell in an office doing all their overseas admin and exhibitions.
Now back in travel.
All of this was topped up by doing private English teaching.
OK now married to an Italian but that after working and surviving for 10 years.

Dream Academy and Sebastiano,

If I may ask, what type of qualification were the companies looking for when they hired you into the jobs you mention? Specific business qualifications, accounting, management, etc., or were they more general?

I'm an American, but I speak Italian and, after a year long study stint in Italy, I will be a Uni graduate and have Italian citizenship, through ancestry. Problem is, my degree will be in Italian Studies, and I'm a bit concerned what my prospects are. I'd hope to get something entry-level right away (on my existing qualifications), but would also consider going back to school for a spell to get a graduate level degree or a second bachelor's (laurea) in something more... applicable. Like international business, or, God forbid (more useless language studies), professional translation or simultaneous interpretation.

Any prospoects for someone with a degree in Italian from a school outside the EU?

Thanks all.

- Michael

[quote=neilmcn]
I am interested to know if there is anyone who uses this forum who is not Italian (nor married to an Italian) and has obtained gainful** employment in Italy in any field OTHER THAN hospitality, TEFL, property, building, or working for other expatriates. I bet there are not many!

** gainful = earning a real live-on-able income, not 'pocket money' to supplement income and savings from outside Italy.[/quote]

[LEFT]Im not italian, im renting my home, im not married to an Italian and yes i have a full time job with an Italian company. (English not required) I live here 24/7. I found a job after just 3 weeks of hard work distributing my CV in my local area with a basic knowledge of Italian.

I often ask the same question as this forum is mainly geared to those buying a second home or retiring in Italy (In which this forum has very useful information) Italy has many foreigners and many of them work. One thing that all these foreigners have in common with the majority of working Italians.

We live day by day and planning ahead is difficult. Today you have work but who knows about tomorrow?

I have a website at [URL="http://www.justitaly.eu"]www.justitaly.eu[/URL]

Feel free to visit there as well as this forum for discussions on the working life.

[/LEFT]

Biggest problem is location.
North: good
Central: not so good
South: absolutely useless unless you're a professional who can set up on his own.

Next biggest problem: here in Italy, even if you get a job, don't expect to get paid enough to live off your wages! A lot of people I know with 'normal' jobs have to work a second shift ( in 'nero' ) to make ends meet and most of them get their apartment bought for them by their parents - because that 's what papà e mamma slog their guts out most of their lives to achieve ( or at least a deposit ) -and nonna gives them maybe a part of her pension too.

Most people have to invent their jobs. Business is hard ( I'm talking about Rome and further down I imagine in the north it's much easier. There are many more industries and International companies.) as we are suffocated by taxes ( and no not just because of the new finanziaria...) and INPS, high utility bills, etc.

The best way to get into work here is by starting to work with a company from England that has a branch over here, then get transferred. The best-off-English people I know all did this, they get private schooling paid for , their rent paid for, medical insurance and huge 'transfer' wages.
Best things are Techology , IT , telecomunications.And even Tobacco. I even know two girls who work for the WWF.
Or ( if in Rome ) try FAO - applying from England though as here probably a few thousand a month apply.
Most expats end up teaching English ( not in schools though- private lessons pay more and you don't declare thus don't pay tax. Only downer is you can't get a mortgage.) Or set up their own English Lang. Schools.
Oh.. and the latest 'fad' is on- line magazines like guides to the area, etc.
Can't see they make a living though.
In fact the biggest mistake people make, is thinking that you can do the same things here as in England, BUT IN THE SUNSHINE!
( Making candles, B&B, yoga lessons.........(take a look at the English Yellow Pages. ( Englishyellowpages.it -excellent source for English speaking businesses).....especially Florence area....most people have 4 listings in different categories!!! Reiki lessons, Life-coach ( very American!) Real Estate, Re-location advisors.....)

And of course now most italian jobs are thru' Co-operatives at 5 euros an hour with 8 month contract, no holiday or sick pay......that's what we've inherited from the Berlusconi government ( hope his pacemaker's rejected!)

Moral of all this is...
get a transfer though an International company,
only come to Italy if you plan to move somewhere in the North ( so you may as well stay in England!)
or teach English on the quiet.

Now some concrete advice.
Only real jobs that are not scams for Rome area are to be found in Wante........nope sorry to precious to give away this secret!!!!

Actually ,although i'm sorry to say this,but i think your general appraisal is very accurate Michelle.I was maybe lucky in the past it certainly would be harder now.and it's not getting any easier it seems.You're right too the best place to look for work would undoubtedly be Milano/BO/BS/BG/VA/TO etc but as you say why leave wherever to go to the north.......

[QUOTE=michellexis]
Moral of all this is...
get a transfer though an International company,
only come to Italy if you plan to move somewhere in the North ( so you may as well stay in England!)
or teach English on the quiet.

[/QUOTE]

Generally sound advice - I would also add - learn the language! It still amazes me how many make the permanent move here expecting to get a job & make a living and who speak or write little or even no Italian.

Very interesting to read all this and then consider the flip side.

On our recent visit to England we found our old town full of Portuguese land workers, who speak no English and are bussed to the supermarket to do their shopping. There are the Chinese, Indian, Turkish takeaways none of whom speak much English. We bought our tube tickets from another non English person, the receptionist at the hotel was Turkish, but spoke very good English and even the Ryanair check in was not English (possibly French from the accent) and had such a poor grasp of the language that when he pointed to the sign and grunted 'read and answer' I was very tempted to ask him to read it for me because I'm sure he couldn't have.

Now I do not have any xenophobic leanings, I just mention this because it is obviously much easier for 'foreigners' to get work in England, than for English 'foreigners' to get work in Italy.

I've been quite fascinated by this thread as I want to move to Italy next year with my wife.
I'm a project manager with a pretty good job over here in the uk and am currently applying to the big 4 in Italy.
My only question stems from a couple of the responses earlier in the thread.
Why on earth would people want to stay in England rather than move to Northern Italy? I fully intend to work in or near Turin.
I can think of a whole host of reasons to live in Turin rather than Leeds or anywhere in England. Winter skiing, summer mountains, great food. Wines from Piemonte. South of Italy appeals for a holiday but after living in Italy for a year as a student looking south of Rome would seriously reduce or negate any sort of substantial income unless you have a career you can follow from home.
Anyway just wondered if people could give me the reason why they wouldn't leave England for Northern Italy. Maybe I am missing something as haven't lived in Italia for a few years.
Cheers
Matt

[LEFT]Hi Matt & Corrina,

Finding work in Italy can be tough. However, if you come here with an open mind then you will find work. Will agree with previous post that the north is the best place to find work.

Current saleries for unskilled work is around 1000 - 1200 euros a month in the North so skilled work will pay more. Most companies also pay a 13 month pay ([URL="http://www.justitaly.eu/forum/employment/595-13th-14th-month-pay.html"]Read here[/URL])

Life is much harder here in Italy (financially) but dont be put off. life is what you make of it! Italy is a country based on contacts. You are more likely to find a job through someone you know than applying direct. Speaking Italian is essential.

Here is a list of a few [URL="http://www.justitaly.eu/links/browselinks.php?c=36"]employment agencies [/URL]in Italy.

Hope this helps

[/LEFT]

[LEFT]matt and corrina

i wouldnt worry too much... if you look at a lot of the postings on here there mainly from people that have retired or others that are looking for the so called good life and cashing in on equity built up in house values to seemingly aim for a quiter less stressful life.... nothing wrong with that choice and for people on pensions from the UK they might find themselves being able to stretch it a little further and have a bit more money in the bank from selling town/city UK homes and buying remote rural italian ones

ok i moved to abruzzo...but made a studied choice in that ...got it slightly wromg in the sense that am just a bit far from Teramo for our liking and the house we bought is too big for us... so we are selling up and moving a bit closer to Teramo... but i agree with you ...much rather live in the north of italy and work than in any part much of the UK... like you say snow and sea are all an easy drive away... but more than that it even seems in the cities that everything is just a bit less tired... although if you watch the news here everday then you begin to learn the horror stories of drugs,drunks and robberies in the urban sense are not much different... but there again it all depends on where you live and work and it does not appear to be on the same sort of endemic scale as often quoted in the UK

what the problem might be in this sort of mind set against city life here that in the sense of stress...high property values and rentals... crime,schools ...etc nothing much will change... however lunch breaks will be that much better...night time eating and weekend breaks.. strolling still is a frequent activity and the sense of threatening behaviour less....all better...wages as has been said lousy...but in middle management up there is a difference...and it seems to me you are in that category so they have to pay to be able to compete with other companies...

so good luck with your choice... your priorities are different to most on here and i can see nothing wrong in any substantial way with the choice you are making... [/LEFT]

Chillout and Adriatica

Thanks so much for your posts it puts my mind at ease quite a lot. I have got a very open mind as to what I end up doing.
Makes it easier that I can speak Italian all be it a little rusty at the mo also have somewhere to stay as my wife is half Italian and the family all live either in Turin or Aosta Valley.
I am so excited about the move and am starting to think about things like permesso's and codice fiscale.
I think 2007 is going to be a good year if challenging.
Adriatica best of luck with your move and chillout cheers for the employment agencies although I agree I think some working of family contacts may end up being necessary.
Thanks again both and happy new year
Matt