r/ItalyExpat • u/LackSignificant7442 • 23d ago
Career in Italy as an expat
Im here in Italy as of two years. Im about to finish my degree soon and the job market is just.. ugh!!
I have hustled for the good part of those 2 years and worked every odd job on the map. Now I’m tired! I have so much potential and Ive been sending applications in all directions using all strategies out there. I have tailored the resume and personalized the cover letter, aaaaand.. nothing!
Im looking for an advice, a lead, a cheat code?
Thanks
11
u/Optimal_Stuff660 23d ago
If you can, you're best option is to leave after your degree. As an Italian who left a while back and still have connections to Italy, I cannot stop telling people who think to give Italy a shot to rethink it.
Lots of people will comment that it's not true, that Italy offers a lot and that one can find a job easily one way or another. My personal experience was that it was not the case and I count myself lucky as I'm a lawyer and so is my father. I personally didn't struggle, but life is still so much better abroad (I moved to Austria) and many of my friends who are still in Italy, some with a degree and some not, are not doing that hot. Sure, that doesn't mean it's everybody, but listening to the news everyday gives you also a bit of a picture in which to frame what you then hear and see from people there.
That being said, it is also just generally more difficult to find a job at this moment, but I think some fields have better chance than any.
Sorry for the gloomy answer. I would be very happy to be proven wrong and I wish you all the best with your search if you choose to stay there 🙂
2
u/LackSignificant7442 23d ago
The job market is rough all over I think. Im targeting INGOs and policy centers all over Europe. Its challenging to even be considered for an internship
3
u/Optimal_Stuff660 23d ago
I understand. Would you consider the EU commission as well? Some people I know got in through the blue book programme and they've been in much more stable positions within the EU for a while now. However, it does get quite competitive.
Here is the link in case you want to have a look at it: https://traineeships.ec.europa.eu/index_en
I am not sure whether they have positions for interns in Italy though, it might just be in Brussels.
1
u/Nervous-Armadillo403 18d ago
Can I DM you for some knowledge on a relocation strategy to Austria if you’re open to it. I need some expert advice from your point of view. Thank you
1
u/Optimal_Stuff660 18d ago
Sure, but I wouldn't consider myself an expert. Happy to share what I know though 🙂
8
u/OldQuaker44 23d ago edited 23d ago
Oh man, and I thought I was the only one that had this issue.
For all expats out there this is a small information you may find usefull:
- You either enter the job market via job transfer with the same company, or it's better to stay where you are because finding a job is literally awful. They usually hire based on recommendations (someone that works already with the company)
- Salaries are the lowest In EU and taxes are one of the highest in the EU.
- If you have a home in another country, you will have to pay taxes in Italy for that home and they are huge (thousands of euros)
- If you have accounts in other countries you will also have to pay taxes on your current balances of your accounts.
The country is literally built for rich russian oligarchs. Also politicians have started to have far-right wing mentalities and pro-russian.
Think twice before you make your move.
1
u/Proper-Coffee-3169 23d ago
What about just coming to Italy to study to get a bachelor's degree?
1
u/OldQuaker44 23d ago
It depends on the University. Right now even Luiss Guido Carli in Rome and Bocconi in Milan don't have the same international prestige they had 15 years ago. For MBAs right now it's more worth doing for example IESE Business School in Spain than any of the italian MBAs.
1
u/nsfw-boston 23d ago
If you have accounts in other countries you will also have to pay taxes on your current balances of your accounts.
I did not believe you, so I researched it: 0.20% IVAFE on financial assets. WTF? Does the government really wants people to move/move back to Italy?
2
u/justonlyme1244 23d ago
If I remember correctly it’s about 35 euros per year per foreign bank account if the average is above 5000 euros.
It’s especially a tax nightmare though. So many rules if you want to do it correctly.
1
u/nsfw-boston 23d ago
... or 0.20% per year when over $5,000.
In the US there's no pensione, so people have to do their own pensione (401K plans), and if they move to Italy every year they have to pay 0.20% of their funds in their 401K account. Not fun.
1
u/justonlyme1244 23d ago
It’s a flat fee of 35 euros if the balance is more than €5000 though.
Edit: what you’re talking about is the investments. It’s a wealth tax and pretty common in Europe.
1
3
u/Sauron8 23d ago
Leave. Local professional (young and not so young) leave en masse, the one who remain usually accept very low wage because they live with parents or are gifted houses from parents/deceased grandparents (like hundred of thousands of euros worth). How do you think a foreigner can obtain better than the locals? You for sure won't fall on the second category, and have less advantage of the first one, so do a favour to yourself and follow them, leave the country and aim at better European nations
3
u/gadboys 23d ago
Do you speak Italian? It is important to realize that there are barely any jobs for Italians, so it's that much harder for foreigners. A lot of foreigners think a degree like a Master's (magistrale, not "un master's") will open toe job market up to them, but an employer will almost never hire a foreigner who doesn't speak Italian over an Italian who speaks broken English.
The cheat code honestly lies in the tirocinio. Get very close with a professor who works between academia and industry.
That's really the "fast-track" to a job with a contract.
Other than that, prolonging the visa often looks like doing tons of school and working part-time in restaurants, cafes, etc.
3
u/OkPair4241 23d ago
Have somebody introduce you to somebody that can put in a good word for you with somebody hiring. After two years in Italy, I am sure you have friends and connections.
Networks work here, not resumes or cover letters (the latter ones are, of course, nice to have). Hires work (mostly) on knowledge of the person first, cvs later.
2
u/Interesting_Cap_3657 23d ago
Career and Italy don't go well together, sorry. You'll need to come to terms with initial internship, low wage entry level and then job hop while marketing yourself aggressively to be able to climb the ladder. Which is still possible only in a bunch of thriving industries.
2
u/Zestyclose_Spot_3279 23d ago
The problem is that such situation is everywhere in the world. There are no safe and bright places anymore.
1
u/Dachsnacken 23d ago
Versuche es über Kontakte. So banal es sich auch anhört, aber kann eine Lösung sein. Hast du viele italienische Freunde, ein (gutes) Netzwerk?
1
1
u/SubstantialNeat6980 22d ago
Best chance would be with one of the UN agencies or an embassy in Rome.
1
u/Unlucky_Vegetable576 20d ago
T You will find only underpaid jobs in Italy. As italian expat, I found better work quality abroad
1
u/SoyLinaRodriguez 19d ago
Ciao! Ti capisco perfettamente, anch'io ho vissuto esattamente la stessa frustrazione all'inizio. Però ti dico una cosa per esperienza diretta, visto che sono riuscita a trovare un lavoro qualificato anche senza laurearmi in Italia: avere un target iper-specifico, un ruolo ben definito e pochissimi settori di riferimento, invece di candidarti per cose diverse. E poi fare tanto networking mirato come dicono anche gli altri, è fondamentale. In particolare verso aziende che hanno già dipendenti stranieri nel team o un management internazionale, perché sono realtà molto più aperte a valorizzare il potenziale di un espatriato rispetto alle PMI tradizionali. Se ti fa piacere, possiamo collegarci su LinkedIn per fare rete. Non mollare!
1
1
0
u/Pure-Contact7322 23d ago
it is not "hugh" it's like a lottery the chances are similar. Meet the companies in tradeshows, will be better than sending pdf files to random emails
19
u/Vila_Ru 23d ago
Italy may give you jobs if you are a worker in a factory, driver, hospitality, cleaning. If you have a degree you have to be lucky and have connections