People love Italy because of the ancient architecture and the delicious recipes passed down from generation to generation. This “old” way of life is appealing, unless of of course you are trying to find a job. Unlike in America, schools in Italy rarely advertise job positions online. In this article I will give you the best practices for finding work as an English teacher in Italy.
Do you have your TEFL certification yet? If not, read my article on How to Get Certified to Teach English Abroad.
1. Have your resume and cover letter translated into Italian
I used Fiverr which is a great website that allows people to offer their services at an affordable price. I paid about $15 to have my resume and cover letter translated.
2. Visit the schools in person
Many schools will not respond to emails you send them. One school I emailed my resume and cover letter to didn’t reply to my emails, but the day after I went there in person, they offered me a job.
3. Dress up . . . but not too much!
Italy is a very well-dressed country, however the typical interview outfit is a little less casual than you might wear in America. Choose an outfit that you might wear to your grandma’s house: something classy, but modest. I was advised by my Italian teacher not to wear heels, even small ones!
4. Know some key Italian phrases
One of my interviews was conducted entirely in Italian. This was a shock to me and I was lucky I had been talking Italian language courses for 3 weeks. While there was another woman in the room who spoke English, she only chimed in to translate a few key phrases here and there.
5. Do not be shocked if a school does not offer to pay you “under the table”
Times are changing and it appears that Italian businesses are being more strict about who they hire. Many schools asked me to provide a codice fiscale, a “tax code” (you can read about what that is here).
Finding a job in Italy is not necessarily difficult, but make sure you are prepared. If you only send out emails, look on job boards, and don’t translate your resume, you may not receive any offers. My experience finding work as an English teacher is only reflective of Bologna, so the job search process may change depending on which city you are in.
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