Despite the economic downturn which has hit Italy in recent years, there is widespread demand for qualified native English speakers across all sectors. This is something that can easily be noticed by looking at the various ads constantly published on job portals such as Kijiji.it , where the linguistic skills of native speakers are an essential requisite not only for language teachers, but also for all sort of roles, ranging from receptionists to engineers and graphic designers.
For teachers in particular, qualification courses such as TEFL , CELTA and CELTYL, which can be taken months before jetting off to this Mediterranean country, are the best way to have your skills recognised officially and stand out from the crowd of unqualified English teachers.
Even if your natural proficiency in the English language can always be put to good use in the Italian job market, it is essential to remember that also a good level of Italian is usually needed for most positions. While bilingual candidates have a chance to impress their future employers right from the first interview, language skills are in fact not always enough to land your dream job in the Bel Paese. Because of this it will be essential to remember how important interpersonal skills and first impressions are in the eyes of Italian employers: dressing up smartly for that interview, being friendly but respectful of the interlocutor will help you land the job you want.
Bearing these few simple suggestions in mind, a whole world of opportunities for English speakers is out there to be discovered on websites such as Kijiji.it: with dozens of multilingual positions published daily, they will bring your time in the Italian sun much closer.