How hard will it be for an English speaker to get a job in Rome?

Question

We're willing to do anything pretty much (well, anything short of illegal).....I speak broken Italian, but my friend don't really speak any. We have a whole year before we arrive in Roma and we have enough money to get by for a few months so we have that long to search for a job of any kind. I have great knowledge of Rome and its history (I took Latin for 3 years and I have found out everything I can about Italy) so I'm hoping that will help somehow. We will be there legaly. So, do you have any advice for us or anything? Thanks. Oh, and if its of any importance we'll be 19 at the time and we are two American females. Thanks again!

Answer 1

If you've got a whole year before you go do a course in Italian.

Answer 2

I hope that if you find out, you tell me because I am an Italian citizen working in Canada since 1989 and it is hard for me to find a job in Italy.

I have wanted to move back for years now....

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Answer 3

I don't want to burst your bubble but you can't just go to Italy and get a job. You can only work there if you are hired by a company that is doing business there or a foreign government. Then you have to apply for a sojourners permit. It's just not that simple.

Danni, I think you should listen to Pierluisa. I lived in Sicily for 5 yrs and dealt with the issuance of sojourners permits for American dependents of military families. Maybe the rules have changed but if your not dealing directly with the Italian embassy I would be very cautious.

Danni, Please go to Livingabroadin.com/italy.....I'm afraid someone has led you astray. This site explains work visa's.

In that case, I wish you the best of luck. Italy is the best country on earth to live in. I can tell your persistence will carry you far. I'll be in Sicily for 3 months this December-February. Hope to see you there. Ciao.

Answer 4

well u have to contact italy for job. I mean i live near by Italy. Austria Is close by. So i have some friends there in Italy and maybe i should try to contact them so they can give u any informations about your question.. But u have to give me your email adress, so they can contact u with your question. ok so have a nice day

Answer 5

The only place I can think of immediately is to get a job somewhere near the Vatican in Rome where everyone speaks English anyway.  How to get a job?? I really don't know.  Remember things are not as easy as in the states.  Lots of "red tape" and processes.

Also, even more important please be very careful!  Two 19 year old American women are a target for the Italian men who are very  forward.  Keep your guard up and have a very sensible head on your shoulders.  They love s*x and will go to great lengths to get it!!  Don't let them "charm the pants off of you"!  Best of luck!

Answer 6

Let me tell you something thier is no way you have a work permit, because a work permit can only be given to you once you are in country because I worked in Italy for 13 yrs and they go by when you inter country because you have 90 days to get what they call permiso the sougoinal (call a work permit) amd if you don't have you will be ask to leave and if you don't you will be forced to do so.

  I don't know where you got that or who lied to you but somebody did and let me tell you another thing if you can make a liveing you will be working only to surive and thats it i know.

Answer 7

you could find something as a tourist guide, helpdesk at hotels...

Answer 8

Danny has a point... how did you get a working visa without having a job and an employer? It would work only if you are European citizens, not if you are from the US...Sounds weird to me, and I'm Italian...Please answer me, privately, if you wish... maybe you'd better check that the permit you have is OK, and you weren't cheated for it...

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You are lucky you have contacts! I'm afraid this will help feed the stereotype that in Italy everything works only if you have contacts, but I'm happy for the two of you! In this case it would be relatively easy to find a job as a waitress in any of the pubs downtown that have mainly a foreign clientele, or in an English bookstore, or in one of the stores downtown (but only once you have mastered some Italian): shops are always looking for English speaking staff, to serve foreign clients that don't speak Italian.

You could be a tourist guide, but you need a special certificate (you have to pass an exam) and I'm afraid you are too young for that.

You could be an English teacher: schools such as "British College" are always looking for mother tongue teachers, but I think you must have a degree... In any case, you could make good money giving private lessons, but you have to find a way to spread the word...