How easy will getting a job in Rome be & what kind with qualifications

Hello nprusso and welcome to expat-blog,

Thank you for this introduction

Have you already had a look to section jobs in Rome, it might help.

Melissa

Ciao nprusso!

Well, your CV certainly qualifies you for many types of work.  But as you mentioned, it's a difficult time right now in Italy.  And you have two things going against you: your not an EU citizen and you don't speak fluent Italian (although I'm sure that this would be a temporary problem--if you spoke it as a child then I'm sure it will come back quickly).
That's not say that you should be discouraged; just realistic and patient.  If your dream is to live in Italy, then you can find a way.  I might suggest that you start with the tried and true path and teach English for a while.  You'll be able to pay the bills and live in Italy while you sort out the other details.  It may not be your dream job, but it could be a step in that direction.
If you're interested, I'd be happy to speak about it with you further.
A presto,

Rick Zullo

Thank you very much Rick and Melissa.
When I get back to Australia in a couple of weeks I am going to look inti whether I qualify to become an EU citizen. All 4 of my grandparents were born in Italy. The problem I may encounter is the fact that they gave up their Italian citizenship in order to become Australian citizens when they migrated to Australia. There might be a way around this but I will have to do some investigating.
I have completed my studies but must work supervised next year to become a qualified lawyer in Australia. I would prefer to complete this and then move to Italy so if and when I move back to Australia I can be a lawyer and have something to fall back on. This gives me a year to sort out citizenship if this is an option, perfect my Italian and find a position that I would be happy with.
Do you have any suggestions about what  my strategy should be and what my next steps should be. Is it unrealistic to hope this will all happen by this time next year.
Thank you very much.

Also when you say my cv qualifies me for certain types of work what types of work do you mean? This is another problem I have had in that have no idea of what types of jobs to search for on the Internet. If you could tell me I would greatly appreciate it and it would be very helpful.
Thank you kindly.

Hi again,

Regarding your Italian citizenship, the main criteria is WHEN your grandparents renounced their Italian citizenship to become Australian.  If they did so AFTER your parents were born, then you should still be OK.  If they did it before, then the blood line is broken and you don't qualify.  Read more about it here:

http://rickzullo.com/italian-citizenship/

And just so your clear: there is no "way around" this, it is Italian law.  As far as how long it takes, I can only speak for my knowledge of the Italian consulate in the U.S.  Once you've turned in all of your paperwork (birth certificates, death certificates, marriage records, etc. etc.) the waiting period is 15-18 months. I suppose it could be a bit shorter (or longer) in Australia, but 12 months seems optimistic...and that's assuming that you are already in possession of the necessary documents proving your bloodline.

One more thing, regarding a job.  It is unlikely that you will find any work in Italy FROM Australia (via job sites, email, social networking, etc).  Most Italian employers won't even look at your CV until you are a resident in the country.   Another option then is to find work with an Australian company doing business in Italy.

I hope that helps,

Rick

Hello Rick,

I am now writing from Australia. I am delighted to have discovered that I qualify for Italian citizenship. My dads parents were born in Italy, my dad was born in Australia but my grandparents were not naturalized as Australian citizens until after he was born. I have confirmed all of this with the local consulate and I definitely have the right to claim my citizenship. The only problem is there is a year wait until my appointment with the consulate in Melbourne. I am okay with this as I have to write to Italy to get my grandparents birth certificates and marriage certificates and also have my English documents translated to Italian and stamped by dfat.

I was wondering if you could expand on what I would qualify doing as employment in Europe. I will not be able to practice as a lawyer so suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I intend on spending the next year perfecting my Italian language skills.

Thank you kindly.

Ciao!

Glad to hear that your citizenship is going well (if slowly, as is always the case).  I wish I would have gotten mine before making the move.  Beato te!

As far as finding a job, that's a complicated question.  Yes, you seem QUALIFIED for many different types of work.  But unfortunately, many qualified Italians are having a tough time finding appropriate work right now. I have met more than a few Italian lawyers waiting tables in Rome.  That's why I had suggested considering the possibility of teaching English.  The other point here is that teaching English doesn't require that you speak fluent Italian, whereas just about every other type of job would.  Merely being "functional" doesn't really cut it--you must be fluent to have a reasonable chance at landing a job in a competitive field.  In any case, teaching gets you here, and then you can network, job hunt, improve your Italian, etc. in the meantime.

I'm speaking only of my own experience which is limited to Italy.  I really have no idea as to the rest of Europe.  And since your Italian citizenship will open up the entire EU for you, your opportunities may be greater.

Sorry, I wish I could tell you more, but my expertise are limited to my field.  But I will tell you that most people who come here to pursue a career are disappointed, regardless of their nationality, citizenship, or language skills.  The ones that come here to savor the lifestyle and the joy of the experience are almost always thrilled.  If you resolve to just work enough to pay the bills and finance your adventure, then you'll have a great time.  If your looking to improve your CV, then the odds aren't in your favor. 

I'm a huge love of Italy and all things Italian and I'd like lots of foreigners to come over and see it all for themselves.  But we have to accept the bad with the good, and the "bad" is the job situation.

Hello Rick,

I am now writing from Australia. I am delighted to have discovered that I qualify for Italian citizenship. My dads parents were born in Italy, my dad was born in Australia but my grandparents were not naturalized as Australian citizens until after he was born. I have confirmed all of this with the local consulate and I definitely have the right to claim my citizenship. The only problem is there is a year wait until my appointment with the consulate in Melbourne. I am okay with this as I have to write to Italy to get my grandparents birth certificates and marriage certificates and also have my English documents translated to Italian and stamped by dfat.

I was wondering if you could expand on what I would qualify doing as employment in Europe. I will not be able to practice as a lawyer so suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I intend on spending the next year perfecting my Italian language skills.

Thank you kindly.

You should try in the Shipment sector, Export in particular, a law graduate English mother tongue will suit perfectly the role of Export manager in big brands or Logistic companies. A Clerk who is able to handle a phone call in English and to discuss a deal is often more valuable for a company than someone who spent years spent behind a desk but cannot discuss terms and conditions with an important customer in correct and fluent language.
Even though the economic situation is pretty tough Italians big companies which operate in Fashion, design furniture, food and wine are doing good in countries like Australia, China, India, Brasil and USA. Try a search and you can find something