Job Discussion Forums

General Disarray · Joined: 23 Jun 2010 Posts: 58 Location: Kent

Due to the joys of not what you know, it's who you know....I have a contact in Milan who is willing to offer me at the beginning a part time job of 40 hours a month for 35 euros an hour.

With Milan being a big city in the Euro Zone I understand this won't be enough to live in compared to Budapest (stationed at the moment) would be more than enough.

What is the average pay per month to live on in Milan? I'd like a beer at the weekend essentially.

A vague question coming up but how much more part-time work would be available to supplement my income. There is an opportunity for more hours from my contact some months, this is him telling me I guess it depends on how good I am.

Looking for my first job in January (will be taking the Celta course next week), British National so no worries about working in Europe.

Asking around as I'd love to stay in Budapest as I have a few friends here now with cheap rent, but if I fail to find a job here come January I'll have to move.

Teacher in Rome · Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 1286

Is this figure gross, net, or "nero" (i.e. cash in hand)? I'm guessing gross, which means you'd have to work out whether he'll be paying your contributions (better for you, as you won't have the bureaucratic nightmare of setting up a P Iva, finding accountant etc) or whether he expects you to invoice (see previous point). Calculate that if he's paying your contributions, you'll probably take home about 70%, whereas if you are doing the invoicing, it'll be more like 50 - 60% and god knows what extra stoppages in terms of forward tax.

I'm also guessing that this figure is for corporate training, which also means you should brush up a bit on business English if you haven't already (skills like presentations, email writing etc) so you feel confident and look credible in the lessons.

Otherwise, if you've got CELTA, and are EU, you'll probably find extra work to supplement this offer. (Just one caveat - no offer is ever in the bag in Italy until it's signed - and even then projects get delayed or cancelled. Not to put you off Italy, but just saying, that's all. Take everything anyone says with a massive dose of salt - it probably will happen, but not always when you expect it to.) �1400 net would be an OK salary in Milan, but if this guy's offering you gross, you'd need to make another �600 on top to make it up. (And at entry-level rates of pay, that would be another 20 hours a month, more or less.)

I honestly couldn't advise you what the better deal would be - Milan or Budapest. I'm not a great fan of Milan - it reminds me of Basingstoke on steroids - grey skies and endless rain included. But then and again, I'm a Rome lover - draw your own conclusions! I'm not convinced that Italy is such a great destination if you're starting out teaching, as the pay rates are generally low, and there's not much in terms of structured development. On the other hand, it is what you make of it, and I have no complaints at all about the variety and interest of the work I've done here.

You're right to wonder about the rents and other overheads. I couldn't tell you what to expect from Milan, but there used to be a site (easy milano) which could give you some pointers.

General Disarray · Joined: 23 Jun 2010 Posts: 58 Location: Kent

haha, I have a really good friend (currently lives in Sarajevo, but worked for the UN in Rome) who is always trying to convince me to live in Rome instead of Milan as well which is why I find your comment about loving Rome more a bit amusing.

But the fact I have this contact in Milan it makes it more tempting, it is a back up plan to Budapest I have to admit.

I was just researching early for my future plans.

As for the job offer, it's from an English guy who a friend is good friends with, we also support the same football club (Millwall Wink

) which has gone a long way to help my cause..... He told me he is always interested in offering new graduates a job and told me to keep in touch.

I have no idea about the tax thing, he just said he offers 35 euros at 40 hours a month at the moment but if anything else opens up and my teaching style suits his company there'll be more work. I obviously can't move to Milan on the back of that (due to my finances, I've already dipped massively into my savings while I've been in Budapest).

Teacher in Rome · Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 1286

As you say, it's always a good idea to have a back-up plan - can't do any harm to keep in touch with the guy. Glad you've found some compensation for being a Millwall fan!!

scrabble queen · Joined: 10 Aug 2011 Posts: 1

Hi all,

I've just finished CELTA, and am moving to Milan with my partner because of his job in the middle of September. I've had a look at vacancies and most require 2 years' experience. Is it worth me applying to these anyway?

Also, I was wondering whether anyone knows of a particular school I could contact? Like they always say - it's not what you know....

Thanks in advance!!

Teacher in Rome · Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 1286

Rochdale Ros · Joined: 20 Aug 2011 Posts: 10 Location: Jordan

How do people travel for corporate work in Milano? I am thinking of getting a scooter, is that the way to go?

ComoJo · Joined: 30 Aug 2011 Posts: 2 Location: Como

I agree with Teacher in Rome, the satellite towns around Milan are prosperous and reasonably underserved. The only downer is you need your own transportation as public transportation isn't up to much and very few schools provide a car.

Rochdale - for corporate work most people use the subway which is fast, cheap and well connected, but many teachers swear by cycling as the city is small and completely flat. A scooter is even better, but there are the hassles of insurance, crazy driving...