Job Discussion Forums

[benitacanova]

hi all - i've been reading through this forum and everyone is very helpful and knowledgeable. i plan to move to rome end of summer and have some questions - if anyone can help thanks for life:

i've been working in madrid two years - i do company classes and find myself spending more time on the metro and buses then teaching which dilutes my salary and stresses me out. Questions: as rome does not have a very extensive metro network - is this problem even worse there? or is there some downtown business area where many classes are centered? does a scooter become essential? do academies offer block hours? is there some neighborhood in which to live which is more convenient for commuting?

speaking of living i have been searching apartment listings (for shares) and it seems 500 euros is average for a decent furnished room. Questions: is this correct? is it more or less? and which neighborhoods are more affordable? what are the best sources to find a share?

re work i have been unable to find any comprehensive list of academies. Questions: does anyone have one? which pay the best? and most importantly what IS the going hourly rate? i have seen only a figure of 700 euros per month quoted (sometimes as average sometimes as low - here 1000 to 1200 a month is normal and flatshares are much less (300sh)). and what about privates? in madrid it is fairly easy to get 18/hr with academies and 20-22 for privates. is it fairly easy to pick up privates? is there demand?

re social life - i've heard the city shuts down early. i don't need the all night life of madrid however i am single - Questions: where do people hang? is there a bar scene at all? are the italians fairly open with foreigners? is the club scene cool? do they get good concerts coming through? what's up with that draconian drug bill that berlusconi pushed through - is the place dried up?

lastly - how are the beaches near rome? nice scene? any decent waves? probably not.

thanks so much for your help!

[SueH]

Can't help myself, but i'll draw your post to the attention of someone who until recently worked in Rome.

As for the waves - I don't remember any as a kid in the 60s - not the sort you mean!

[benitacanova]

thank you so much - i really appreciate it - i kind of figured the sea was calm - i'm not a surfer - just love my boogyboard.

one last one i forgot - anyone belong to a gym? how much are memberships?

i'm asking alot i know... if anyone has similar questions about madrid i can write a ten page report on the topic...

[Teacher in Rome]

I left Rome a few months ago, but from what I remember....

Language schools pay poorly: average 13 - 20 euro net an hour. Expect to travel around a fair amount, and the metro system sucks in summer. It's hot, crowded and smelly, and closes down around 11pm. A scooter is a good option if you're confident driving about in Rome. If you're not, then be prepared to spend a lot of time on public transport, unless you can get block teaching hours somewhere.

Private students will pay you more (20 euro and up) but obviously, there's more flexibility and more cancellations. You also need to build up contacts over time, so language schools are a better bet to start off with.

A good place to start looking for work is either wanted in rome (magazine and site) or porta portese (paper and site). You can also put ads in both these for work.

You're probably right re living costs. Rome isn't cheap, but the further out you go, the cheaper it becomes. Some teachers live an hour or so outside the city, which means cheaper rents, but more expensive travel and less of a social life in Rome itself. Which leads me on to the next point!

Huge number of bars, clubs, hangouts and so on. A lot of passing customers, but also a fair number of us / uk teachers and tour guides. If you're young, energetic and possessing a strong liver, you're bound to have fun. As far as other pleasures are concerned, I never heard anyone complain of lack of availability, but I don't indulge anyway.

Surf is pretty average, and the best beach for that I came across is Santa Severa (45 mins to the north of Rome). Avoid Ostia, which is pretty vile.

Hope this all helps!

[benitacanova]

that helps alot! thank you so much for your time!

[nat_capelli_rossi]

Thought these websites might be of some help to you:

http://www.mercuriusrelocations.com/guide/
http://www.wantedinrome.com/
http://www.romebuddy.com/

Good luck!

[benitacanova]

thanks so much - two i'd seen but not the other