Job Discussion Forums

[Francesco319]

Hi all,
I know these questions are terribly broad, but at this stage I need to seek general information. My questions are:

1. If I'm planning to go to Italy very soon (as in not wait for next July-September for the main hiring season) is there another hiring window that I should aim for? From what I understand, to get a tesl job in Italy you need to go there and seek it out in person, so i was wondering if perhaps the break right after Christmas would be a good time in terms of openings.

2. To answer my second question you'll need to know a little bit about me: I'm 23 years old, have a BA in history, have a 140 hour tesl certification from a community college in Virginia, speak Italian fluently (but far from perfectly), have dual Italian/American citizenship, and have almost zero work experience in tesl. Considering these factors, is there a city or region in Italy in which I am more likely to succeed? I've been told that Rome and Milan are already flooded with english speakers and experienced english teachers, but by the same token, they are big and should have more openings than smaller towns. I'm willing to live just about anywhere I can get hired and make enough for groceries and rent.

Thanks for any information at all,

Francesco

[Teacher in Rome]

Hi Francesco

After September, January is probably the best time to find work, as some teachers might leave after the christmas break, leaving schools short.

The only sticking point will be your lack of experience. This will make finding work difficult especially in small towns where there are fewer employers. One thing you could consider is a language school where there's already a method and where you can pick up some classroom experience. These aren't the greatest payers, but you will at least get a foothold. Try Wall Street, Inlingua, even Berlitz or Callan. (You'll find these chains in the larger towns and cities.)

Hope it works out well for you!

PS Bring plenty of funds to fall back on. Rent for the first couple of months and enough living money.

[Francesco319]

Thanks for the tips Teacher in Rome, I really appreciate it!