Job Discussion Forums

[johnm2006]

I am an American citizen of Italian heritage. I would like to teach in Italy, preferably at a university. My background is that I have a doctoral degree in education from Stanford and 20 years of international teaching experience in 5 countries. Currently I am in China.

I would appreciate any advice.

John Martin

[spiral78]

Does 'of Italian ancestry' imply that you have (or can get) citizenship in Italy? If so, you're certainly qualified for positions.

A couple of things to be aware of: it's not very common to get a decent job from abroad, and better jobs, such as at universities and international schools, are relatively rare.

The most likely sequence of events to secure something reasonable would probably look something like: come over and get some entry-level (or possibly slightly better) job in an area you like. Begin to make some local contacts, build a reputation locally, and pick up some local language skills (if you haven't already got them). Then, you can be on the ground and ready when something worthwhile comes available.

Of course, there are sometimes university openings advertised from abroad, and you should obviously respond to these.

However, competition is fierce these days...I'm based at an international university in the Netherlands, and we are a part of a 'loop' of unis throughout Europe. I can vouch for the fact that, when positions are advertised, CV flood in. There is always a percentage that are easy to overlook, as the candidates are underqualified or qualified in different areas than language/teaching. But there are definitely quite a lot of well-qualified and experienced teachers out there.

[johnm2006]

Thanks.