Too Young, too good

April 4, 2008 · Filed Under Culture · 4 Comments 

It’s test preparation time on many of the Master English courses at the moment. This means I have all the students prepare a short oral presentation in answer to the common job interview question ‘Tell me about yourself’.

The test preparation is always interesting for me as I get to see many students’ CVs, and I often discover interesting things about many students.

This year one young lady, who in Italian terms is very young at 23, caught my attention. Why? Well, because this impressive individual has managed to complete both a 3 year and a 2 year degree by the time she was 23. Believe me when I say that this is incredible in a country where many do not manage to finish their degrees much before the age of 27, or older.

How did this youngster manage such a feat? Quite simple really. She started her second 2 year specialist degree before finishing her first 3 year degree course. Talk about enterprising, and her marks were impressive too.

You’d expect this person to be as happy as Larry, but she isn’t. In Italy’s topsy turvy world, she feels that she is too young. And she’s feeling quite disillusioned. It’s sad for me to see her this way. She’s done damn well and deserves praise for her efforts. Back in the UK she would have been snapped up as a high potential employee in no time at all, I’m pretty sure.

I’ve tried to give her a little encouragement, as I do with many of my students (I love to see people do well), but it’s not really my place, not being Italian.

Hopefully someone will recognise her potential and give her the opportunities she merits.

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An Odd Obstacle for Young Italian Job Seekers

March 12, 2008 · Filed Under Life in Italy · 6 Comments 

The Situation

OK, so you are young, Italian, from the south of Italy, have just finished struggling through a five year degree course which took seven or eight years and you have had the courage to move all the way up to Milan to do a Master in some business school or other. All in the hope of landing an internship (internship is ’stage’ in Italian), which may become a permanent job.

You have just about finished your Master and are doing the interview rounds. You have a degree mark or 100 or higher, possible ‘cum laude’, and have passed all the Master exams with flying colours. Everything looks positive.

Then you go to a few interviews only to find that you are not called back for a follow-up interview. You cannot understand why, all the questions asked seemed so normal. Friendly even. I mean they even asked about your boyfriend/girlfriend. That was maybe a little unusual, but, well, they do want to get to know you.

The Obstacle

Do you remember that odd, but seemingly innocent questioning concerning your boy/girlfriend? Well, perhaps it was not as innocent as it first appeared. Because, the interviewer was trying to establish whether your ’separation’ is likely to affect your work, presumably because the employer has had problems of this type in the past. And unless you answer satisfactorily, you may not be offered an internship, let alone a full time position. It appears that those from the south of Italy who are seeking work in the north are more likely to receive a grilling about relationships than those from the north.

Now, whereas this line of questioning may very well be considered illegal in the UK, in Italy such questions are quite legal and normal. However, these questions could be described as being more than a little discriminatory, even if, with the rigid Italian employment laws, companies do need to be very sure that they are not going to end up with deadwood. It is still very difficult to remove poorly performing employees in Italy, hence these investigations into such indirect personal matters.

The (possible) Solutions

You could simply lie, and say you have no boyfriend/girlfriend at the moment, but if they find out later, you could face problems, and these problems could prejudice your future career.

As an alternative, you could say that the relationship is not serious, that you are more than happy to work in north Italy and willing to move out of Italy if offered the opportunity. Many companies in Italy are well aware that many Italians are highly reluctant to move away from their places of origin for much more than a short time, and so they are often extremely content to find an Italian who is prepared to live permanently in another area of Italy, or even better, to travel regularly or move abroad.

Then again, you could be honest and let the company take you as you are, and risk not being offered an internship or a permanent position. Then at least you will know what kind of company you are dealing with.

If your boyfriend or girlfriend is in north Italy, either studying or working, make this very clear and you will be considered a lower risk.

Above all, be aware of the potential traps contained in questions about relationships and have an answer prepared. Occasionally such questions may simply be a way of monitoring your reaction to emotional issues and nothing more, but…. Better safe than sorry, as the old English saying goes.

One thing is certain though: it ain’t all that easy for young Italians to find a job.

OK, I guess this post should be in Italian, but those Italians who can understand it are potentially very good job candidates for multinational Italian or foreign companies. And knowing this might be helpful.

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The Innovative Mr Alberico and his Sports Centre

February 25, 2008 · Filed Under Good Italian Things · Comment 

Here is another story of a ‘Good Italian Thing’ that I discovered while starting a new English course last week which is tied to a part-time master in Sports Business Management. As you might expect, many of the participants are ex-sportsmen and women, and they are a fascinating bunch of people too.

A Chat With a Student

Well, after a lesson, I had a chat with one of the participants, one Donato Alberico, who it turned out is the director of a sports complex down in the deep south, and also happens to be an ex-national Italian tennis champion to boot. Mr Alberico told me a little about the sports centre he runs.

Running Costs

This centre is the Centro Sportivo Meridionale in San Pietro al Tanagro, and can be found some 80 kilometres to the south of Salerno (map) near Naples. The Centro Sportivo Meridionale has only quite recently, I understand, been brought back into service, in fact, the sports centre had been badly damaged by an earthquake.

However, although the centre is up and running, the problem appears to be keeping the 150,000 square metre complex going due to the high running costs it incurs. The covered swimming pool for example, which was recently refurbished, costs a small fortune to heat. And although the enterprising management have managed to obtain some sponsorship and finance, there never seems to be quite enough to keep the place running, and, more importantly, expanding.

Unfortunately, and in part due to indirect funding difficulties, the facilities that this complex offers are not yet fully exploited, despite demand for them being high. Part of the problem appears to be the cash strapped local schools, which although they would be more than happy to use all the centre has on offer, cannot send groups of pupils to swim and play tennis etc simply because the local authorities cannot afford to make the overtime payments to the teaching staff who are required to supervise the excursions to the sports centre. If the sports centre could possibly pay the teachers directly, then that might encourage the schools to use the centre more.

An Innovative Solution

Notwithstanding these odd indirect funding problems, the non-profit organisation, Meta SPA (the site is in Italian), which manages the complex, has been actively attempting to develop other non-sports related income streams, and, the student of mine is doing the Sports Business Management Master in order to understand better how to run and raise funds for the centre. But prior to doing the master, Mr Alberico and his team were not simply swinging their heels. Oh no.

The Centro Sportivo Meridionale also functions as a form of management training school and has been working with a similar organisation from business school infested Milan to develop the Centro Sportivo into a sort of business school of the south.

The Centro currently runs around 14 post graduation master type courses which have a distinctly practical orientation, and this should help stimulate business in that area of southern Italy, and, may prevent, in some small way, the South-North brain-drain that is taking place. At present new graduates, who wish to undertake a little practical training in order to prepare themselves for the world of work, usually end up in Milan or Rome. And the main reason for this is the lack of business schools down in the areas of southern Italy they come from.

Enhancing Prospects for South Italy

Mr Alberico and his staff are doing something that is potentially extremely worthwhile for the under-resourced and undervalued south of Italy. However, what the centre needs for both its sports and training activities is more exposure, and, with a little luck some financial assistance. Hence my reason for writing. It’s only a small contribution, I know, but any contribution is better than none at all.

Support this Cause!

So, if by any chance, you my kind reader, happen to be an Italian or of Italian origin and are resident abroad. Maybe you have been treated well by life, and maybe you would like to do something to help out the ‘old’ country. Then, I cannot think of a more worthwhile cause.

Do not hesitate to drop me a line, and I’ll see about putting you in touch with the innovative Mr Alberico, who, by the way, has no idea that I am writing this, and I hope that he won’t object. Don’t worry, I’ll tell him the next time I see him.

Not that I think you will, but please don’t offer to send me donations and the like.

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