Too Young, too good
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.
Reminds me of an ex-girlfriend of mine, who emigrated from Greece to the US at 19. By 22, she had graduated with a B.A. in English from the same university where I got my law degree, and went on to work for a huge global web consulting firm, earning in the top 1% of US university graduates. It helped that she spoke almost flawless English, having benefited from English immersion schooling in Greece, and teachers from the UK and Ireland. I taught her to drive and within weeks she was driving great distances, from LA to San Francisco, like it was nothing. The got into the real estate market and her career took a nosedive. Don’t know where she is now… Funny because her older brother spoke no English, and was almost frightened to leave Greece.
What is she qualified to do as a result? asks this curious kiwi.
Hi Joe,
You hit the nails on the head – good academic record plus good English and a willingness to work anywhere in the world can definitely help jump start a career.
The young lady mentioned in the post lacks the English to move away from Italy…for the moment. She is aware of this lack, and is more than capable of remedying it.
What many Italians do not realise is that spending a few years abroad can make then very attractive to the Italian market should they wish to head home again. I do know of high earners who have done just this, and of one young Italian who may well be on the verge of heading overseas for a period.
The older brother sounds familiar too. Many Italians find moving to Milan to do a master traumatic to say the least. For many it is their first ‘away from home’ experience. Some like Milan and all the opportunities it has to offer, whereas many tend to yearn for home.
Admittedly the number of people from the UK who leave to start lives and careers abroad is not that great, but it is bound to be much larger than the number of Italians who do the same.
The enlightened few are aware of the benefits of leaving Italy, but the vast majority are not, or don’t want to be.
Not knowing English as well as many other European and other nations does not help either.
All the best,
Alex
Hi Di, you curious Kiwi you.
This lass is training to work in the media/public relations field, and her university studies revolved around this too.
She has some pretty clear ideas for one so young, and this too is unusual, but very positive.
Outside of Italy I’m pretty sure she would have been snapped up, in Italy she risks being snapped at for having had the temerity to have got so many qualifications so young.
Odd, but that’s Italy for you. Topsy turvy.
All the best,
Alex