FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How can I get a job teaching English in Bologna?

Italy is not like many common TEFL destinations. Say you want to go to Eastern Europe, Turkey, Greece, or many other countries. You can see jobs advertised in the Guardian on Tuesday, or online. You apply. With a bit of luck, you get a job, with somewhere to stay thrown in, and maybe a contract for the year. Via! (as Italians would say).

There ARE jobs advertised in Italy, but following the logic of supply and demand, they tend to be in small places where people wouldn't necessarily want to go.. not that that should put you off.

In the more attractive destinations, the larger cities, the places with big universities, or places popular with visitors, schools generally rely on recruiting from those who just turn up. Bologna has a big university, which is a popular destination for students visiting under the Erasmus scheme. Those students then go home, graduate, and often decide to return. There's often an Italian boyfriend (EFL teachers in Italy, unlike me, are mainly female) involved too.

People come to Italy to work because they love the country, because they speak the language, because of that someone special, or all of the above. They tend not to be just passing through, and what's more, teaching EFL may not be their number one motivation for being here.

As a result, local schools tend to be lazy about recruitment.. you have to come to them, not wait for them to search you out.!

So what's the secret to getting work in Bologna? First of all, think of it as "work", not as "a job". Few schools, will offer you a full-time job, with a contract - which is difficult anyway under Italian law. It's much more likely that you'll be offered work - some hours here, a class there - by different schools.

Here are a few tips, given from an employer's viewpoint:

• First, polish your CV. Make sure it's up to date and easy to read. Make sure it's accurate - ask someone to proof-read it for you. I recently received one from someone claiming to have had six months experience teaching from January to June 2007 (I'm writing this in July 2006). This does not make a good impression.


• If you're not already in Bologna, say when you're coming, why, and how long you're staying. Schools like stable teachers who they can work with in the longer term, if they can get them, so highlight any personal reasons you may have for being here (love of Italy, engaged to Bolognese boy, etc.)


• E-mail your CV. You can find the contact addresses by searching on the Internet, or checking the Pagine Gialle. But don't expect anyone to reply to you. And definitely don't write an agressive follow-up e-mail asking why you haven't received a reply. And avoid sending photos or attachments which are particularly "heavy" and risk crashing the recipient's computer, or worse still, sending the same "heavy" message several times.


• Then, if you'd still rather be in Italy than Thailand, or wherever, book your ticket. Don't arrive before the end of August because there is NOTHING happening. And it's hot. And humid. Most schools open for enrolments at the start of September, which is about the time to make your appearance.


• Get some copies of your CV, and working from the Pagine Gialle, do the rounds of the schools. Dress smartly and don't be pushy. Stress that you'll go anywhere, do anything, and be grateful for it, even if it's not true. Smile! As you chat, you are being evaluated on how flexible you will be and on your ability to make clients happy, at least as much as on your previous teaching experience and qualifications. Stess your enthusiasm and willingness to learn!


• You are most likely to be offered work by the cheapest schools - they have more clients, but pay teachers less, so they have both a higher need for staff and a higher turnover. If you've got little or no experience, take anything you can get at first.


• Take on any private work you're offered, and learn how to cherish your private clients... They will pay your bills, if all else fails.


• Come to monthly, free, training sessions at Madrelingua (details here: Teachers' homepage) and make friends with other teachers. They will give you tips on where to apply, who the good employers are, and who to avoid!


• Work hard and learn as much as you can. As you gain experience you become more valuable to your employers - in future years you'll have more choice, and so be able to pick and choose more, perhaps working hours that suit you better, or earning more.

If you have any comments on this article, or if YOU have a question you'd like answered, why not email us? info@madrelinguabologna.com