How to Italy

From journalism to teaching and why I don't regret it

Ever get those days where you wonder whether or not you did the right thing in giving up one career you loved (journalism) for something even less well paid (teaching) hundreds of kilometres away (Milan's urban jungle to Sardinia's sandy beaches)?

Five-and-half years later and all those doubts have vanished. Let's face it, teaching English on a mega yacht moored off the Costa Smeralda or travelling to work via helicopter to teach world famous peeps (my lips are sealed - I signed a confidentiality clause yesterday) is far better than being glued to a computer screen. Oh, and I've also realised teaching is far more lucrative than being a trainee reporter. You've just got to get the right contacts.

Of course, that's the extreme version of my life. The cliche-ridden one, where I pinch myself to see whether I'm dreaming. But even the more mundane end of teaching is rewarding. On June 15, I walked into a classroom to teach 14 total beginners 80 hours of English. I was nervous. I'd never taught a group of total beginners before and I wasn't quite sure how it was going to go. Three-hour lessons three times a week can be painful. It's a good job I came armed with my bright pink basketball to break the ice.

Four months of laughter, frustration and me bollocking them for not doing their homework later and we've finished. I'm sad and I know they are, too. What we created in those 80 hours wasn't perfunctory. It went far beyond the language learning. It was proof that when you put your heart and soul into something, magic happens.

Last night we had the end-of-course pizza, together with the awards ceremony. But the joke was on me. What I hadn't realised is that they'd got together to buy me a beautiful, beautiful leather bag, inside which was a book filled with their handwritten sentiments. It's a good job I didn't read it in the restaurant. Mascara sliding down your face isn't good publicity for a school.

So here's to Giuliana, Antonietta, Maria B, Giulia, Laura, Katia, Matteo, Iana, Maddalena, Francesco, Maria L, Valeria, Maria M and Elisabetta for being the best group of students ever.

Cheers!

    

Paid internships

This is another media request:

I'm looking to talk to anyone who has paid to complete a internship in Italy or elsewhere and to find out your thoughts on them, and whether or not it helped you in finding a job.

Please email me at [email protected] with your story.

Wanted: recent grads living in a European capital

Do you come from an EU country? Are you living in a European capital? Are you a recent graduate?

Or perhaps you know someone who fits all three categories above?

I'm looking for six graduates who are willing to share their stories with readers of a British magazine and talk candily about their experiences.

Please email me at [email protected] or leave your details in the comments section below.

Eurograduate articles on living and working in Europe

I'm finally getting around to linking to the articles I've written on moving, living and working abroad.

Here's the round-up from the 2006 and 2007 editions of Eurograduate:

Working Abroad: cross-border job applications Finding work in another country goes beyond translating your CV into the right language or preparing it in the Euro CV format. Emma Bird discovers why

Working Abroad: international assignments, returning home Working abroad may sound glamorous but if you do not plan your assignment carefully, it could hinder your career upon return. Emma Bird finds out why

International Assignments: business etiquette Stepping off the plane to do business with foreign colleagues is always exhilarating. But, as Emma Bird explains, find out about the social norms beforehand

Working Abroad: advice on living abroad Everyday life can suddenly become complicated when you move abroad. Emma Bird provides the information to make it that much easier

Working Abroad: your EU work rights It has never been easier to live and work in another European country. Emma Bird provides the lowdown on your rights as a migrant worker

I'll post some more of my articles from other magazines soon.

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Eurograduate is the European Graduate Career Guide. The 2008 edition is due out in February.

Student life in Bologna

It was a late one last night.

My Italian housemates from Bologna were in Sardinia and we went out to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of our living together.

It was a fab. We went out to Trocadero, a cute little restaurant tucked away behind the main Corso in Olbia. We drank far too much wine, laughed (a lot), and reminisced about hanging beds over the balcony when the landlord came for the rent because there were only meant to be four single beds in the apartment - we actually had five but six of us slept there.

Looking back, I realise how lucky I was living with Simone, Tamara, Michele, Michela and Luca. The boys cooked lunch for me and have an espresso on the table waiting for me when I staggered out of bed (I'm not an early morning person and never have been) and Simone used to take me out for a weekly cappuccino. Tamara, meanwhile, used to help me study Italian and she would feed me the delicious food her Sardinian grandparents had sent her. With Simone and Michele, I'd go swimming twice a week and in the evenings we'd go out to parties, the latest bar or a concert that Tamara had managed to get us into for free.

But the thing I value most about them is that every day they would patiently go through the dissertation I had to write on the link between the Italian media and the political system and correct my Italian or give me other suggestions.

I didn't have any non-Italian friends in Bologna that year. I didn't need to. I wasn't homesick or needing to speak English because I was having the time of my life.

In Italy, as I've mentioned before, there is the saying 'chi trova un amico, trova un tesoro', which in English translates as ' he who finds a friend, finds a treasure'.

Italians may take a while to strike up true friendships, but when they do they are forever.

Mentorship 2008 - do you have what it takes?

HowToItaly Mentorship - applications accepted now

Internships can only take you so far- that's why we've combined certain aspects of an internship experience along with an intensive weeklong mentoring session with an Italian manager to fully prepare you for your move  to Italy.  This course can also help you if you are already planning an internship abroad- you'll have spent a week with an Italian business manager who will mentor and mold you into the perfect candidate for any Italian company.

We believe in getting your money's worth. We believe in honesty, integrity and passion. What we don't believe in is wasting your time. That's why we don't accept anyone, and that's why we require you to apply. If we don't think you have the experience, motivation or skills to move abroad, we will tell you. If you do, well- get ready to experience a workshop unlike any other.  We want you to move over. We want you to be a success.  We want you to live and work in the Bel Paese.. And with the right tools, you'll find out how.   We've done it- and we know you can too.

Want to apply? Read on to find out how.

Aupairing

I've aupaired in Naples, Abruzzo, Paris and Corsica and each time it wasn't that great.

That was partly my fault. I was clueless to knowing what I should have been asking before I accepted the job and consequently I ended up sharing a bed with the other aupair in one case and a bedroom with a little 3-year-old in another. See, I told you I was clueless.

So that you don't have to make the same mistakes that I did, here's my checklist of what you should be asking if you are planning to aupair in Italy some time soon.

1) Light housework is normally included in your duties. Find out exactly what is meant by this. In theory, you are only meant to be doing housework associated with the children. In practice, it's hardly ever like this.

2) Find out when you are expected to work. During the day, evenings, weekends. Generally speaking, you should be working during the week and have evenings and weekends free, unless arranged in advance.

3) If you need to have a driving license, ask if you also have use of the car in your free time. If not, are you close to public transport networks? I spent a lonely time in Corsica finding out that the luxury villa I was in was at the top of a mountain and at least one hour walk from the tiny hamlet. In Abruzzo, in contrast, we were slap bang in the middle of the village and I made loads of Italian friends.

4) Does the family have broadband or wifi? Ok, this isn't essential but you might want to be able to email friends and family occasionally. If they don't, is there an internet cafe nearby?

5) Check with the aupair agency their policy. What happens if your experience turns out to be less than great? Do they move you? Or do they leave you to get out of your agreement with your family.

Had I actually known what I was doing beforehand, I'm sure I'd have had a fantastic time. What about those of you who have aupaired? Am I the only one to have found myself in bizarre situations? How were your experiences? Families resembling angels? Families from hell? Fee free to comment anonymously in worst case scenarious.

Making the most of your year abroad in Italy

This time 10 years ago (yikes, I am getting old.......) I was in aupairing in Corsica and getting ready for my study year abroad in Bologna.

I had no idea what to expect but ending up in a brothel masquerading as a hotel for a week certainly wasn't what I had planned. Still, those eventful seven days spent pounding the streets of the city with my mum as we looked for accomodation, turned out to be the start of the best year of my life.

No doubt the magic of Italy will work its spell almost as soon as you arrive. If it does and you think you might want to work in the country, there are several steps you can take to boost your chances.

1) You will be in Italy surrounded by Italians. Make the most of every opportunity you can to speak Italian as you won't get another chance like this for a long time. With good Italian, your possibilities of finding work multiply. Without it, you'll have far fewer options.

2) Try to get some kind of internship experience while you are in the country. Think about it. You are already there and already have accommodation meaning you don't need someone to arrange it for you. Send a letter to the different companies in the city or walk in to see them. Or perhaps you could spend one day/afternoon per week interning, which makes it easy to slot around your studies. And just think how much experience you'll have accumulated by the end of the year.

3) Use your year in Italy to network and make as many connections as possible. Join networking clubs and do things seriously. It's a lot easier to make contacts when you are in Italy than when you are back in your home country.

4) Soak up the culture. Really try to get to grips with what Italy is all about rather than just the romantic notions of the Bella Vita. Read books like The Dark Heart of Italy by Tobias Jones. Lots of graduates now have study abroad experience so get a hobby or do something that really marks you out.

Oh, but don't forget to have fun and explore other towns, too!