International Job Hunt from USA

April 23, 2008 6:50 AM

I want to make next career move in Italy (experience in marketing/sales/media - but open to any industry) -- and currently live in NYC. Best strategies? I was thinking maybe an international recruitment agency based here in the States (does this exist?) or American companies with offices in Tuscany (still cannot find a list like this). I do speak Italian at level B2, but I think a better bet would be for a job that wants me to primarily communicate in English and liaise with folks back home. Any ideas or tips?
posted by jazzybelle to work & money (4 comments total)

I met an American woman living in Italy with an art history degree. She led high end tours to museums. Being a sales/marketing type maybe you would be good in the tourism industry.
posted by Bunglegirl at 12:19 PM on April 23

Get a job with a small company that is looking to expand internationally and convince them to make you their person in Italy. This is what I did, and I wound up spending two years living in northern Italy. While I was there, I worked with a tutor at night and spoke as much Italian as I could during the day.

Also possibly apply for a job at the State Dept.

Since then, several other small companies have approached me about doing something similar.

MeFi mail me if you have more specific questions. I am happy to answer.
posted by charlesv at 7:13 PM on April 23

Wow, that doesn't make much sense.

The bit about the State dept should have been the last line in the post.
posted by charlesv at 7:39 PM on April 23

Writing from Tuscany here, also working in a (somewhat related) field.

First of all: don't let the language barrier stop you - broken English is largely spoken here, and it's taught as the main foreign language from primary school, so you can survive for the first months - and you will pick up Italian very quickly (although with that adorable mixed tuscan/english accent all my foreign friends picked up while staying here :-))

I know of very few US companies with offices in Tuscany, but given your experience I'd adopt the charlesv solution the other way around, being on the territory and starting a small consultancy working with small to medium italian companies (some fields that spring to mind: food, wine, design, fashion, hi-end hand-made products, esp. furniture or textiles, tourism) which are - or are interested in - expanding their business to the US, i.e. planning sales, organising meetings/trade shows, etc.

Not extremely easy given the current euro/dollar situation, but very feasible in niche markets, and niche markets are what most tuscan production is geared towards.

Also, if you're interested in (all of the above, but mostly) fashion, working in or with buying offices is an interesting possibility, and there's quite a few of them in Florence.

Feel free to MeFi mail me with specific questions, and best of luck!
posted by _dario at 8:24 AM on April 24