International TEFL Academy Articles

Top tips for getting a job teaching English in Italy for Americans

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How do I find a job teaching English in Italy?

The vast majority of opportunities to teach English in Italy will be gained by searching and interviewing for positions in-person locally on the ground in Italy.  We highly recommend that you plan on being on the ground in Italy in September. Here are some great tips for finding opportunities to teach English in Italy.

• TEFL certification is # 1. The first thing you will need is a professional TEFL certification to be considered for an English teaching job in Italy.  Don't bother showing up without it, you will have a sad trip home a few weeks later when no school will hire you without it.
  
  
• Go to Italy! The vast majority of language schools interview and hire new English teachers locally in Italy. Each year, thousands of foreign English teachers across Italy leave their jobs, creating a strong demand for new teachers.  The prospect of going to Italy to interview without having a job lined up before you leave home may seem daunting, but every year virtually every International TEFL Academy graduate who goes to Italy to interview during major hiring seasons gets hired.  Why? Because the jobs are there, but you need to take initiative, be well prepared and go to Italy to get hired as an English teacher.
   
• Hiring seasons are critical.  We highly recommend arriving in September. A second major hiring period begins in the second week of January and runs for several weeks.
    
• Work visas are hard to come by for Americans and other non-EU citizens looking to teach English in Italy, so thousands of Americans and other non-EU citizens simply teach English on tourist visas "under the table." This is not legal, but it is so common as to be routine and in the open. 
   
  However, it is possible for Americans to work and teach English legally in Italy on a student visa.This typically entails enrolling in language classes or other courses approved by the Italian government. To learn more, please read Teaching English Legally in France, Spain, Italy with a Student Visa and How to apply for a Student Visa to legally teach English in Italy.
    
• Citizens of the UK, Ireland and other EU countries do not need a work permit or visa to teach English in Italy.
      
• Citizens of Canada, Australia and New Zealand will also find it hard to get work visas, but may be able to teach on a student visa and those between the ages of 18-30 may also apply for a working holiday visa that enables them to live, travel and work in Italy for 12 months. Those interested in such a visa should contact the Italian consulate in their home nation.
   

• Arrive in Italy with enough financial resources to support yourself for 4-6 weeks (not including airfare).  Costs will vary depending on where you plan on living, but if you will be paying for your accommodations, we recommend that you arrive with access to cash and/or credit of at least $2,500 - $3,000.

• If you do not have accommodationslined up such as family or friends, plan on spending your first month in a hostel or some other budget-friendly accommodations. Use resources such as Lonely Planet guides to find such venues.

• The most effective way to get interviews and get hired with language schools in Italy is to go to schools directly in-person to inquire about teaching opportunities.

• If you have friends or relatives in the city where you intend to get hired, have them scout out local schools before your arrival.  Also, have them inquire with friends and colleagues to see if they might be interested in private lessons – this will enable you to start making money and getting experience as soon as you arrive.

• As soon as you arrive, get a local phone with a local number and make sure to include the on your resume and in all correspondence.

• Have your resume/c.v. and cover letter translated into Italian. Also make business cards for yourself is possible that list you as TEFL-certified (and a native speaker if that applies).

• Dress well! Italians believe in looking professional and your chances of being taken seriously as an English teacher will diminish if you in any way appear sloppy or unorganized.

• Bring your TEFL certification and sample lesson plans to interviews, and be prepared to possibly teach a mock lesson as a demonstration.

• When you interview and go through the hiring process, expect to begin teaching immediately.

• Locate local language schools using resources like www.eslbase.com/schools/Italy and the Italian Yellow Pages (www.paginegialle.it), which lists more than 2,000 language schools and institutes throughout the country.

• Do not hesitate to take one or more part-time jobs to start.

• While it’s not especially common for schools in Italy to recruit new teachers using ESL job boards, it’s still worth checking out sites like www.daveseslcafe, http://www.eslbase.com/jobs/ and www.eslemployment.com to find job listings and contact information for schools in Italy.

• Try to meet other local English teachers and learn as much as you can from them about the local job market.

• Try finding schools slightly off the beaten path away from the most chic and popular neighborhoods. 

• For those looking for summer opportunities to teach English in Italy there are all sorts of English language summer camps in Italy. Most will hire local English teachers between the ages of 20 and 30, but some camps in Italy do recruit counselors and English teachers directly from the U.S. during winter and spring for the following summer. All International TEFL Academy students and graduates TEFL graduates all receive an extensive summer camp directory to assist them in finding summer opportunities in Italy and elsewhere.

For more information relating to teaching English in Italy, check out:

• Teaching English Legally in France, Spain, Italy with a Student Visa
• How to apply for a Student Visa to legally teach English in Italy 
• Can I teach English abroad in the summer?