How and Where to Find the Best Internship in Italy?

Taking an internship abroad is a smart way to start a flourishing international career. Taking an internship in Italy is also a great way to gain practical knowledge while living in the best country in the world. Sorry, I'm Italian!!! ?

Imagine immersing yourself in la dolce vita (the sweet life) in Turin. Imagine filling your stomach with the mouth-watering cuisine in Bologna. Imagine walking among Italian ancient history in Rome or Florence. Imagine being on a real-life fashion walk in the streets of Milan. Interning in Italy is a unique opportunity to learn more art and history, architecture, fashion, food and tourism.

But how and where can you find the best internship in Italy? Spotahome, as usual, has done the legwork for Y'all.

The Best Internships in Italy

Architecture Internships in Italy

There’s are few other countries in the world to experience the field of architecture than Italy. Rome, with its 100,000 monuments, is the perfect base to do an architectural internship. Students involved in architectural studios will take part to architecture-rendering process while also assisting architects on all sorts of projects.

Art & History Internships in Italy

Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Donatello are just some of the world-famous artists born in Italy. If you are looking to learn more about this subject, you couldn't choose a better place. Italy is believed to behold about 70% of the world’s recognized art and architecture. While Florence and Rome are the best cities for your art & history internship in Italy.
Interns in these cities are often asked to assist curators of art exhibitions, write press releases, or lead museum tours in one of the 44 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Florence and Rome!

Tourism Internships in Italy

Italy, being such a popular travel destination, is one of the best countries to do a tourism-related internship. You could intern in a tourism agency, a hotel, a tour company and more. International students are often involved in tours handling and consulting, marketing activities and events management.

Wine & Food Internships in Italy

If food and/or wine is your thing, then look no further. Italy is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. While also being home to one of the most-loved cuisines in the world. An internship in Bologna, Rome or Turin is a truly unique experience that will allow you to expand your food and wine knowledge and appreciation. Interns in the wine field will have the opportunity to work in wine marketing and winemaking or organize wine tasting events. Students in the food industry will enhance their palate while working along knowledgeable chefs in professionals kitchens.

Fashion Internships in Italy

Milan is undoubtedly the world's capital of fashion. Yeah, Paris, London and New York are all trying very hard to excel, but Milan remains the queen.
Interning in fashion in Italy means learning about suppliers and distributors, clothing and style design processes. But also about production cycles, fashion marketing, merchandising and retail.

How to find the Best Internships in Italy

In Italy paid internships are very rare.

First things first. Employers rarely pay interns as they see internships as a fair exchange. Students learn a bit about work, the company invests time in teaching them something.

Make sure to save money before taking on an internship in Italy.Be prepared to take on an additional job such as teaching English, working in a restaurant at night...
Depending on the city of your choice, budget in between 700€ and 1200€ per month.

Check your network

First, check with your university internship office as they often have a list of employers who’d previously accepted students for internships.
Then, check with your family and friends circle, spread the word about you searching for an Italian internship. You might be surprised to find out how many people have an Italian friend/cousin/uncle/auntie/great grandma. Remember: there is no harm in asking help to people, you are looking for work!
If you have already done an internship in a large company in your home country, check if they have offices in Italy. Then connect with the HR manager to see if they can give you a placement there.

Online search

There are tons of websites available, simply make sure to search in the reputable and reliable ones. La Repubblica degli Stagisti (the Interns Republic) is a great source of information to all the interns' population. It also features verified job advert and offers lots of useful content. You can also find interviews with students who have completed their internship in Italy and abroad.
Another useful tool is Sportello Stage which allows you to browse among many opportunities once you register your profile to the platform.
Additionally, if you know the company you want to intern for, simply search for the ‘Lavora con noi’ (Work for us) section on their website and apply within. Some companies (even larger ones) don't feature this tool. A simple Linkedin search will allow you to find the recruitment manager whom you should send your CV to.

Pay someone to find it

Personally, I didn't and wouldn't pay an agency to find me an internship. But I know things have changed and maybe now it's harder to find a decent placement without paying a fee. But please, make sure to do your own research before paying any agency as it's a quite common scammed field.

OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER:
Tip #1 For your internship in Italy, you must speak Italian. Maybe fluency isn't mandatory in all jobs, but if you want to have a great experience, make sure to learn it before you fly.

Tip #2: Be aware that the requirements for applying to a job in Italy may be different from what you are used to in your home country. See how you can adapt your CV, the cover letter before going for the interview.

Tip #3 Once you land your dream internship, you might find yourself doing menial activities like photocopying or making the coffees. In Italy, it is quite common as managers tend to test your flexibility before giving you an important task.
You shouldn't complain right away, but see how it goes as time passes. It becomes a problem if those tasks are your only activities. In this case, you should speak to your manager or, in the worst scenario, apply for help to the inspectors at the nearest Provincial Labour Directorate.

Tip #4 Once the internship is over, make sure to ask for feedback. Ideally ask for a letter of recommendation which will come in handy next time you are looking for a job.

Doing an internship abroad is a great way to stand out from the crowd. As most other graduates will only have had summer internships in their portfolio, you’ll have a great advantage over thousands of other applicants.