Interview Tips to Help With Your Job Search in Italy

by Sabrina Bertazzo

If you are planning to move and look for a job in Italy, understanding how to make a good impression that is not only positive but also remarkable, will increase your chances of getting the job you want and beat the competition.

** Here are the top tips I've collected from my former headhunter experience for you:**

1. Outstanding CV & Cover Letter

Ensuring your resume and cover letter are updated and tailored for that specific job is the first thing you should do when preparing for a job interview (in Italy or elsewhere).

2. Do your research

The second step is to get very familiar not only with the job itself but also with the company, the industry and the competitors. The company website, the internet and reliable news are excellent sources to find all these information. After all, the more you know at the interview, the easier it is to convey your preparation and research of the job and the company you are interested in.

3. Dress to impress

As you know, Italians give a lot of importance to the appearance. So dressing in the right way is likely to increase your chances to get a second interview or getting hired.
In order to dress in the right way, you should - again - research the company and the industry very well (hello Google!). For example, you don't want to wear a super elegant suit if you are being interviewed for a hairdresser or a waiter job. Heavy makeup should always be avoided.

4 Greeting & Intro

You may have seen on TV that everyone kisses everyone when they meet in Italy. Well, you don't kiss anyone during an interview. This is an absolute no-no-no. A handshake combined with a firm eye contact is the winning strategy.

5. Work on your confidence

Let me share with you all a secret from my 10-year experience interviewing (hiring & firing) top executives and mega-managers: CONFIDENCE is key. Hold on, arrogance is something else and it's better you leave it out, but a confident candidate has 200% chances more to get called for a second interview.

6. Transparency

In Italy but also anywhere else in the world, it is important you are transparent with your interviewer. So, be specific about why you are applying for a certain job, but maybe don't just say you need money.

7. Essential Italian Formality

As you might already know, in Italy we have two ways of saying "tu" (you), the friendly and the formal way. During an interview, you'll be only using the formal formula. Also, if you know that your interviewer has a degree, you'll refer to them as "Dottore" or "Dottoressa" or if they are lawyers, for example, you'll need to say "Avvocato + surname". Neveruse their first name, unless they tell you to do so.

8. Don't talk about your hobbies

While abroad talking about your passions and hobbies might give a better understanding of your personality, in Italy all of that is considered superficial and definitely not essential. During an interview is better to talk about the essential stuff. As always, this obviously depends on the type of job you are applying for!

9. Be on time

While Italians are always late at any social meetings, they highly value punctuality on the business environment. You should get to your interview around 15 minutes early and NEVER late.

10. Remember to smile

A smile is a sign that you are not too afraid of the situation and that you might be even enjoying the experience. So, don't forget to smile!

And now! Go for it! Just remember that living in Italy will ruin your life forever!!

Read more about finding and getting a job in Italy and elsewhere: