Looking for work and applying in Italy

The best-known sites are Indeed, LinkedIn, InfoJobs.it, Subito Lavoro and Jobrapido, companies' sites, the government platform Portale del Lavoro and the ANPAL portal MyANPAL.

• And there are government employment centres (Centri per l'Impiego, CPI) in every province that register you as a job seeker and provide guidance, offers and training, and temping agencies (agenzie per il lavoro) such as Adecco, Randstad, Manpower and Gi Group which may be a step towards a permanent contract.
• Visit companies yourself and leave your CV in shops, restaurants and hotels, which is common.
• Unions, community centres and Caritas provide information.
• Tell your friends and acquaintances that you are searching, since recommendation is very important.
• And update your LinkedIn profile in Italian and English.

The Italian CV is concise, one to two pages, ordered from the latest, and includes your personal and contact details, and a professional photo is accepted, then experience, education, languages and their level (A1–C2), skills and licences.

• At the end of the CV a phrase of consent to data processing under the privacy law (GDPR) is requested, so add it: Autorizzo il trattamento dei miei dati personali.
• Write the CV in correct Italian without mistakes, and adapt it for each job.
• The cover letter (lettera di presentazione) is short and explains why you suit the job and company.
• State your Italian level honestly.
• And attach work certificates and references if available.
• And avoid unnecessary information such as marital status or religion.

For regulated professions such as medicine, nursing, engineering, law and teaching you need riconoscimento, that is recognition of your qualification by the ministry or professional body, a long process that takes months so start early.

• To clarify the level of your university degree a dichiarazione di valore can be requested from the consulate or an evaluation from CIMEA (the information centre on academic equivalence).
• The work permit depends on your status: EU citizens work freely, holders of a residence permit that allows work work according to its type, and for others the employer submits a nulla osta application under the decreto flussi within the annual quota through the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione, then you get a work visa.
• Check your status before accepting any offer, since working without a permit is an offence.

Italian law prohibits discrimination in hiring because of origin, religion, gender, age, disability and orientation, and the employer may not ask you in the interview about pregnancy, family plans, religion or political affiliation.

• Even so, studies indicate that holders of foreign names receive fewer replies, so networks and recommendations help.
• If you feel discrimination note what happened and report to the labour inspectorate (Ispettorato del Lavoro) or the union (CGIL, CISL and UIL) or the office against racial discrimination (UNAR) which provides free help, or the equality office in the comune.
• Organisations such as Caritas, ACLI and ASGI provide free support, training and job routes for migrants.

The CPI and the regions offer free training courses for the unemployed (formazione professionale) including Italian language, digital skills and in-demand trades, and programmes such as Garanzia Giovani for young people and GOL for retraining.

• You can register via the employment centre after a DID declaration (immediate availability for work) through ANPAL.
• Avoid working in nero without a contract or INPS registration, since the law does not protect you and your contributions are not counted and you do not get unemployment benefit or pension, and it may threaten your residence status.
• Always ask for a written contract and a payslip.
• And avoid offers that request upfront fees to guarantee a job or that promise an exaggerated salary, which may be fraud or exploitation (caporalato in agriculture).

How many pages is an Italian CV usually?