When we are searching for a job in a new country, it is normal to notice different cultural issues and then feel lost because we don’t know what to do. Discrimination in Italy is an important issue and needs to be tackled so that we can be ready when prejudice appears. Today I will choose a theme within the discrimination in the Italian job market that is “the age issue”.
Discrimination in Italy
It exists and we need to know it so that we can strategize, get round it and thus achieve our goal of working in Italy. I always say that we have three different types of discrimination here in Italy and each of them has historical and cultural origins. These three types are:
- Source
- Genre
- Age
The focus today is to talk about how our age can be perceived differently, depending on our interlocutor.
I would like to open a brief parenthesis. It is not my goal in this article to say that Italians are prejudiced, either because we cannot generalize and because it is not true! Yes, there are prejudiced people in every country in the world! What I would like to draw attention to are the cultural aspects.
What we are today is partly a heritage of our ancestors, this does not justify acts of discrimination in Italy, but understanding them is necessary.
Discrimination in Italy: Is being young a problem?
On this topic I could write a book, because in Italy I fall into this category, mainly because I look younger than I really am. This could be a boon to anyone, but when it comes to business, that’s not the case.
I will explain the Italian context, so it will be easier to understand the origin of discrimination.
What are the young Italians like?
Usually they do not work and only study, because the Italian university, in the vast majority, has a full-time schedule. I did my master here and I can guarantee that it would be very hard to work and study, because the grade you get at the end of the university is very important to them.
* Final grade: Upon completion of the Italian university the students receive a weighted average and this grade often “determines” where they will take the internship at the end of the course. For Italian students get this grade is a moment of very anxious.
When do Italians start working in the area?
Usually, they begin the stages after they graduate. The average age at which Italians finish college is 25, if they have never failed a year. Then they will do, if all goes well, a year or two of internship. They will start working in the area with 27 or 28 years.
Put differently, the average Italian youth is characterized by being a “student” and not a “professional”. We always have to consider where we are inserted in order to understand culture and its consequences.
Discrimination in Italy: Boss at 27?
Considering the context which I just explained, imagine a 27-year-old Brazilian wanting to run for a chief position. An Italian’s head goes into tilt.
I work in Italy, in my sector, since 2015 and since I started it always happens the same. I do different types of training, either in group or individually, and ALWAYS the initial training question is “How old are you?”.
I remember a client I met recently. I was in the training room waiting for the client to arrive when an employee of the consultant agency came in and says, “Dear candidate, can you wait in the waiting room for the consultant to arrive?”
I kept looking at him trying to understand what was going on. He thought that because I was young and, in his mind, I couldn’t be the “consultant.” I explained the situation to him, but he didn’t believe much and came out a little suspicious.
When finally, the client arrived, one of the first questions she asked me was: “How old are you”? There I went, instead of training, to explain my entire academic and career path. In the end she looks at me and said: “you are a genius”, but I replied saying “no, I just started early”.
This happens ALWAYS to me, ALWAYS… I even hired an image consultancy to “look older” or rather “more professional”.
Since I have touched on this, I invite you to read another article: Personal Image: Help to Overcome a Job Interview.
Obviously, I’m not upset, I’m used to it. The age one day will come and this problem maybe I won’t have 😉.
Discrimination in Italy: If I am over 45, is that a problem?
You may be thinking “I’m not 27 anymore and my problems are different”. I have to agree with you! For those who are mature people, the dynamics are different and there are two points that I would like to discuss:
1 – Being a “senior” figure means a high cost to the company – with the economic crisis in Italy many companies felt compelled to lower their costs and with that they started giving preference to profiles that cost less. In addition, in most cases Italian companies do not reduce the previous compensation step when hiring people. For example, if you have 10 years of experience in a sector, this will be considered when formulating your compensation.
2 – Incentive for young people – the unemployment rate among young people in Italy was very high and so the government began to create incentives for companies to hire young people within a certain age range. That’s why you may have seen that many job postings have an age limit.
If you are part of the “mature” group, you have probably noticed some kind of discrimination in Italy for these two factors. But … I repeat and I will continue to repeat, it is not your age that will determine if you will find a job or not. More important is how you search for a job, that’s the point!
If you are part of these strategic profiles, you cannot search for a job as other people do. You need to search strategically and thus increase your chances of finding the dream job in Italy. Yes, it is possible!
I hope to be writing an article about these strategies soon.
My goal here is to raise awareness of these very important topics so that you can deal with it naturally and strategically. If you liked the topic, subscribe to my newsletter to be always informed about what happens in the Italian job market.
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I ask you to share a comment if you have experienced any kind of discrimination in Italy and what you have done.
Have a great time,
Marcela Oliveira
