What are the Part-Time opportunities for international students in Italy?

Working part-time alongside your studies is a good way to understand the Italian job market and earn some money to balance your living expenses while studying. As an international (non-EU/EEA) student, one is permitted to work part-time during the study period and take up jobs in Italy, given that your visa/study permit allows for the same. In case your study visa says that you can work in Italy alongside your studies, you would be able to take up part-time employment for up to 20 hours per week. This 20 hours per week rule is there to ensure that international students do not over-work and can spend sufficient time in studying. The paid part-time work in Italy should not be the only source of funds to pay for your studies at part-time jobs are limited and fluctuate in remuneration. Instead, you should use this opportunity to work in Italy to gain some valuable work experience while studying abroad by sparing some hours per week for paid employment, commonly known as student jobs.

It is notable that if you speak Italian or have some basic knowledge of the language, it will help you in securing a part-time job easier as compared to an international student who is unable to speak Italian. Therefore, it is a useful skill to know Italian in order to significantly improve your chances of securing part-time employment in Italy. Now let’s look at some of the popular part-time jobs for international students in Italy:

•         Waiters/Bar Tenders
•         Counter Assistants at Quick Service Restaurants
•         Assistants at Trade Fairs/Education Fairs
•         Call Centre Agents
•         Jobs in the Media Sector
•         Jobs in the IT sector
•         University jobs such as library assistants
•         Tour Guides

As an alternative to non-native language speaker, students from non-Italian speaking backgrounds can look for Language teaching jobs, commonly known as au pair jobs. You can teach your mother tongue and/or English to the students who want to learn. 

For STEM students, English au pair jobs are very popular. Also, many Italian universities offer on-campus part-time jobs to students, ranging from assisting the professors, tutoring and help in recording video lectures. These jobs are usually well-paid, however, are limited and competitive among students aspiring to take up part-time employment. The idea for an international student is to acquire some part-time work experience while studying at an Italian university and earn some money to balance the living expenses alongside studies.