Imagine someone who loves you has organised a surprise party for you, and everyone you know is there. Isn’t that great? (No? Well, not to worry, they’ll all be going home soon.)
Look around at their happy faces and ask yourself, how many of these educated, successful people speak a foreign language? Well enough to actually use it for work, or to work abroad?
The answer will probably be “very few”. Where I come from, speaking and understanding a foreign language is as uncommon as having super powers, like flying or bullets bouncing off you.
Of course WE are different, aren’t we? This site is for people who DO have super powers, or are working hard to acquire them. People like you, who are learning or want to learn Italian. (If that isn’t you, click the link at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe!).
You might be studying Italian for any one of many different reasons: maybe you have Italian ancestors or relatives, or perhaps you love opera and want to understand Verdi in the original. It could be that you need it to communicate when you travel to Italy, or you are planning to retire here. Some people just enjoy learning foreign languages.
But probably the biggest group comprises those who hope to work in Italy, or in jobs where speaking Italian would be an advantage, say for a company which has Italian suppliers or clients.
Diplomats, musicians, or language teachers may all need Italian, as could students who choose to include a “study-abroad” component in their college or graduate school program. And, of course, there are plenty of people, like me who, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, marry Italians!
Italy is full of foreigners studying the language. As a result of the time and money they spend, most will eventually feel more confident communicating in Italian, have a broader and more nuanced view of the world outside their own country, and hopefully have had a great time and made lots of friends.
But, hey, now is not the moment for lotus-eating: the world is in a long, deep economic crisis. It would be foolish not to ask yourself, just how relevant is a study-abroad experience going to be to a potential employer? Will it make your resume stand out from thousands of others?
Internships and sabbaticals, whether at home or abroad, are not uncommon these days. It’s rare that I receive a resume which doesn’t list experiences of this type. Often a series of them.
Unfortunately, in these days of high unemployment, employers quickly learn to be sceptical. Yes, you did an internship. Yes, you studied abroad. Yes, you (say) you can speak Italian. But how will any of this really add value for my company if I choose to employ you?
Imagine you trying to get hired as an accountant, and that there are lots of others with the same accountancy qualification going for the position.
You, however, have a secret weapon: your CILS Italian language diploma, which attests to your unusual and impressive achievement of actually learning to speak and understand a foreign language!
You are clearly made of different stuff from other chartered accountants, you are RARE, and may therefore prove to be a profitable choice for your future employer.
OK, so they don’t actually NEED someone who speaks Italian to do tax returns. But, there’s no doubt that a certificate or diploma demonstrates your commitment and discipline. It’s a sign of someone who knows how to finish a job, someone who has succeeded at something. It means you weren’t just lotus-eating.
So, if YOUR resume needs help standing out from the crowd, visit our sponsor school’s website to find out how a CILS exam will give it the boost it needs.
P.S. There’s currently a special “course + exam offer”:
Do an Italian course, get an A1 or A2 exam FREE!
Sign up for any group Italian course at the same time as registering for a CILS exam and we will discount your course by the cost of the A1/A2 exams (€40).
In effect, you pay for your course, and get an A1 or A2 exam for FREE (or equivalent discount on a higher level exam..)
P.P. S. Enrollment for the June session of CILS exams in Bologna is only open until the end of April, so don’t waste time: click here!