A jarring difference for foreigners is the practice of getting "personal" — don’t be surprised by questions about your family, ethnic background or sentimental status. It’s considered part of "getting to know you" and also perfectly legal in the Bel Paese…More sophisticated interviewers will probably preface these by saying, "I know it’s not done in your country but here in Italy…" A way to get out of answering is to reply yes, you understand but would rather talk about business — and then ask a few questions about the company to change the course of the conversation.
Usually, it’s better to prepare a few standard phrases about where you’re from, what you’re doing in Italy, perhaps what your parents do (no comment). You don’t really have to tell your life story, just not give the impression of being rigid.

Conservative clothing (read: suit for both sexes) is still the safest way to dress, in more creative environments women can use funky accessories for a less standard look. Show up five minutes early, bring a copy of your CV and samples of your work, if relevant. Italians expect you to be punctual — though they may make you wait — and they do expect you to be prepared. If you have a cell phone — at the very least turn the ringer off. One company’s interview forms had a list where ‘points’ were taken off for these interview crimes…Remember to make eye contact, keep your composure but don’t remain overly stiff — better to show signs of life.

Sell yourself. Credentials speak for themselves, but a bit of measured bragging doesn’t hurt. After one interview candidate was caught out lying blatantly about knowledge of English — and it was duly noted on her interview sheet — the Italian HR director said, "We expect people to fib if not out and out lie."

If you don’t speak fluent Italian, at least use a hearty "buon giorno" hello followed up by a "piacere" (nice to meet you) with the handshake. When leaving, go for the formal "arrivederLa" or "la saluto," "arrivederci" for less formal environments but never "ciao." As for the rest of the questions, expect some stale-sounding "why do you want to work for this company?" and "what’s your worst fault?" "where do you see yourself in a few years" as well as the standard "is there anything you want to know about the company?" Be prepared.

On the first interview, avoid answering direct questions about money — a line like "I’m certain that if I’m the right person for this job we can work something out" usually works. If it looks like a good fit — take the offer home (most don’t expect you to make an immediate decision) and see how it sizes up with the salary survey (your experience, qualifications etc. and the company size, location etc.) on the site http://quantomipagano.corriere.it/main.htm .

Here are some standard questions & approaches for those who wish to interview in Italian.

Reader’s experience: "Back in ’92 and in Rome, anyway, the interviewers seemed overly
preoccupied with where I lived and how long it was going to take me to get to work. Reliable transportation being what it is in Rome, this apparently was a
major concern for the legal office where I was applying to work as a receptionist. They quizzed me on my modes of transportation and what part of town I
lived in. Though I insisted I wanted the job so much that I would do whatever it took to arrive at work on time, it didn’t seem they believed me! Or maybe they were more familiar with the faults of their public transit system than I was. I also had a creepy experiences where the interviewer asked me very (!) personal questions, then took to calling me at home and asking me out "for coffee"! In hindsight, I would never again respond to a generic ad posted in Wanted in Rome or Porta Portese where the nature of the job was unclear!" Kindly contributed by Gina D.

Tell me about yourself (all the questions are in formal form). What they expect: where you are from, why you are in Italy, how you started in your profession or recent job experiences. Be brief, but give a basic idea about who you are.

"Sono di Philadelphia, ma vivo in Italia da 3 anni. Sono venuto qui in vacanza e il vostro paese mi è piacuto tanto e quindi sono rimasto. Poi ho frequentato un corso di grafica e ho iniziato a lavorare per una piccola rivista."

"I’m from Philadelphia, but I’ve been in Italy for three years. I came on vacation and really liked your country so I stayed. (This carefully leaves out your marital status).Then I went to study graphic arts (name school) and started working for a small magazine name it)."

What is important to you, work wise? Another one to answer in an altruistic fashion.If you haven’t already used the team work bit above, do so now…