getting taken seriously at work.. irritating

soo..being that i work in ad sales, and many other things .. one thing that really bothers me is when i have appointments with men, i go into my "speal" and they interrupt me to ask me "di dove sei" or ask why I am here in Italy or if I have a boyfriend or tell me I am very young to be working in this sorta job " ( im 25 ) and sometimes i want to strangle my "potential " client.. I try to be very professional. I use "Lei" when im speaking to someone I dont know when talking business and am clear what I am selling but still... i get the idea i am in a mans world at times.. boh

i know what you mean and you are so right. It's a whole different scene over here. sometimes i feel like using "tu" instead of "Lei" just to show them they're on my same level. But unfortunately that doesn't always work...

I have ZERO expat friends here who feel respected in their jobs, especially those working in marketing or in factories...

yuck.

Im glad my job is babysitting i can't imagine working in an office here!

hahah yeah when i do english lessons for kids.. no problems there! I just got a request for english conversation from a military commander and its 15euros an hour. but at the same time im so waryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ..

u r not charging enough for the lesson, no point in taking less than the going rate

Well since I quit I can talk about my old (recent) job. I was teaching English to 2 toddlers and the mom was very "keep up with the Jones" richy rich like. My first day we walked down high street (funny is that I live off this street) so she could show off her new American nanny to every one. It was humiliating. The rich friends would talk about me as if I wasn't there, The people walking by looked at me with pity and I felt like an accessory rather than a person! I can't WAIT to get out of Verona! Viva La France

haha well since it was only really like doing conversation exchange only paid, i will see how it goes next week and then we will talk about it.. I have done the whole nanny/ babysitter and lessons here and its always a bit of a humilating experience.. i remember having to use the "servant" bathroom in her house ( one that leaked water on me as i used the toilet.. fun.." never ever ever again.. but now i do twice weekly lessons for a family which is working out great and i rent out an apartment they own for a commission..

so jessica, france huh?? where at? that should be really exciting!

I have had so much more civilised experiences with lessons. Once I taught a lawyer and his wife who is a Pharacist. they were so lovely and so much funa nd I laughed so much! Now I live in a poorer area (i.e. people are normal average Joes struggling to survive) and my students are just normal people...but I have never felt bad, or lower than them socially. Maybe it has to do with where I live...boh! Certainly it is an attitude which sucks. Either u r accessories or sex objects!!!!! I am not either boo hoo! Maybe I am not pretty enough, young enough, or sexy enough!

you know i think its the luck of the draw, you did more lessons which i haave had an ok experience with, but i believe its the babysitting/speaking in english that really can be the more humiliating experience.. pretty much ur a baby sitter that speaks english..

but being young and getting taken seriously at work is also very difficult, im 25 and people still think its a bit strange that i dont live with my parents or still in university lol..

i agree, I think there is defo this idea that young people (ie those under 35!-) only have to work for pocket money. my bf is 40 and still has this prob at work. his pay is crap and his boss gets at least 3 times as much but can't see why g has a prob (with rent and 3 kids on mille euro!). his collegue of 25 doesn't get it, he manages fine (living in the house daddy paid for, with 2 incomes, no mortgage and no kids) oh no i am ranting again! time for one of those evil faces....

a little rant every now and again is quite healthy! I do it all the time to my poor boyfriend lol.. yeah i did notice that its italian tradition ( at least i think it is ) to pass a house down to your kids or buy them one.. i wish that was the case in america ! lol jkjk... 1000 is already hard to live on with rent ( in florence where a studio is no lower than 650 ) , bills, food..

raises dont exist here? how long has your husband been working for the company?

Well the specifics are that he gets about 1100, and with 3 kids we get 310 for assegno familiare...but it is impossible to live off this. Our rent is 650, car loan 150, and Daniel's school 280. Then there is car insurance, bills (phone alone being about 125 every 2 months), food etc. I have been keeping records and our incomings and outgoings are off by about 1000 a month, and that is without ever going out! arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
He's been in the airport for over 10 years. The company he works for for at least 5....and he doesn't earn much more than he did when he started...there is always a reason for not giving him a payrise, he must make a sacrifice when things don't go well at work...working extra hours evenings and weekends, for nothing.after all there is a crisis u know...and what makes him so special that he shouldn't struggle like everyone else? Funny thing is that the people who tell him to sacrifice do not roll their sleeves and join in and they earn at least triple...so the sacrifice is all my husband's!!!!!

aww lizzie! Im so sorry! Your in Rome right ? I have seen that alot here.. the nephew or brother or sister or aunt of the boss gets a position of power ( very strong nepotism is still rampant here.. ) and totally abuses it, accusing everyone of not working hard enough while they go out for their 3rd caffe.. i think thats life here. sometimes my boyfriend grumbles that we are better off in America but I am holding off.. since I do love Florence so much! Its sad because I see alot of people that aren't qualified in their job but have it anyway because of their "raccomndati" .. it really hurts Italy alot... I used to work with this girl who was hired at my old job since she was the daughter of a friend of the boss and she could barely open up internet explorer or attach a file to an email.. it was embarressing..

speaking of that my old boss told me " there are 20 girls who were here before you" as to intimidate me ( i was renting apartments.. getting contracts , advertising ect ) and lo and behold I was really good at the job and instead of rewarding me/ motivating me, she was JEALOUS? NO JOKE! so eventually i quit ( after slamming the door when she trying to pay me less than what she was supposed to ) and now I do it on my own , from my apartment in bed.. great stuff!

Gosh I sound a right misery don't I!
I have SO much to be happy for...health, beautiful children and a gentle sweet husband. Hopefully the money thing will only be such an issue while the kids are so little.
I have to say that it is embarrassing when I go back to the UK and all my friends are real high flying lawyers, management accounts, IT consultantc etc.. They have such big houses, nice cars, holidays, think nothing of blowing 100 on a night out. I just can't do it and am sick of having it as an issue...'yes I would love to come but REALLY can't afford it' it is so whiney and makes me feel really small. A group of my old girlfriends went to Majorca in October for a girlie weekend, btu I just couldn't afford it, and every year I become more and more distant..we used to rent out cottages for New Year, but I just can't participate any more and they have even stopped asking me! boo hoo!
As for the work thing, G's boss brought in his niece and made her office manager even though she is 15 yrs younger, with far less experience and G had been working for the company much longer. OF ocurse she got a payrise too!