Many congrats, Teresa - how wonderful to contemplate such a prospect, but I suppose it comes with the knowledge that there will only be one real winner from the selection - therefore of course it had better be you!

If it were Germany, I might be able to be of some small help, but afraid Italy hasn't been my usual EU stamping-ground. If you have access to any of the expat employee country by country briefings published by organisations such as Employment Conditions Abroad Ltd, these may be of help, though - if you haven't already been there, that is!

Whatever, every good wish for it all

In reply to David:

PS Teresa

Just occurred to me, and might be worth mentioning: British diplomatic missions in Italy - the embassy especially - will employ themselves quite a big squad of what used to be called in the trade 'locally-engaged staff' - if you can make contact with someone in helpful mode at the embassy, they may be able to provide you with some background. Similarly too, with the main Foreign Office dept in London that staffs and maintains British diplomatic missions and the British Council HQ in Spring Gardens London that probably still has considerable presence in Italy. And of course the other side of the coin, with such as any Labour Attaché or similar bod at Italy's own UK diplomatic outpost - but don't mention the Brexit.....!

In reply to David:

Thank you so much for your advice and support David,

Thankfully I have been to Italy quite a few times and have always felt at home there. It is a University with students from across the world so they tend to use English as a first language in the University (thankfully, as although I speak Italian well enough for day to day life, I'm not sure that I would be up to explaining TUPE in Italian at the moment).

I will get in touch with the organisations you mention as I want to be as prepared as I can be.

It is scary in two regards - the first one being that I make a complete idiot of myself at the interview and the second one being that I get offered the job and have to deliver a big job in a new country, away from all my support mechanisms. Time for the brave pants!

Thanks again. Teresa

In reply to Teresa:

Congrats Teresa on landing what looks to be a fun opportunity - even if your knees are trembling a bit at the moment.
If you can let me know where you will be based, I will be more than happy to contact our HR teams in Italy to see if anyone would be willing to exchange with you (we have about 4.000 people in Italy in industrial enrgey services activities)
Best of luck, and I hope that once you are over there you will continue to be a regular contributor from abroad - if I can do it from Paris you can do it from Italy :-)
Ray

In reply to Ray:

Hi Ray, thank you so much. The job is in Florence.

To be honest, I did apply on a bit of a 'this would be a dream come true so I can't not apply' position so was a bit surprise (and very chuffed) to get shortlisted as it would be a step up for me. Whatever the outcome of the interview, being able to spend a few days in Florence in June will be awesome.

And if I get the job, I will definitely still be contributing to the forum. The companionship and advice on here is invaluable and I think I would find it even more so if I was on my own in a foreign (albeit familiar) country away from my friends :)

Thanks again for your support.

Teresa