Posted on 11/09/2005 4:28:49 AM PST by tomjohn77
anilo Costamagna speaks Norwegian along with three other languages, is educated as an engineer and willing to take on just about any job except janitorial work. But after 300 applications and 299 rejections, the young Italian feels forced to leave Norway, and his Norwegian sweetheart.
Marte Syvertsen and Danilo Costamagna are being forced to live apart, because Costamagna can't find a job in Norway despite hundreds of applications, fleuncy in four languages and a degree in engineering.
He calls it a matter of pride, and patience running out. The 26-year-old specialist in telecommunications even spent a year-and-a-half studying at one of Norway's most prestigious universities, NTNU in Trondheim, and he still can't find work in a country where oil wealth otherwise is keeping the economy strong and unemployment low. At least for ethnic Norwegians.
Costamagna is another example of how difficult it can be for foreigners to get a job in Norway. His case also suggests an underlying fear of foreigners in Norway, and a reluctance on the part of employers to hire non-Norwegians, even when they have all their credentials in place.
Costamagna himself is convinced that his non-Norwegian name has kept him from even being called in for interviews. Solveig Finboe of the employment agency Manpower in Trondheim suspects he's right.
"Many companies have plans to increase their staffing with immigrants, but they don't do it," Finboe told Aftenposten.no. "I think they have good intentions, but in the end their insecurity about (foreign) culture and competence will have negative results for the foreign applicant.
"I think it's good for the Norwegian community to be challenged by a case like Danilo's," she added. His case is far from unique, given response from non-Norwegian readers that Aftenposten has had earlier.
Costamagna, who has automatic working permission throughout Europe, has sought jobs all over Norway, but now says he'll probably need to leave his girlfriend, who's a medical student in Trondheim, to accept a position in information technology that he's been offered at a bank in Luxembourg. "I need both the experience and the money," he said.
"All we want is to be able to be together," said Costamagna's sweetheart, Marte Syvertsen. "But we can't live any longer on my tiny student's income. Danilo can't afford to turn down the job in Luxembourg.
"I'll just have to finish my studies here and join him later."
I find it hard to believe that he couldnt get any job after 300 applications.
So, what excuse is he giving for not getting a job in Italy?
But exactly what is this Italian up to? Does he think Global Warming is somehow going to make it comfortable in Norway any time soon?
Girlfriend probably does not want to leave her family.
You know engineers... He probably meant to buy a ticket to India.
His tweety pie is in Norway.
He may actually be a very poor candidate, he may speak Norsk badly, and have no job history or experience. Academic credentials do not directly translate to marketable skills.
Aftenposten is casting about for a good poster child to evoke sympathy for more open immigration and multiculturalism. Aftenposten won't be happy until there a million muslims in Norway. Hey, why should France have all the fun?
He may be applying for the wrong types of jobs, or maybe the salary he wants is not up to his expectations. I know lots of Italians, Greeks, and Spanish working on rigs in the North Sea with ethnic Norwegians who like the variety.
I've heard ~ now don't get me wrong on this ~ they eat an awful lot of fish.
He was offered a job, he should take it and SHUT UP.
Prospects apparently are better for engineers in Luxembourg.
I don't see what the problem is. Norwegians apparently like to hire Norwegians. How can this be a bad thing?
The young man in question would appear to not have skills in line with the needs of those of the most likely employers. Must be why he was shacked up with a student.
Maybe she sent him a message.
If this is true, then he needs to consider what about him is such a turn-off to employers. He is the single common denominator of all of his experiences. So what if he speaks four languages? He may be a jerk who feels he's too important to have to spend time paying his dues in an entry-level position.
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