Our journey in search of the stories of young Europeans who have chosen Your first EURES job project, continues with Fabio, who is in Madrid to live his adventure. 

A magnificent city full of historical places and culture: the Palacio Real, the Gran Via, the Retiro Park, the El Rastro market represent only a small part of the cultural and historical proposal of the capital of one of the most visited countries in the world before the pandemic blocked tourism.

“The love for Spain – Fabio tells us – was born during a trip I made to the south of the country, in Andalusia, a few years ago. I immediately felt a strong cultural closeness, I appreciated the pleasant climate but above all, I saw the possibility of a life without drastic changes drastic,too far from my country of origin, Italy”. 

Fabio, who is 26 years old and from Turin, works as an Innovation, Sustainability and Energy Analyst for a company involved in the field of Sustainability and Innovative Product in the European framework. 

“I studied Engineering at the Polytechnic of Turin, specifically Energy Engineering with a specialization in renewable energy: a passion  I always had since high school encouraged by my teachers. The decision to do a mobile work experience in Europe was born from the strong need to put immediately into practice  what I had studied. I saw many of my friends leave their comfort zone and doing well, having interesting experiences abroad.  It was inspirational to me.

My desire overcame my fears, even if it was leap into the unknown because I didn’t know anyone in Madrid I could count on. I needed to readjust my life to a completely new environment; I can say that the period of difficulty, or rather of acclimatization, lasted about two to three months, bur after one year, I feel in a really good place.

For Fabio it was the real “first job” in his field of study: “I was looking for a job in a Mediterranean country, particularly Spain or Portugal – Fabio explains – I learned English mainly through the study of foreign technical texts, while for Spanish I attended a course. I didn’t know theinitiative  “Your first EURES Job Project”, I had only heard about EURES (European employment services) in general.  During my research work, I saw the possibility of various job opportunities, and thanks to the information collected, this project became a reality. 

My current employer put me in touch with a EURES advisor in Italy who followed my recruitment process and helped me with the application and management of the benefits I could gain from; in my case it was a relocation allowance to cover some travel and living expenses”.

Fabio’s experience in this company in Madrid  is very positive.  He describes it as an environment with very young managers accustomed to managing and developing professionally people coming from other countries: “… also thanks to YfEj, I work in a company that on one hand is open to professionals coming from any other country, as long as they are qualified, and on the other hand it is interested in exploring markets outside the Iberian peninsula. 

In addition, I have greatly appreciated my employer’s ability to know how to give everyone the right responsibilities and to maintain a constant focus on teaching newcomers how to do their job well.

In addition to recruitment services, YfEj offers a wide range of information and financial benefits aimed at both young job seekers and companies.

Companies such as the one where Fabio works, which – as part of the Your First EURES Job project – implement an integration program for young people they recruit, can receive a flat-rate financial contribution for the training and services they offer. The subsidy varies based on the number of training modules offered to participating youth through the integration program and the state in which the organization or business is headquartered. 

Fabio told us that  before the pandemic he worked mostly at the headquarters, in the city, and then with the exacerbation of the crisis due to Covid-19 he worked in smartworking: “my work day is full and goes from 9 to 18 … as I said, the environment is very nice, collaborative, with colleagues who are helpful and understand personal space and independence.  Every time we can we lunch together, and … it is forbidden to talk about work!

I’d like to give some advice to those who want to follow the same path as me; even if it’s difficult, this experience can never be considered ‘negative’ because it’s something that makes you grow, making you face difficulties that you would never face otherwise.

It is precisely the fact that you find yourself in a different context from the one you are used to which will make you a better person, especially from a relational point of view… changing life, recreating a context, means using all your willpower: my advice is therefore not to be afraid, but rather challenge your fears and when this happens, things can only go well!

For his future, Fabio sees the possibility of a contract renewal to continue working in Madrid. He will operate in an area of great interest to him such as the development and transfer of technologies from research to markets. “When I arrived in Madrid – concluded Fabio – I was impressed by the artistic beauty of the city. The Gran Vía, the building of the Ministerio del Agricultura, the arena of Plaza de Toros, are all images that will remain impressed in my mind for a long time. The very fact to be in Madrid with a new project encouraged me to take upon a new interest:  photography.  In fact, I decided to start a course, of which this close-up of me you see, it is a first result.

The decision to do a mobile work experience in Europe was born from the strong need to put immediately into practice what I had studied. I saw many of my friends leave their comfort zone and doing well, having interesting experiences abroad. It was inspirational to me.