Like many other recent university graduates in Italy, Annalisa Addis struggled to kick-start her career in international development. She had already completed one of Italy’s most prominent master’s programs in the field and served as a volunteer for the government’s civil service in Angola.
“My mates and I experienced some difficulties in getting a first assignment, even a three-month unpaid internship,” the 27-year-old said. “I remember I was told I was too young and too inexperienced, but in my opinion experienced people should be paid for their work.”
Addis, who holds a bachelor’s in political science, an advanced degree in international relations, and a master’s in international cooperation in emergencies from Milan’s Institute for International Political Studies, now receives a fellowship from the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs to work with the Italian Cooperation Office in Mozambique.
About the author
Tiziana Cauli
Tiziana has contributed to Devex News since mid-2008, focusing mainly on Africa as well as the European donor landscape, especially those in Brussels, Rome and Barcelona. Tiziana has worked as a journalist for Reuters and the Associated Press in Johannesburg and at Reuters in Milan and Paris. She is fluent in Italian, English, French and Spanish.
