Is not knowing Italian a big disadvantage for Bocconi MFin students looking for jobs in Milan?

Question

S Raghav · Accepted Answer

Not knowing Italian can be a disadvantage for Bocconi MFin graduates aiming to work in Milan, especially in client-facing or domestic roles. Many banks, consulting firms, and corporates in Italy expect at least conversational Italian since a large part of the work involves interacting with local clients.
That said, it doesn&rsquo;t shut internationals out completely. Multinational firms and investment banks like JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Citi, and Mediobanca still hire English-only candidates, usually for roles in IB, risk, and markets. However, these opportunities are fewer compared to those available to Italian speakers.
If the plan is to stay in Milan long-term, learning at least B1&ndash;B2 level Italian during the program makes a big difference in employability. Without it, most international students end up targeting London or Frankfurt, where Bocconi&rsquo;s brand is strong and language is less of a barrier.

B.K Sharma · Answer

The language issue in Milan is real &mdash; a lot of students underestimate it until recruiting starts.
&bull; For international investment banks (Goldman, Morgan Stanley, Citi), English is enough since the work is cross-border. &bull; For domestic banks (Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, Mediobanca), Italian is usually required because of client communication. &bull; Corporate finance roles in Italian companies almost always expect fluency. &bull; Consulting firms in Milan sometimes compromise, but speaking Italian still improves your chances of getting staffed on local projects.
The good part is that Bocconi offers language courses, and many internationals manage to pick up enough Italian to survive interviews within a year. Still, those who never learn usually pivot to London or Frankfurt after graduation, where Bocconi&rsquo;s name carries strong weight and English is the only requirement.