Blog

Ideas, data and opinions on technical talent.

Headhunting, engineering and the job market — no fluff.

Silhouette of a man against a wall of light linesAgainst the Grain

The best engineers aren't job hunting. As of today, they have an agent.

Introducing Scuderia Labora, our direct representation programme for technical talent: a select group of profiles, introduced to the right companies with public rules. Free for the talent.

11 June 2026 · 5 min read
A glass dome seen from inside, lattice structure against the skyAgainst the Grain

The glass drop-ceiling: why the best engineers don't want to be managers (and that's fine).

In Italy the only way to advance as an engineer is to stop being one. So companies lose twice: an excellent technician and a mediocre manager. There's an alternative, and abroad it's worked for decades.

7 June 2026 · 6 min read
The inverted pyramid: more seniors than juniors in the labour marketAgainst the Grain

The inverted pyramid: soon we'll have more seniors than juniors. And Italy isn't ready.

By 2040 Italy will lose over 5 million working-age people. Juniors become a rare commodity, seniors the majority of the market, but companies, careers and contracts are still designed for a world that no longer exists.

7 June 2026 · 7 min read
Hard-hatted workers climbing a structure against the skyAgainst the Grain

"We're looking for an engineer with passion": why generic job descriptions drive the best away.

Italian technical job ads are all the same: 20 requirements, zero information, no salary. Here's how a good engineer reads a job description, and how to write one that works.

7 June 2026 · 6 min read
We don't care much about your CV, Labora PartnersAgainst the Grain

We don't care much about your CV. Here's what we actually look at.

A technical headhunter reads hundreds of CVs. And almost never decides based on the CV. Here's what really counts when assessing an engineer, and what you can stop polishing.

7 June 2026 · 5 min read
Researcher at a microscope in a laboratoryAnatomy of a Search

Anatomy of a search: nine weeks for a process engineer.

What really happens inside a technical headhunting mandate? A week-by-week chronicle of a real search: 124 profiles mapped, 9 interviews, one counteroffer, and one signature.

6 June 2026 · 7 min read
Aerospace Dossier, mapping Italy's engineering talentSector Dossier

Aerospace Dossier: Where are Italy's aerospace engineers? Mapping a rare talent.

Leonardo announces 28,000 hires, Thales is looking for engineers, the clusters are growing, but technical profiles are scarce. The map of aerospace talent in Italy: hubs, universities, the roles you can't find.

5 June 2026 · 8 min read