Looking for work in Ukraine.

[JonathanCampion]

I am a final year Russian undergraduate at Exeter University, England.

I will move to Ukraine this winter, and am starting looking for a accommodation and employment. It will be my third trip to Ukraine, as I have close friends in Luganskaya oblast'.

My Russian is already very good - I have just returned from a year-long placement in Yaroslavl and Tver, Russia - and will have improved after a further year's study.

I have translated my resume into Russian, and will find a Ukrainian teacher so I am better prepared for when I arrive. I would be very grateful for any information about companies in Ukraine who are looking for young and bilingual staff.

Thanks,

Jonathan

www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Campo

jon.campion@mail.ru

[Tim]

You won't beleive how many "young and bilingual" guys and gals are already here (because they were born here) and willing to work much cheaper than an alien like you would even consider. In other words, what makes you so unique or at least better then them that will make a would-be-employer take care about your work permit?

[JonathanCampion]

Dear Tim,

Of course it is hard to find work in Ukraine, hence me starting to make enquiries more than a year in advance. Telling me as much did neither of us any favours. Please accept this as my reply.

In regard to your question, why should employers take notice of me, I will name three reasons. Firstly, none of these "guys and gals" you speak of has a degree from a British university, comprising of history, culture and language courses. I am sure that very few Ukrainian graduates can translate from Russian into English - or English into Russian - as well as I can. Yes, some Ukrainians I have met speak English superbly; but generally speaking the standard of teaching it as a second language is poor; I know this as a very close friend of mine is studying English in Luhansk, and I have seen the work she is given.

Secondly, it takes knowledge not just of a language, but of society and culture to translate or interpret at a high standard. I have lived in Russia, and chose provincial towns far from Moscow and Petersburg to study in, so as to appreciate 'real' Russian culture and only speak in Russian. Because of Ukraine's strict visa laws you will find that few students have had the chance to live in an English-speaking country, and because of this they do not speak it idiomatically.

Finally, I have a genuine interest in, and knowledge of, Ukrainian history, culture and politics. All of these are covered in my dissertation, the title of which is ?Ukraine: Europe or Little Russia?? I am aware that for big business these are not so important, but for now that is not my aim. I am, besides, extremely under-qualified for anything of that nature.

I would have thought that my willingness to move to Ukraine at the age of 22, work for low wages - that you assume because of my nationality I would turn my nose up at ? integrate again into the culture and make something of myself, shows that there is something about me for potential employers to respect. Is it going to be easy and safe? Of course not. Ukrainian businesses in my experience don't even bother to reply to emails.

I'd be interested to know what brought you to Ukraine, as I don?t know you apart from having read your posts. What made you so unique?

I may be young, even naive, but I have more to offer than you gave me credit for. The last day I spent in Kyiv this January a taxi driver told me that someone with my level of Russian could find a job there if he put his mind to it. I?ll keep his words closer to me and keep looking.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan

[Admin]

Did you investigate the interest of UK (US) media to have a person as you as a Ukraine based contributor? Personaly I think you could be a valuable resource for such kind of work. Think about journalizm as a job. That could give you enough time to look around and make a decision about your future.

Contact me when you'll arrive, I;ll try to help with some usefull contacts in Kyiv in the media.

Cheers.

[Tim]

Dear Jonathan

I'm glad you replied as it made your situation much more understandable and already brought a very useful response from Admin. Let me add my 2 pennies - you can look for work in NGO's ("blablabla for democracy" and so on). Check if your embassy and British Council have any openings.

If you don't mind working out of your current specialization, you may also look for openings in outsourced techsupport/call centers or as a technical writer in software development companies - check domestic job boards.

I am aware that for big business these are not so important, but for now that is not my aim. I am, besides, extremely under-qualified for anything of that nature.

Aha. I can tell you even more - I work for a multinational corporation in Ukraine and such companies for sure don't require "speaking idiomatically" of their employees nowadays. I even guess they never have. Not to mention domestic businesses. That's precisely why Ukrainian businesses don't even bother to reply to emails.

generally speaking the standard of teaching it as a second language is poor

That's correct bur they conquer by the number - even a small percent of a big group can make quite a big number.

work for low wages - that you assume because of my nationality I would turn my nose up at

That wasn't exactly due to your nationality and not only because most likely you're used to higher living standards but just because, for example, plenty of those domestic "young and bilingual" guys and gals live under the same roofs with their parents whereas you'd need to rent an apartment that makes your subsistence wage significantly higher.

Any way, good luck!

[JonathanCampion]

Thanks, I'll keep thinking.

J

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