With the support of the WelcomeCenter Saxony-Anhalt, part of the state initiative "Focus on Skilled Workers," the labor market expert from Ukraine finds a job in Magdeburg.

I completed a degree in social work in my home country of Ukraine and then studied economics. During my studies, I worked as a paramedic for eight years. After that, I worked for two years as a bank clerk, advising clients on all financial matters. For the next 12 years, I worked as an employment agent at the job center in my hometown. In this position, I looked after a total of between 300 and 400 clients. I took care of everything. Every day, I registered new clients, calculated unemployment benefits, informed the unemployed about job opportunities on the labor market, helped clients write resumes and cover letters, and, of course, searched for suitable personnel for employers. I looked after around 50 clients per day and scheduled appointments every 10 minutes. My main goal was to match workers with suitable employers. Although the workload was enormous, I really enjoyed this job.

Due to the outbreak of war in Ukraine, I had to leave my home country. In March 2022, I fled to Magdeburg with my daughter and was housed in a dormitory. There, we received great support from volunteers and a German family. In May 2022, I completed a German language course and then completed an integration course with B2. After that, I started looking for work. Nataliya Detka from the WelcomeCenter Saxony-Anhalt was a great help. She explained to me how to write a job application and resume here in Germany. She also helped me prepare for job interviews and explained the work culture and communication in the workplace. These are very different from those in Ukraine. Thanks to the great support I received, I even had the choice between two jobs and ultimately decided on the position as a job placement officer at the Jobcenter. I am really happy with my decision. Our department is relatively small and I have very nice colleagues who are always there to help and advise me. There is a comprehensive training plan and I hope to be able to place my first job seekers soon.

I really like Magdeburg and hope to find a new home here. My daughter is now studying at Otto von Guericke University and has also settled in quite well.