Ukrainian journalist living in Mid Sussex gives job advice to refugees

"With your profession, you will not be able to realize yourself abroad," a friend told me when she found out that I had moved from Ukraine to Britain. And indeed, working as a journalist in this country without knowing the language perfectly seemed unreal.

It's no secret that being a war refugee is different from being an economic refugee. When you move simply because the standard of living in another country is higher, you are ready to work hard to achieve something. Ukrainians who come to Britain very often expect that it will be the same here as at home, only in English. One of my acquaintances, who worked as a teacher in Ukraine, complained that in Britain she was only hired as a nursery teacher. She did not think about the fact that it would be difficult for the children at school to understand her with her level of English.

Architects, lawyers - be ready to get a position one step lower than you had before. My acquaintance, a lawyer from Ukraine, works as a secretary in a law firm.

At the job fair in Brighton, I met two organizations that help applicants for free - to understand their skills, to create a CV. There are many vacancies in Britain that do not require experience.

The world does not stand still, and everyone has to develop. It does not matter if you are Ukrainian or English. After all, I am writing for a British publication using online translation. So if someone tells you, ‘You can't do this,’ turn your back on them and say, ‘Look at me.’