From economist to dishwasher

“It is important for us and the Danish society that our qualifications can be put to the best possible use.”

So says Oksana Honcharuk, who has worked for more than 15 years in the financial sector in Ukraine, before the war broke out and sent her fleeing to Denmark.

Jointly with Finansforbundet and Djøf, she has therefore taken the initiative to invite a number of Ukrainian women with a background in finance to an information meeting. They are also offered one-year memberships of the two trade unions for free.

“We would like to give Ukrainians a better insight into the Danish labour market and an idea of the recruitment practice in a Danish context,” explains Oksana Honcharuk.

She came up with the idea of bringing together Ukrainian refugees with a financial background and subsequently managed to involve Djøf and Finansforbundet in the project

Oksana Honcharuk has worked for more than 15 years in the financial sector in Ukraine. Photo: Freja Thorbech

Kyiv and Copenhagen are far apart

And Kyiv and Copenhagen are far apart, not just geographically, but also in terms of job hunting practices.

The 20 or so women who participated were therefore pleased with the event, which gave them concrete advice about job hunting.

”In Ukraine, job searching is completely different. Networking and CVs do not play as big a role as I understand they do here,” says Yevheniia Zaleska, who came to Denmark with her daughter and parents in March.

After 20 years in the financial sector in Ukraine, Yevheniia Zaleska is now looking for a job in Denmark. Photo: Freja Thorbech

Yevheniia Zaleska has more than 20 years of experience in the financial sector, working as everything from economist to CFO of a large Ukrainian company. Currently, she works as a dishwasher in the evening hours to take Danish lessons during daytime. At the same time, she is searching high and low for a job within her own profession – so far with no success.

The 45-year-old woman is therefore happy about being offered a membership of Finansforbundet.
“I am going to sign up right away so I can get help with my CV,” she says.

Application rejected

Svitlana Otozinska, who is 38 years old, tells the same story. She came to Denmark seven months ago.

Despite her certificate in international financial management from the technical university in Kyiv and several years of experience as sales director in a Ukrainian fashion company, she has had no success finding a job matching her own profession.

“I have sent my CV to many different companies, but only heard from one. Unfortunately, that was a rejection”, she explains.

Svitlana is 38 years old and came to Denmark seven months ago. Photo: Freja Thorbech

Concrete advice is good

This is also the experience of 40-year-old Antonina Andriushehenko who has a degree in technical engineering.

She is delighted with the many pieces of good and concrete advice that she takes home from the meeting, which, in addition to Djøf and Finansforbundet, also featured presentations from other foreigners having successfully entered the Danish labour market. A representative from Danske Bank was also present and gave an account of the bank's recruitment process.

“It is good to hear other people’s experience,” adds Antonina Andriushehenko and tells us that she hopes to find a job in Denmark so she can stay in the country with her two daughters – even if the war in her home country comes to an end.

Antonina Andriushehenko is happy about the concrete job hunting advice she got at the information meeting. Photo: Freja Thorbech