You're reading: Job opportunities abound at Kyiv Post Employment Fair

The Kyiv Post Employment Fair on Oct. 10 is expected to attract hundreds of job seekers who want to network with potential employers and learn skills from experts to gain a competitive edge.

Unemployment rates in Ukraine are alarmingly high, unsurprisingly, since the nation is mired in a deep recession exacerbated by Russia’s war and continuing corruption.

According to state statistics, at least 1 million people were registered as unemployed during the first eight months of the year.

More than two dozen employers will be representated at the autumn fair. Expert seminars will be conducted by Julie Krasnienko, the head of marketing and business development at Looksery; Yulia Marushevska, a EuroMaidan Revolution activist and Odesa Oblast deputy governor; Evgeni Utkin, a Ukrainian IT entrepreneur and a co-founder of Gogol Fest art festival; and Vasile Tofan, a partner for Horizon Capital.

Despite Ukraine’s tough economic situation, many companies are still on the lookout for part-time and full-time workers.

The list of the participating companies include Robota Plus, Porsche Ukraine and Auchan, an international grocer on the Ukrainian market. ProCredit Bank, ControlPay, Konica Minolta, Leroy Merlin, Unilever, Dominos are also seeking new staffers.

The Employment Fair will take place at its usual venue, the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce at 33 Velyka Zhytomyrska St. near Lviv Square. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with presentations and seminars starting at 10:30 a.m. Entry is Hr 25 per person.

Workshops with Ukraine’s new police patrols and Clifford Chance law firm are planned, while Lawyer.UA company will have a lawyer at the fair to advice students on labor and civil laws.

Anastasia Shmalko, an assistant to Deputy Interior Minister Eka Zguladze and communications coordinator for patrol police, says the fair will be a great chance to talk more about their work and to encourage more people to join the new police force.

“We have strict rules on how to apply and how to be recruited,” Frank told the Kyiv Post. “We want to explain it and to list the cities where the application process is underway. Community policing will be another aspect we’ll cover during the presentation.”

US Agency for International Development/OTI Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative seeks for the information and database manager, while AEQUO and Lavrynovych & Partners law firms are looking for qualified lawyers.

Other companies attending the Employment Fair include Kyiv School of Economics, Mazars, EY, AIESEC, Mainfreight Ukraine, ATC Global, Deloitte, EYP Ukraine and Figaro Catering EXPO.

The Kyiv School of Economics and British Council will be looking for potential students, while Looksery, an Odesa-developed facial recognition startup which was recently bought by Snapchat for $150 million, will share information on how to develop the most successful mobile app.

The key to successful job-seeking is being prepared, according to Yuliya Tychkivska, Kyiv School’s of Economics vice president.

Another benefit comes with direct contact during employment fairs.
“Face-to-face contact is way more effective than just sending CVs, especially if the person is certain he or she is the best candidate,” Tychkivska says.

Tychkivska also shares some more tips.

“It’s important to do a research on the company’s values and history – as it can be a good ice breaker to start a conversation,” Tychkivska explains. “It will help a candidate to stand out. Also it’s good to grab one’s elevator pitch – one-minute presentation so the employer can learn more about the person.”

Tychkivska says language skills and social activities are also crucial for KSE’s candidate. “Foreign language is a must now. And references are always helpful, that’s the tool we mostly use when hiring our future staff members.”

Kyiv Post staff writer Olena Goncharova can be reached at [email protected].