A series of workshops held in Melbourne and Sydney are helping newly arrived Ukrainians settle into their new lives and find employment after escaping the war in their country.
The workshops offer coaching in optimising interview techniques, CV writing, setting up a LinkedIn profile and presenting themselves with confidence.
When the war broke out in February, Bronwyn Carman, an HR Director and Leadership Coach for more than two decades, wanted to help. The only problem was — she didn’t know how.
“When the war broke out, I thought, ‘oh my goodness’ this could happen to anyone,” she told Women’s Agenda. “Then once refugees started to come out to Australia, I thought, “What can we do to help?”
Carman has worked with people in the corporate sector for decades, and is strongly passion about giving back.
She decided the best place to begin was The Association of Ukrainians in Victoria who put her in touch with newly arrived Ukrainians seeking assistance in assimilating into their new lives. The Association promotes ties with Ukraine, addressing the needs of the Ukrainian community in Victoria. The community based NGO was founded in 1949 by Ukrainians who settled in Victoria after fleeing Ukraine during World War II.
In Melbourne, Carman assembled a team of volunteers who specialise in HR and career, employing an interpreter to help with translation where needed.
“I asked people in my network if they could give some time to connect these people, and help them polish up their resume, for instance, or, how to best present themselves at an interview,” Carman said.
“These refugees, they’re professional women,” she continued. “We’re trying to help them ‘Australianise’ their resumes to give them the best chance at landing a job here in Australia.”
At a recent workshop, one woman, who worked as a senior accountant back in Ukraine, was given advice on how to improve the layout and content of her CV. It had been too brief, and so a volunteer helped her flesh it out.
The participants, mostly women who have left their husbands, brothers and fathers back home, range between 25-50, and represent a vast spectrum of society.
In their homeland, they were senior managers in banking, nurses, accountants, doctors, cardiologists, journalists, administrators and business analysts.
Most of them have a basic understanding of English, and are legally permitted to work in Australia. They are receiving some financial support from the government, but according to Carman, it’s not much.
“These people are you and me,” Carman said. “Professional women who’ve come, not by choice. These people don’t how know to find a job. They’ve lost their dignity. We want to give these women a positive experience.”
Her work with the Federation put her in touch with the Ukraine Council in NSW, and last week, she ran her first workshop in Sydney.
There, Carman helped a woman who was a television reporter back in Ukraine. She met a cardiologist who’d escaped Kiev and who was struggling to find a job here in Sydney. She met another woman who was a university lecturer, and who was now working at a fish factory.
“They’re accepting that it’s work not necessarily in their procession,” Carman said.
The cardiologist is hoping to do something in the health sector, and has recently been connected to a recruiter for Laverty Pathology.
Carman said she is upfront with the women about the kind of employment they’ll find, at least, initially, here in Australia.
“They’re not under-qualified, uneducated, these are passionate people who have been ripped out of their lives,” she said.
“They’re open to stepping back, one or two levels. I am always forthright with them about finding work, and the realities. I tell them that if you were in a senior role back home, you may have to take two steps back.”
Nevertheless, Carman knows these women have much to give, and she wants different industries and organisations to reach out and make connections.
“I’ve got skills that I can use, so I want to use it,” Carman said. “These women need people that have got skills and the passion to want to help.”
In Ukraine, LinkedIn is not used, so participants are taught how to set up a profile.
“It’s about helping these women rediscover their corporate identities,” Carman said. “I am so privileged to be able to help them. They’re so keen to find work.”
“These people are equipped with so many skills and they are learning English at a fast pace in order to find fulfilling employment whilst they stay with us here in Sydney.”
The next workshop will take place in Sydney later in the month. The Dress for Success session will provide training on ‘walking with pride’ as a corporate woman, where participants will also be pampered with a make-up artist and stylist.
Carman is currently busy preparing for the event, filling up thirty ‘Goody Bags’ for participants to take home. In her spare time, she is reading up on the cultural differences between Ukraine and Australia.
“There are many differences between Ukraine and Australia and I’m educating myself to use this knowledge to shape the next workshop,” she said.
“They’re very formal, and they think if they don’t speak perfect English, it’s a handicap.”
“In Kiev, there are very few tourists compared to Sydney. In Australia, we are such a melting pot of cultures, and so there’s a melting pot of English capabilities.”
“If you have a proficiency in English, you can find work, you don’t have to feel you don’t have good enough English, so I’m working on building their confidence. It’s their confidence that’s hindering them to find a job. I remind them that as long as you know how to read safety signs, you can apply for a job.”