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Olena and Ingeus Germany

A new job helped Olena start a new life after fleeing the war in Ukraine. 

When the war broke out in Ukraine, Olena, a highly experienced hotel worker from Kyiv, fled to Germany. 

Read a full transcript of this video.

A new country, a new language, and an unfamiliar employment market were all barriers Olena overcame in finding her new job. 

Olena remembers how hard it was, "My adviser at the job centre has written a plan for me: First a B1 German course, then a B2, and then a coaching company.

"I said, ‘Why so long? I want to work now.’ Then I had a nice phone call. ‘I’m Mr Ismael from this coaching company. We need to meet and talk about all the questions about how you can find work.’"

Olena at work wearing hotel staff uniform and standing in the reception

Ismael, a Senior Consultant at Ingeus, knew the difficulties Olena faced. 

"The challenge at the beginning was the reorientation, the language, and everything around it because she had no experience of how to apply for a job in Germany or how to look for work."

With Ismael’s help, Olena began her job search and applied for internships to build her experience in Germany. 

She got a quick reply, "I received a letter: ‘We don’t have an internship, but we can give you work.’ Wow! Already so fast? Yes, I want, I need this job."


Olena at work wearing hotel staff uniform and standing in the reception

Ismael understood that an industry with international guests needs international employees like Olena. 

"I am proud that I have played a positive role, that her life has changed after she met us, that she feels good now, that she is happy at work and that I have played a role in that. That makes me incredibly proud, and that makes me happy too."

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