When Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Inna was getting ready for work. She didn’t yet know that the war was changing the lives of millions of people, including her own. A week later she was already in Poland. In Legnica she started working in a factory, but she didn’t give up her dreams of professional development. Her story shows how much determination it takes to find your place in a new job market — and why access to information and professional guidance can matter so much
“I was on my way to work and didn’t know that the war had started”
Inna comes from the village of Frontiwka in the Haisyn district, in the Vinnytsia region. Before the Russian invasion she worked as a nanny and had her own career plans. She had already been interested in the beauty industry, especially nail styling.
The morning of February 24, 2022, at first was no different for her than other days.
– I was on my way to work. I look, and there’s one line at the bank, a second line. I didn’t understand what was going on. I thought that if I saw a line at the third ATM, it would mean something was wrong – Inna recalls.
Only after she got to work did she learn that Russia had launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
– Of course there was fear. I didn’t understand what to do and where to go. I immediately called my mom. She told me to come back home – she says.
Soon a decision to leave was made. Her mother advised her to travel to Poland, where her older sister had already been living and working for three years.
About a week after the invasion began, Inna arrived in Poland. She settled in Legnica.
At first, she also considered moving to the United Kingdom. In the end, she decided to stay in Poland. One of the reasons was the linguistic similarity.
– Polish is easier for us, Ukrainians. You can learn it faster than English or German – she explains.
First job in Poland. A factory instead of the planned career
After arriving, Inna was not without employment for long. Her sister helped her find her first job, as she already knew the local labor market.
– My sister was already working here and knew which workplace you could go to. I don’t remember exactly how much time passed, but I think about a month. I didn’t sit without work for long – she recalls.
She started working in a factory. Later, she also took jobs in other plants and warehouses.
She does not think that production work itself was exceptionally hard. The bigger challenge turned out to be time management.
– The work itself wasn’t very difficult. The three shifts were more exhausting – she admits.
Although she had a job, she did not want to give up the interests she had been developing back in Ukraine.
The dream of her own profession stronger than working three shifts
Inna completed her first nail styling course back in Ukraine, around 2020–2021. Soon after, the COVID-19 pandemic limited her opportunities to gain practical experience.
When the situation began to improve, she tried to work in the profession she had trained for. However, the war broke out soon afterwards and she once again had to change her plans.
After moving to Poland, she returned to the idea of developing her skills in the beauty industry. Working in production plants, she saved money for further training and materials.
– When I worked in a warehouse, I had my goals the whole time. Everything you needed to buy for manicure, I bought. I invested my own money in it – she says.
At one point, Inna decided to take further beauty-industry training courses in Wrocław to hone her professional skills. As she recalls, she spent more than three thousand zlotys on one of the courses.
She financed all the training from her own funds, which she earned working in production plants and warehouses.
Why was it so important to her to gain a practical profession?
– I thought there is no such stability. And with manicure, wherever I go, I will always be able to work – she explains.
For Inna, gaining new skills became a way to increase her professional independence.
She wanted to study, but she didn’t have time
Inna completed a technical secondary school in Ukraine with a profile related to food technology. After arriving in Poland, she also tried to continue her education.
She enrolled in a post-secondary school in a program related to pedicure. The studies were supposed to last two years, but she was unable to complete the entire curriculum.
– I could have continued studying, but when I worked in a factory, I didn’t have the time or the opportunity for it – she explains.
As she admits, during her first years in Poland she also did not have enough information about the available forms of free professional support.
She learned about some courses and initiatives only later. She began applying to various educational programs, looking for opportunities for further development.
Inna’s story shows that finding a first job does not have to mean the end of professional challenges. For people who want to change industries or gain new qualifications, access to information, guidance, and learning opportunities can be just as important.
“The biggest obstacle is the Polish language”
Inna points to one more difficulty that Ukrainian citizens looking for more specialized employment in Poland may face.
Asked what, in her opinion, most hinders finding a qualified office job, she answers without hesitation:
– The Polish language.
In her view, the problem is not limited to knowing words and grammar. Feeling at ease in contacts with employers and functioning in a new environment is also important.
– People don’t feel comfortable. It’s not like in their own country – she notes.
Inna herself does not have much experience with recruitment for office positions. As she says, hiring in manufacturing plants looked much simpler and did not require extensive job interviews.
This does not mean, however, that she wants to limit her opportunities exclusively to her previous industry.
– When it comes to other fields, of course I would like to try – she admits.
During the conversation, she was interested in the possibility of professional development and discovering new career paths.
Free help in finding qualified work in Poland
People who, like Inna, are looking for new professional opportunities often need not only motivation but also practical knowledge about how the Polish labor market works.
It is precisely to Ukrainian citizens interested in highly qualified office work that the free project of the Information Society Development Foundation (FRSI) is addressed, as it launches its third recruitment of participants.
The program includes individual support in career planning and preparation for the recruitment process in Poland.
Participants can benefit from:
- individual meetings with career advisors;
- developing a career development plan;
- help with preparing a professional CV in Polish or English;
- preparation for job interviews;
- getting to know Polish office work culture;
- building a professional profile on LinkedIn;
- developing a network of contacts with potential employers.
The project is aimed at Ukrainian citizens who came to Poland due to the war, want to find highly qualified office work, and know Polish or English
Participation in the project is completely free of charge.
The program is not a vocational course in the cosmetics industry or a business funding program. Its aim is to support participants in preparing to look for specialist office employment.
“People should know that this kind of help exists”
During the conversation, Inna admits that she previously did not know all the tools used in looking for specialist work, including LinkedIn.
When asked what could encourage more people to use professional support, she points to the importance of information.
– Maybe greater awareness that such programs exist, that you can apply, and that there are people who help – she replies.
She herself is still considering her professional future. Although she has devoted a lot of time and money to developing skills in the beauty industry, she does not rule out other paths as well.
– If I’m not focused on just one thing, it will be easier for me. I can still choose. I still don’t know if it will be right for me – she says.
Inna declares her willingness to take part in the FRSI project. Her experiences show how important access to information is about free opportunities for professional development and support that can help Ukrainian citizens find their place in the Polish labor market.
Not giving up on your own goals
More than four years have passed since Inna arrived in Poland. During this time, she worked in various workplaces, tried to continue her education, invested in courses, and searched for her own career path.
Her story is not one of instant success. It is a story of successive attempts, decisions, and plans that had to be adjusted to changing circumstances.
At the end of the interview, we ask what advice she would give to other Ukrainian women and men who, after arriving in Poland, are still looking for their place.
– I think that every person has some plans and goals. Don’t give up, remember those goals, and move forward. Now it’s difficult, many things distract us, but you must not forget your goals – she replies.
For people who want to make use of their qualifications and develop their careers in Poland, one possible step may be to take advantage of free career counselling.
The 3rd call for applications is underway for the FRSI project supporting Ukrainian citizens in the search for highly qualified office work in Poland.
Applications: Registration for the free training is here.
Sponsored material. The article was created on the basis of a conversation with Inna and information about the project provided by the Information Society Development Foundation. The interviewee’s quotes were translated from Ukrainian into Polish and language-edited while preserving their meaning.
Journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Nowiny Wschodnie, a news platform followed by more than 140,000 people on social media. A graduate in Journalism and Social Communication, he has been co-creating and developing Nowiny Wschodnie since 2017. He gained professional experience working with local and international media.
He specializes in fact-checking, countering disinformation and propaganda, and information security. His work focuses on Poland, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and Polish-Ukrainian relations. He is also the founder of a non-profit organization working in the fields of integration and intercultural dialogue.
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