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Life in a new country is always full of surprises, discoveries, and a mix of pleasant and unpleasant events. <\/strong><\/p>\n My name is Oleksandra, and I am Ukrainian. <\/strong><\/p>\n About two years ago, trying to escape the war in my home country, I moved to Greece. This move was not only a significant change in my life but also a serious challenge.<\/p>\n At that time, I had just turned nineteen. I was planning to complete my university studies online while balancing daily responsibilities: taking care of my younger brothers, who needed attention and support, as well as dealing with bureaucratic complexities and other matters. This period demanded a lot of effort and, at the same time, taught me many important skills that will be valuable throughout my life.<\/p>\n After defending my dissertation and completing my university studies, it was finally time to take the next significant step: looking for a job. As a creative person with a degree in journalism, I have a deep passion for writing and editing texts. One of my biggest dreams is to publish my own book, so I decided to look for opportunities to kickstart my career.<\/p>\n Initially, my job search focused on Ukraine, particularly on online opportunities, as this seemed both natural and familiar. However, reality proved to be challenging.<\/strong><\/p>\n After several months of job searching in Ukraine, during which I completed several test tasks, attended interviews, and sent out dozens of resumes, it became clear that finding a stable and promising job in Ukraine, especially online, was difficult. The war has significantly impacted the economy, leading many companies to scale back hiring. This situation prompted me to consider alternative options, so I shifted my focus to employment opportunities in Greece.<\/p>\n This was a big step because I still felt somewhat like a stranger despite living in Greece for two years. Additionally, there were notable obstacles. Firstly, due to my university studies, I hadn’t had enough time to master the Greek language to a sufficient level, which limited my job options and made the search process more complicated. Secondly, I was unfamiliar with the popular and effective job search platforms in Greece and unsure how to use them effectively. However, I realized that this was a normal part of adapting to life in a new country, so I decided to persevere.<\/p>\n Recognizing that handling all these challenges alone might be too difficult, I decided to seek support.<\/strong> While researching organizations that could help me adapt to life in Greece and find employment, I discovered the Athens Solidarity Center by SolidarityNow.<\/strong> This Center not only helps with job placement but also supports individuals in overcoming various life challenges. It provides services related to legal, social, and psychological issues and helps those in need across different aspects of life.<\/strong><\/p>\n Initially, I felt a bit anxious and unsure of what to expect, but I decided to contact the organization and request a meeting with their employment counsellors. A few days later, the meeting took place. During the conversation, I received valuable and practical support. The employees of the Athens Solidarity Center listened carefully to my story, reviewed my resume, and guided me on the next steps.<\/strong> They explained which job search sites and platforms are most effective for beginners in Greece and helped me navigate the selection of positions available even with my limited knowledge of the language.<\/p>\n Moreover, they provided advice on portfolio design and tips on how to present my skills and achievements in the most attractive way to potential employers. This personalized support was incredibly important to me as it helped me gain confidence that my experience and skills were valuable and could be utilized in a new labor market.<\/p>\n Despite the difficulties and obstacles, I realized that with the right approach and support, achieving my goals is possible, even in challenging circumstances. My experience has taught me the importance of not being afraid to ask for help and seeking support while being open to learning new things.<\/strong><\/p>\n The labor market in a new country can be confusing and complicated. However, with an understanding of the basic processes and tools available for job seekers, it is possible to find your place and begin a new chapter in your professional life.<\/strong><\/p>\n *Since August 1st, 2023, the operation of the Athens Solidarity Center by <\/em>SolidarityNow<\/em> is supported by the Swiss-Greek Cooperation Programme (Embassy of Switzerland in Greece) to reducing economic and social disparities in the EU and by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. <\/em><\/p>\n **The Athens Solidarity Center is also supported by the Municipality of Athens.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Life in a new country is always full of surprises, discoveries, and a mix of pleasant and unpleasant events. My name is Oleksandra, and I am Ukrainian. About two years ago, trying to escape the war in my home country, I moved to Greece. This move was not only a significant change in my life […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16273,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homepage","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solidaritynow.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16272","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solidaritynow.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solidaritynow.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solidaritynow.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solidaritynow.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16272"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.solidaritynow.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16272\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16276,"href":"https:\/\/www.solidaritynow.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16272\/revisions\/16276"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solidaritynow.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solidaritynow.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solidaritynow.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solidaritynow.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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