Work abroad
When I was looking for a job for the first time, the middlemen screwed me: instead of the factory, they sent me to a construction site, they didn’t register me officially, they didn’t pay my salary on time and less than they promised. After 2 months, I had to go back home. Friends recommended E-Work. In two weeks, the agency found me a job as a carver in Veselí nad Lužní, and immediately did everything necessary for legal employment. I earn about 1,000 euros.
I have been working in Vodnany at the sawmill for the second month now. The salary for the same specialty is almost four times more than at home, and the working conditions are much better. They provide a place in a hostel with everything you need for comfortable living, literally a ten-minute walk from work. There are a lot of Ukrainians working here, so there is someone to chat with after work.
Thank you very much to E-Work! Before this I had an unsuccessful experience of looking for work abroad, it was scary to start all over again. I have already passed the probationary period, in the end the salary turned out to be even more than I expected. Now I work at a cheese factory, there is a real opportunity to become a master and develop professionally and financially. There is an opportunity to stay here for a long time.
After my service I couldn’t find a job anywhere, so I decided to look for work abroad. A friend recommended this agency. I had no experience, no special education either. The agency offered me a job in the Czech Republic at a meat processing plant. I liked that I didn’t have to deal with any paperwork myself. Here, everything is as promised: they gave me housing, at first the salary was 800 euros, now it’s almost 1000. I’m happy with my life.
My wife and I worked at a plant and were both laid off. We contacted several agencies at once, not really believing in luck. Almost immediately, an employee from E-Work contacted us and offered a job for a married couple in the Czech Republic. Now we work at the ESW Bohemia plant. Our only regret is that we wasted so many years working for the domestic auto industry. There are prospects for career growth, we are learning the language.
Work Abroad for Ukrainians in 2026: Opportunities and Prospects
The instability of recent years is increasingly pushing Ukrainians to look for work abroad. One of the reasons leading to this idea is low salaries in their home country, as well as the desire to see “another life”. Working abroad is a good opportunity for those who want to leave Ukraine for permanent residence, the first step to fulfilling their desire. Having worked for several years in Europe, there is a real chance to get a residence permit or marry a resident. For young people, employment abroad opens up the opportunity to get a prestigious education and make a career.
Work Abroad: Reality and Chances
What can you expect when looking for a job abroad?
- Europe constantly experiences a shortage of programmers, IT specialists, talented engineers and financiers, doctors, teachers, advertisers and analysts are needed. If you are fluent in at least one foreign language, your resume will be of interest to potential employers, and there are good prospects for finding a highly paid job in your specialty, making a career and possibly leaving Ukraine forever.
- You can’t attract attention with special talents, but you have reached a certain level in your profession: qualified specialists are in great demand abroad, and even a deep knowledge of the language of the country in which you plan to work is not always required. In some cases, a phrasebook will be enough to start with, so as not to experience any particular discomfort. Moreover, you will now meet compatriots in every country, and having immersed yourself in the language environment, you can learn to speak and understand others much faster than in language courses.
- Do you have no work experience and do not speak any foreign languages? Abroad, there is a sufficient selection of job vacancies that do not require special skills. Of course, you cannot count on a large salary in this case, but there is always an opportunity for further growth.
Where should you start your job search?
Job Search Abroad: Tips for Job Seekers
There are several opportunities to find work abroad for Ukrainians of any age. You can independently visit employers’ websites, look for vacancies with the help of acquaintances living abroad – this is possible with certain experience and connections. But if you do not speak foreign languages, do not know labor legislation, it is better to trust the specialists of a recruiting agency, which will become a guarantor of your legal employment.
There are three ways to start your search:
- look for work in your specialty, without being tied to a specific country;
- determine the desired salary or working conditions and do not be afraid to retrain;
- select a country and search for vacancies that suit you personally within one territory.
In these European countries, there are vacancies for sales assistants, clerks, and general workers almost everywhere. The following are in demand:
- agricultural specialties: machine operators and agronomists, livestock breeders, vegetable and fruit pickers;
- drivers of various categories with experience in their specialty;
- builders of all specialties;
- service personnel in the hotel and restaurant business;
- blue-collar jobs, including: gas welders, turners, seamstresses, cutters;
- professions that do not require specialization: Technical personnel at enterprises of any type of activity, janitors and cleaners of city parks, zoos, packers, prepackers, cargo and mail sorters.
The list can go on and may differ slightly in some countries.
The Highest Paying Jobs Abroad for Foreigners
In order for a Ukrainian to find a high-paying job abroad, he should start by learning a foreign language. The higher the level, the greater the chances of getting a good salary. Even when choosing a vacancy for a blue-collar job, you should be prepared: the income of workers who speak the language is higher than that of those who are just learning it or do not know it at all. The highest earnings abroad are among qualified specialists with higher education, computer scientists, the work of drivers and nurses is valued. Those who have a unique or rare profession can be especially lucky. Such vacancies are quite rare, but the remuneration for labor is maximum.
Work Abroad for Youth
For young people, working in Europe can be a great way to spend the summer, or it can be the first step towards a prestigious diploma. In Germany, the Aupair practice is widespread: young people act as domestic helpers (nannies, housekeepers, caregivers), while living and eating with families and having the opportunity to study at German universities. If you do not aim to study abroad, in any case, it will be a great language practice, life experience and acquaintance with a European country.
During the holidays, you can earn an increase to your stipend by doing agricultural work, at construction sites, and if you have a good command of English, French, German, Spanish and Italian, you can try to find a position at the resorts of the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Respectable hotels take students in the “high season” for additional positions when there is a shortage of main staff. You can try yourself in the role of:
administrator, animator, nanny, waiter, guide, beach lifeguard, masseur, maid. If you don’t consider work as an exciting vacation, you can earn good money and return with a European tan. Be prepared for the fact that you will have at best one day off a week and an irregular schedule.
Temporary work in Europe during the holidays has several more advantages: you will be able to meet interesting people and travel without spending a penny. Working abroad can be equated to summer practice if a future teacher works as a nanny, a doctor as a massage therapist or nurse, a historian as a tour guide, and a tourism manager as an administrator.