Elena has 20 years of experience in marketing and communications management in international companies Randstad RiseSmart, Sofitel, InterContinental, Amway, and Nike. In 2009, Elena received an MBA from Hult International Business School. Now she lives and works in San Jose, Silicon Valley. Elena tell us about the job search of Ukrainians abroad and shared tips on how to remain competitive in the labor market and business.

Elena Sabry

Elena Sabry is a career coach, author, certified expert on LinkedIn profiles of the American National Association of Resume Writers, and a certified coach of the Fascinate personal brand system.

My specialty is job search abroad. I lived in the UAE and helped Ukrainians to find work. Then I moved to the USA and started working with the whole world. Now I have clients from 12 countries. In addition to the job search, I help people get promoted and become more visible employees or personas to their audience.

A wave of layoffs is ongoing in Silicon Valley: local companies are cutting up to 15% of their staff, which is about 70,000 people. I work for a company that specializes in returning these specialists to work. How does this happen? We offer the services of a coach, a resume writer, and a concierge looking for a job. All of them direct their efforts to find the desired job for the client as soon as possible and help him get an offer. I also often offer clients personal tests to determine the archetype, a set of qualities and talents that each person is born with. Tests help to determine a person's inclinations and abilities in various fields, as well as to understand which of his skills from the last place of work we can apply in a new industry, company, or business. ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Entrepreneurs need a personal brand

Half of my clients are entrepreneurs and founders. When they create a new product or enter international markets, as many Ukrainians do now, it is important first of all, to be noticed. They come with a request to help them with a minimal budget to start communicating effectively with the audience and creating content. Many also need to be noticed by investors. In such cases, together with the client, we write a development strategy, promote a personal brand, and create a corporate page and a content plan. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ

A LinkedIn profile is your marketing campaign

LinkedIn is the world's largest online professional network. Specialists in various fields, employers, and founders from 200 countries are represented on this international platform. A huge advantage of LinkedIn, compared to Facebook and Instagram, is the algorithms that work according to the old model: you like my post, and all my contacts see it.

Your contacts on LinkedIn are your first corporate audience: employees, companies, and partners. These contacts are everyone you've ever worked with. They are with you forever!

Employers and investors often start searching for people from their network by asking acquaintances to "Recommend me someone." So an extensive network and activity on LinkedIn is your calling card for getting the desired position, partners, or investors. ㅤ

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A high-quality resume opens the door to any interview

I trained with the best resume writers, it's a vast industry in the US. People are constantly looking for work. For many people, correctly presenting their achievements and uniqueness is a problem. You have to learn this. The ability to briefly and vividly "sell" and advertise yourself, stand out from many other candidates, and be noticed is a skill that should be trained. It is necessary for both employees and entrepreneurs who need to present themselves and their products to investors and partners. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ

8 tips on how to write a resume that will help you get an invitation to an interview:

1. Learn the rules for writing a resume. There are specific resume rules that vary from country to country and even from industry to industry. There are also resume fashions, and they change. Get training, and subscribe to helpful resources like Happy Monday.
2. Write a resume yourself. The worst thing you can do is find a resume on the Internet for a similar position and rewrite it. It is also desirable to show resumes to a person who writes or reads them a lot, for example, a recruiter.
3. Never send a resume or portfolio as a picture in JPEG format. The reading system will not be able to open such a file, and your HR will not be able to copy the text of your resume. Word or PDF only.
4. Another common gross mistake is to take an old resume and send it to new vacancies. Update your resume specifically for the desired position.
5. Describe the results. This is one of the most critical points, it is relevant both for junior positions and for top managers. What have you done in previous places? What functions did you perform? What problems did you solve? How did you help the company move forward?
6. Don't use vague epithets. "Effective manager", "the best", "- who said that? The person deciding to work with you wants to see the facts.
7. Collect recommendations on LinkedIn. This follows from the previous point. You need social proof, recommendations from colleagues, bosses, customers, and partners, and reviews about you and your product. “She helped me find a job in Canada, made a LinkedIn profile, and built a personal brand”. My clients write it about me, not me.
8. Get ready. To get the desired response to your letter, you should spend time preparing. Read about the company and the people who work there, learn about their interests, and find points that unite you. This will make it much easier for you to communicate, and you will feel more confident. ㅤ ㅤ

So how to find work and new clients abroad?

1. Invest in yourself

Many of my clients became refugees as a result of the invasion. However, everyone who wanted to find a job abroad found it.

One of my clients was the marketing director of a huge Ukrainian pharmaceutical company. After the invasion, she and her child went to the United States, and she started looking for a job from scratch. We made a resume and profile on LinkedIn for her. Now she is already on her second job. Yes, it was not easy, but the result was worth it. Therefore, my advice is to invest in yourself and work with specialists. If you do not have the financial opportunity to work with a coach, contact the career center at the nearest library. In the US and many European countries, this is free for refugees. Since you need to learn the specifics of writing a resume and looking for a job in this country, help will not hurt you.

2. Learn English and get an education

Learn English. After the victory, significant investments will be directed to Ukraine, there will be many career opportunities and access to new markets. There will be a huge demand for people with knowledge of the language. In Europe and the USA, tutors are costly, and in Ukraine, it is quite affordable service. A foreign language opens many doors.

Also, invest in professional skills and education to compete in the market. If you are a manager and you see that your colleagues or bosses have an MBA, maybe you should get one too.

All education is now moving online and will become cheaper. There are a lot of different educational programs and courses, but not everyone can make it to the end. Therefore, not only interest is important here, but also persistence in the learning process.

Confidence comes from experience and results from cool implemented projects. Therefore, do not stay in one company for 10-15 years. Even in Silicon Valley, people have suffered from being used to stability, and now, after a wave of layoffs, they feel confused and don't know where to start their job search. Competition in the west is increasing, and we are becoming the west. In America, many people retire at the age of 70, they work very hard. We also need to work hard to make Ukraine competitive.

3. Experiment

I had 12 jobs. I changed my profession 5 times, including abroad. And my main advice is to be flexible. The first job abroad, just like the first business audience, can be small because you have to start somewhere. One job opens the door to another. The main thing is to start, and if you are motivated and efficient, very soon, other companies will be chasing you, or partners will be writing with offers.

Motivation is fundamental. Knock on all the doors, search, and work with specialists and yourself. If you have the motivation, there's no stopping you. It's just a matter of time. Work towards your goal and be patient. Know yourself, your market, and your employer/audience. And they will open the door for you.