The only expat in the Lithuanian office: the story of Ukrainian specialist Yana

Марійка Дзюба
Oct 4, 2024
5 min read

In a world where globalization is blurring borders, the story of a young Ukrainian woman, Yana, vividly illustrates the path of professional growth and adaptation in a foreign work environment. Her experience in Lithuania reveals not only her personal achievements but also important aspects of an international career for Ukrainian professionals.

In a world where globalization is blurring borders, the story of a young Ukrainian woman, Yana, vividly illustrates the path of professional growth and adaptation in a foreign work environment. Her experience of working in Lithuania reveals not only her personal achievements but also important aspects of an international career for Ukrainian professionals.

From Kyiv to Vilnius: the beginning of the journey

Yana started her professional career as a student of the Faculty of Sociology at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

‘In my second year of studies, I decided to try something new and joined the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline,’ she recalls. ’I started my career there as an intern in the marketing department, and later I was promoted to assistant, and worked there for a year.

This first experience was an important step in Yana's professional development. She learnt to work in an international company, got to know the corporate culture and gained her first skills in marketing.

Life story of Ukrainian specialist Yana / photo from personal archive: Yana Chykyrynda

The next step was working at Reckitt, another pharmaceutical company.

‘I worked my way up from an intern to a senior specialist in two years,’ Yana says proudly, ’It was a very intense period. I learned to take responsibility, respond quickly to changes and communicate effectively in a team.

Yana emphasizes the importance of this experience:

‘During these two years, I gained skills in brand management, analytics, everything related to finance and brand positioning in the market. I also organized events, which gave me an understanding of event management.

Moving to Lithuania: new horizons

The turning point was my participation in a scholarship programme from Mykolas Romeris University in Lithuania.

It was my personal decision to apply for this programme. Not out of any particular need, but out of a desire for new knowledge and experience,’ explains Yana.

‘I found out about this opportunity through the rector's email at my university. The programme was sponsored by the Lithuanian government for a year. I managed to win this scholarship probably because of my academic performance at the university,’ she adds.

Yana emphasises that moving to Lithuania was not just a change of residence for her, but also an important step in her personal and professional development.

‘When I moved to Lithuania, I experienced a very strong assimilation and attachment to this country. I felt comfortable and saw my future here,’ she says.

Job search challenges: being an expat

Finding a job in Lithuania was not an easy task.

Being an expatriate, the need for additional work permits, and not knowing Lithuanian complicated the process,’ Yana admits.

She describes her job search experience in detail:

‘I actively used popular Lithuanian job search websites: CV-online, CV of LT Bank, Working in Lithuania. I monitored these sites specifically because I indicated that I wanted to work in Lithuania.

The interview process was exhausting:

It happened that I went through 5-6 stages and received neither positive nor negative feedback. I consistently had three interviews a day. It was very hard, especially when you prepare for so long and they don't even get back to you with an answer,’ she says.

Yana talks about her preparation for the interviews:

‘I carefully prepared for each interview, studying information about the company and analyzing possible questions. I created a separate document with information about each company: their specialization, history, products, competitors, and market positioning. It took a lot of time, but it helped me to be well-prepared.

The only expat in the team: challenges of adaptation

After a long search, Yana got the position of Shopper Marketing Analyst Baltics at JDE in Kaunas. However, being the only expat in the team proved to be a challenge.

‘The most difficult thing was not knowing the language and being the only expat in the team,’ Yana admits, ’I think when there are more expats in the team, it's a little easier, but it's harder.

The language barrier was the main obstacle:

I didn't know Lithuanian at all. This greatly affected my work, and some daily issues had to be resolved in an informal format. Even though the working language was English, I often felt excluded from informal conversations with colleagues.

Comparison of working conditions: Lithuania vs Ukraine

Yana notes significant differences in the working cultures of Lithuania and Ukraine:

‘My day in Kaunas started at 8 am, while in Kyiv it was 9-10 am. Although I finished work in both Ukraine and Lithuania at 6-7 pm,’ she says.

In Lithuania, working hours are very important - you have to be 100% efficient during these hours. We didn't overwork, we tried to keep to these hours,’ emphasizes Yana. ’In Ukraine, we sometimes finish our work at home, in Lithuania it is possible, but not so often.

Yana also draws attention to the culture of coffee breaks:

‘Coffee breaks were a very interesting note of the day for me. In our company, it was customary to take an hour-long break with colleagues. This is done in order not to lose communication skills at work, to exchange opinions and news. It's great, because then the team becomes more cohesive.

Advantages and disadvantages of working in Lithuania

Yana highlights the following advantages:

A clear work-life balance
Friendly team and support from colleagues
Opportunity to gain international experience
Structured workflow

Among the disadvantages, she names:

Language barrier
Difficulties with adaptation as the only expat
Long and complicated job search process
The need for additional work permits

‘The best advantage was the people,’ says Yana, ’I felt warmth in the office from the people, their support and empathy. But the biggest challenge was the language barrier. It had a big impact on my work, on daily issues that should have been resolved in an informal format.

Advice for Ukrainian professionals

Based on her experience, Yana gives some advice to Ukrainians planning to work abroad:

‘Learn the language of the country where you plan to work. This is your key to successful adaptation and communication.’
‘Be prepared for a long job search process. Don't give up even if you get rejected.’
‘Prepare carefully for interviews and research companies. This will help you stand out from other candidates.’
‘Be open to new cultures and work practices. Flexibility is your advantage.’
Don't be afraid to ask for help and support from colleagues. Most people are willing to help if you ask them to.’
Life story of Ukrainian specialist Yana / photo from personal archive: Yana Chykyrynda

What needs to be changed in Ukrainian society

Yana believes that Ukrainian society should

Become more open to expats and diversity. Develop empathy and support for newcomers in the team,’ she emphasizes. - Find a balance between hard work and respect for personal time. In Ukraine, there is a policy of encouraging overtime, a policy of being too hardworking. You need to understand the limit.

Yana adds:

Introduce the practice of informal communication in the work process, such as coffee breaks. We need to improve our English language skills, as we are moving towards the EU, and English should become the basis for many vacancies.

At the same time, Yana notes the positive features of the Ukrainian work environment that should be preserved:

‘The humanity that we have here, a little bit of humour that is usually present in our companies. I would really like our work to remain so driven, encouraging you to work, inspiring you, making you hard - but with a balance.

Yana's experience demonstrates that working abroad opens up new horizons for Ukrainian professionals, but also poses serious challenges.

Her story emphasises the importance of language skills, openness to new cultural practices and the willingness to overcome obstacles.

At the same time, it shows that Ukrainian professionals have a lot to offer the international labour market and, with the right approach, can achieve significant success.