"I didn't know where to start": how job fairs help IDPs find work in a new community

Moving to a new city often means not only losing a home but also losing your bearings: contacts, an understanding of the local labor market, and the feeling that you are expected here. For internally displaced persons, finding a job often turns into a chaotic process – without a clear plan and an answer to the question "where to go next".

It is in such conditions that formats emerge that gather opportunities in one place and give people a chance not just to hear about vacancies, but to talk directly with employers, specialists, and those who have already gone through the adaptation process.

Why is this important?

For IDPs, the problem of employment often lies not in a lack of skills, but in a lack of access to information and contacts. People don't know which businesses operate in the community, who is willing to hire, where they can retrain, or get support to start their own business.

Not only financial assistance becomes important, but also live contact – the opportunity to ask questions, explain your experience, and receive feedback and support here and now.

This is precisely the role that career fairs play – as a gateway to the job market and community life.

How do career fairs work?

To help internally displaced persons find jobs, retrain, or start their own businesses, the "Uniting for Action" program, implemented by the international organization IREX in Ukraine in cooperation with the Ukrainian charitable foundation "Stabilization Support Services" with the support of the U.S. Department of State, held a series of Opportunity Fairs for IDPs – 9 regional events that brought together 750 displaced persons, employers, relocated businesses, employment centers, public organizations, and local authorities.

The format is designed so that participants can not only receive information but also immediately use it: communicate with employers, clarify requirements, and understand how to adapt their experience to the needs of the local market.

I realized that I have room to grow.

Olena Stetsenko is an internally displaced person from Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region. Due to active hostilities, she, along with her family – her husband, three children, and grandmother – was forced to move to Rivne.

Olena is a food industry technologist by education. For her, cooking was not just a job, but a long-standing passion and a way of self-realization. But after moving, like many other IDPs, she found herself in a situation of uncertainty: a new city, an unfamiliar labor market, a lack of contacts, and no understanding of where to look for a job in her field.

Olena found out about the job fair by chance and decided to attend without a clear plan, but rather with the hope of finding at least some lead.

During the event, she learned that a local bakery was looking for an employee who knew how to work with dough. The organizing team helped her understand the employer's requirements, establish communication, and prepare for the interview.

The bakery offered Olena not only a job but also training, with the possibility of professional growth.

"I haven't felt such a boost in a long time. It seemed like I had to start everything from scratch after moving, and I didn't know if I could. But at the fair, I realized I have somewhere to go. And when I was invited to work, I regained my faith that I can create a future for my children," she shares.

Today, Olena works in her field, learns new things, and gradually integrates into community life. For her family, this means financial stability, and for her, it means returning to the work that is part of her professional identity.

I was able to choose a job, not just agree to one.

Hanna Biloiwanenko is an internally displaced person from the Luhansk region. Hanna's true calling has always been working with children. So, in her new location, it was important for her to find not just any job, but one that would match her experience and inner motivation. However, without an understanding of the local labor market and a clear job search strategy, this seemed like a difficult task.

Hanna learned about the Job Fair for IDPs in the Kyiv region, which took place in December 2025, as a space where one could not only hear about job openings but also receive practical assistance. This was the deciding factor for her.

During the event, she listened to presentations on employment opportunities and then sought individual advice from a representative of the job search platform. Together, they refined her resume, adapted it to modern requirements, posted it on relevant resources, and discussed how to effectively respond to job openings.

"For me, it was important not just to find a job, but to understand how to present myself properly and what to pay attention to when choosing a vacancy," Hanna explains.

As a result, she received several offers from employers and was able to choose the one that matched her skills and expectations. Today, Hanna works as a nanny – a profession that is not accidental for her, but a conscious choice.

"After visiting the job fair, I received so many offers that I was able to choose the job that was most appealing to me and find employment in my calling," she shares.

For Hanna, participating in the job fair was not just a step towards employment, but an important stage of adaptation: a return of confidence, a sense of support, and an understanding that there is room for professional development in the new community.

When opportunities become real

The stories of Olena and Halyna prove that job fairs work not as one-off events, but as a tool for real change. When employers, professional support, and practical advice are combined in one space, employment decisions are made faster, and the integration of IDPs into community life is less painful.

Live contact with employers, guidance, and support often provide the impetus that a person would not have dared to take for a long time without. Sometimes, one event and one chance, which turns out to be decisive, are enough for this.

Where to look for opportunities

You can find programs, scholarships, and educational initiatives for IDPs here:

• on the official pages of the IREX program"Uniting for the sake of children";
• on the official pages State Employment Service.

Searching for opportunities is already an action.

Sometimes, it all starts with a single step: submitting an application, having a first conversation, participating in a training session – and the feeling that a path forward is possible.