Very often one has to hear from emigrants in Germany that German companies are very reluctant to hire specialists with diplomas from other countries, even Russia or the USA. Why? Because German education, like German cars, is considered the best in the world. Because Western employers value their diplomas, certificates and, most importantly, recommendations received during internships while studying.
But our education in Soviet times was also considered one of the strongest in the world. Universities trained specialists excellently, and USSR diplomas were unconditionally accepted in many countries of the world. How is it now?
Unfortunately, despite the fact that many Ukrainian universities issue internationally recognized diplomas, our specialists cannot count on anything significant abroad. For educational documents to be valued in a given country, appropriate agreements at the state level are necessary. Today Ukraine has agreements only with some CIS countries - Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia; as well as with such states as Estonia, Bulgaria, China, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. For employment and recognition of Ukrainian diplomas in these countries, no other documents are required, no additional professional aptitude exams need to be taken, a specialist qualification document is sufficient.
But in order to have our diploma recognized and to build a career in the rest of the world, it is necessary to undergo a nostrification process in that country. The diploma is assessed by special commissions that analyze the curriculum and the graduate's qualifications. This process is time-consuming and, unfortunately, does not always end with a positive result. As practice shows, only diplomas from some Ukrainian universities are recognized. And not because the names of our higher education institutions are unknown to Western employers, but because the latter have no idea about the level of qualification of Ukrainian specialists. For example, many subjects studied at our universities are absent from Western universities, or at best there are only similar areas.
If you still decide to prove your professional suitability, you need to: translate the diploma into the language of the country where you would like to work;
notarize the translation;
send the document to the Ministry of Education or the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
After some time you will receive an answer - either positive (your education is recognized) or negative (your qualification is insufficient for employment in that country). Unfortunately, very often the recognition of education and qualifications is only formal, and moreover, many countries lower the qualification level. Thus, with a specialist diploma, one can most often obtain the qualification of a bachelor.
Often, even after undergoing the nostrification process, candidates applying for a job lack basic knowledge that can be obtained at a university and during an internship while studying abroad. Also, knowledge of a foreign language often leaves much to be desired. Applicants simply cannot understand what the boss demands of them. Thus, it is most often technical specialists who manage to find work, that is, specialists in a field where it is not necessary to compete with native speakers. Employers always meticulously study the documents of future employees, and if a vacancy is also applied for by a graduate of, say, a German university, then preference, of course, will be given to him. So if you want to make a career in Europe, it is better to graduate from a European university.
Svetlana AKSENOVA,
Gulf Stream association.