Show Notes
Val grew up in Kyiv, and Australia is the fifth country she's called home, after Poland, Georgia and the US. She's also my very first Ukrainian guest on Chinwag Tuesdays, and she joins me from Melbourne to talk about what it's actually like to build a life in Australia when you've already started over four times. We chat about the small talk that felt so weird when she first left Eastern Europe, why Aussies can be really friendly and still hard to become friends with, and how Val (a self-confessed introvert) went from Facebook groups to "friend dating" to joining social clubs. She also shares how she got her job in the US after sending more than 300 resumes, and how the same company later brought her to Australia. We get into Australian workplace culture too, from flat hierarchies and work-life balance to the very different personalities of her teams in Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland. And of course there's slang, including the meeting where Val had to send her new manager a message explaining what arvo means. The part I loved most was how honestly Val talks about home. She shares how hard it is to be so far from Ukraine right now, what it feels like to end up somewhere in the middle of every country you've lived in, and the things she does in Melbourne to stay close to her Ukrainian roots, like painting eggs with her girlfriends for Orthodox Easter, while still making new memories in Australia.
In this episode Meet Val, my first Ukrainian guest From Kyiv to five countries Small talk culture shock in the US and Australia Why Aussies are friendly but hard to become friends with Why migrants have to step out of their comfort zone The Ukrainian community in Melbourne A logistics career across three countries Advice if you're thinking of moving abroad Australian workplace culture vs the US Tipping and pricing in Australia How work culture changes from state to state Being far from Ukraine and what home means now Staying connected to Ukrainian roots in Australia Aussie slang at work: arvo and "how ya going" Regional slang: beer glasses and pokies
Links Free Australian Small Talk Playbook Work with me Instagram
How to contact Val Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valeri.diaries LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeria-shnit
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