The help Yulia Panfylov received from English Language Partners was invaluable in landing her a job with Palmerston North City Council.

“The knowledge that I got from the Work Talk course (now English for Job Seekers) about Maori culture, interview skills, and CV preparation was very helpful,” she says.

English for Job Seekers is an intensive four-week course to help people prepare for job applications and interviews.

“I originally went to English Language Partners to improve my writing, as it is a big part of my job.” Yulia says she was aware of her ‘Russian English’ and wanted to use ordinary language and more commonly used phrases. “I wanted to sound like a ‘normal person’!”

“The course really helped me a lot, especially practising interview techniques in class with other people,” she says. “It also enabled me to have a critical look at my CV and cover letters. They suggested I should list my achievements in my CV. That was something I hadn’t thought of doing.”

“Learning about the Treaty of Waitangi was very valuable, as was learning about things like ACC levies and how they apply to me as a contractor.”

On her arrival in New Zealand, Yulia spent a year of post-graduate study at Massey University and graduated in 2015 with a Master of Science in Conservation Biology.

“It was great to build on my qualifications but I needed to find a job,” she says. Yulia approached local environmental organisations through the Environment Network Manawatu during her search, and was excited to be offered a part-time job with the Palmerston North Environmental Trust.

“I had worked in similar organisations in the Ukraine but I had to learn how things worked here.”

In her role as Project Coordinator, Yulia was charged with raising public awareness of environmental issues through community activities and events. Organising and fronting the Palmy Beyond Petrol initiative, the three-week Envirofest event, and the annual Reel Earth film festival, were among her bigger community projects.

To supplement her part-time job, Yulia also contracted for the Whanganui Waste Recovery Unit for a year, leading a Pilot Project to assess new recycling technology. When that contract ended, Julia decided to seek a full-time job and new challenges.

Yulia’s new job as Community Advisor for the Palmerston North City Council combines both of Yulia’s passions – the environment and the community.

“I support local community initiatives that start at the neighbourhood level,” she says. “And then we make them happen together!”