Hello, IT: starting a career in IT for people with disabilities
In February 2025, the Hello, Ukraine team implemented the first Hello, IT educational project, holding four online lectures on starting a career in IT for people with disabilities.
In October 2024, Hello, Ukraine responded to a request for online training from the AIK Charitable Foundation, which has been actively developing an inclusive society in Ukraine since 2002, representing the interests of people with disabilities and implementing the ideas of inclusion in various spheres of life. This cooperation was the beginning of the Hello, IT project.
FROM CHOOSING A SPECIALITY TO EMPLOYMENT IN IT
In November 2024, the first online meeting was held on the topic ‘IT as a promising work environment for people with disabilities’. The lecturer was Maryna Schnayder, HR manager of the Ukrainian IT company Incode Group and a volunteer at Hello, Ukraine. Maryna spoke about:
- Prospects of the IT sector for employment of people with disabilities.
- Areas of work in IT for people with disabilities.
- Technologies to ensure accessibility for people with hearing impairments, visual impairments, and movement disorders.
- Ukrainian IT companies and their initiatives to employ people with disabilities.
- Training and skills development.
The following month, Svitlana Rakova, COO of Incode Group's design unit, gave the second lecture, ‘Where to look for a job? Resources for finding a job in the IT sector’. Svitlana shared information with the audience about:
- Choosing a specialisation in IT.
- Job search platforms in Ukraine.
- International platforms for remote work.
- Grant and educational programmes.
- Social networks and communities.
- Charitable organisations and projects.
- Participation in workshops and webinars to develop skills.
In January 2025, Svitlana also delivered the third online lecture on ‘How to create a professional CV for work in the IT sector’. The participants learned:
- What is a resume.
- What types of resumes exist.
- What a resume consists of.
- How to create a resume.
- What common mistakes to avoid.
- What are the free tools for creating a resume.
- On which platforms to create a professional resume.
- What are the life hacks for creating a resume.
In addition, Svitlana held three individual consultations, during which she analysed the resumes of the project participants.
The final lecture, ‘How to successfully pass an interview with an IT company's HR’, took place in February. Maryna spoke about the following:
- Identifying your own unique offer.
- Researching the company and the vacancy.
- And here you are at the interview: what to do and what to expect.
- Preparing questions for HR.
- The importance of feedback after the interview.
PROJECT RESULTS
About 80 people attended the lectures. All participants received access to expert presentations and the Hello, IT guide on how to start a career in IT. In addition, all the lecture recordings have been uploaded to the Hello, Ukraine YouTube channel.
Even before the project was over, a participant shared the news that he had already got a job at a Ukrainian bank. And through an anonymous survey, we received positive feedback from the students, such as:
‘I learned a lot of useful information and interesting resources for studying, job search, etc. Now I better understand the areas in which I can develop my IT skills’.
Hello, IT is an initiative created to create an inclusive IT environment where everyone, regardless of their physical abilities or social status, can develop and fulfil themselves. We continue to work on the project, expand our audience, and create new opportunities for IT development in Ukraine.
