Employers are ready to pay 38% extra to the salary: what skill should be indicated in the resume

It is much easier for Ukrainians who know English to find a job within the country. In some specialties, such as law, this can even make it possible to receive a salary that is more than a third higher.

According to the Work.ua platform, English language skills are required in 15% of job postings. Mostly, job seekers are expected to have intermediate (32%), above-average (21%), and advanced (38%) knowledge of this language.

English proficiency is required for executive positions and modern areas of law. In particular, it will be needed for the head of a legal department, an international lawyer, a specialist in foreign trade law, intellectual property, international grant programs, and other areas.

Lawyers with such knowledge are in high demand in law firms, IT companies, and non-governmental organizations. Sometimes employers do not receive any responses at all – in particular, three vacancies requiring advanced English language skills were left without attention from job seekers.

"English language skills are what the legal market complains about the most because the level of English of candidates leaves much to be desired. An employer can train young legal professionals, and give them more knowledge and practice in the legal field. But we can't force them to learn and improve their English," says Tetiana Blahodir, HR Manager at Gramatsky & Partners Law Firm.

At the same time, only 35% of job seekers declare their knowledge of English, but one in four of them speaks it at an elementary level, which will not be enough for most employers. Also, more than half know English at an intermediate level, and one in six assesses their knowledge as advanced. Only 1% of candidates are fluent in English.

However, income also depends on English proficiency, as lawyers with this skill are offered an average of UAH 27,500. This is 38% higher than the average salary in the Law category. But the salary expectations of the candidates themselves are mostly somewhat more modest:

• elementary and intermediate level of knowledge – UAH 20,000
• above average – 25,000 UAH
• advanced – 30 000 UAH.

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