Career Workshop for Teenagers with Challenging Life Experiences in Lutsk

On March 17, the “Decode Your Success Code” career workshop took place at the Technical Vocational College of Lutsk National Technical University, bringing together 14 teenagers with challenging life experiences.

From Self-Discovery to Career Perspectives

During the workshop, participants explored their natural abilities, identified their strengths and talents, and reflected on how these could form the foundation for their future professions. A special focus was placed on personal values — each participant created a list that would guide them not only in their career choices but also in everyday life.

For many teenagers with difficult life experiences, career choices often happen under pressure from financial circumstances — prioritizing stability over passion or talent. They also face limited access to resources, information, and role models.

That’s why understanding one’s values, talents, and interests is especially important — these internal compasses help make conscious, informed decisions even in challenging situations.

Media as a Career Path

The guest speaker of the event was Hanna Karamysheva-Borysenko, founder and director of COOL Media School in Lutsk. She led an interactive masterclass on personal branding through social media and public speaking skills.

Under Hanna’s guidance, participants learned how to overcome the fear of public speaking, structure their thoughts, and create meaningful content that reflects their professional interests and strengths.

Results That Inspire

The workshop sparked genuine enthusiasm among the participants — their feedback says it all:

• “I really liked the guest speaker — she helped me understand many things,” — shared one participant.
• “I enjoyed it, felt comfortable and interested, and realized who I want to become,” — noted another.
• “It was interesting to learn more about myself, my skills, and abilities. I also discovered more about popular professions. The mentors were amazing!” — said one attendee.
• “I learned a lot about different professions and how to develop my own projects on social media. Hanna’s lecture was very engaging,” — added another participant.

The project was implemented with the support of UNICEF Ukraine.