I Know it Will Be Hard but Still Much Better Than Staying in This City

Authors: Delphine Hotua, Anette Stickel, Emine Topkaya, Leyla B. Bayramli, Petra Jurič
Photos: Delphine Hotua

Maja Davidovikj is a 24 year old girl from Negotino, Macedonia. She graduated from the Goce Delčev University with high grades. She is qualified in teaching. She is very talented, she knows three languages: Macedonian, English, French and moreover, she understands Spanish. Maja wanted to study more and get a master but couldn’t afford the costs of the studies, so she decided to search for a job.
She couldn’t find her own town, that’s why she has decided to apply for the position of waitress on a cruise ship. Maja has still one interview to go.

To know the reason of her choice, we made a short interview with her.

Why did you decide to go and work on a cruise ship ?
Because there is no job here, in Macedonia. There is no future and I can’t satisfy even my own needs.

Where did you get information about this program ?
From a friend who has already worked on a cruise ship.

What kind of job are you going to do ?
From what the agency told me, I am going to be a waitress but I still need to succeed the second interview to be enrolled. My husband is also applying for the same position, so I hope we’ll both work there.

You have studied teaching so why do you choose a job that is not relevant for your experience ?
It is not a choice actually. At the moment, this is my only opportunity. What can I do ?

Aren’t you afraid to face some problems while working on board ?
I think that if you work hard, there will be no problem because I will satisfy the customers and then also my employer. But I know that every start is hard.

Traveo is the only private recruitment agency from Kavadarci that allows people to have an experience abroad

What are your expectations ?
I hope to learn a lot. I hope to gain some experience and the most importantly, I will finally earn my own money – which I would have never been able to earn in my city. I know it will be hard but it is still much better than staying in this city where there is nothing to do and where I need to ask my parents for money all the time.

What is your general opinion about youth unemployment in Macedonia ? Do you think it is going to change in a better way in the future ?
The situation for unemployed in Macedonia is really tough. That’s why I would accept the opportunity of working on a cruise ship without any hesitations. I know that even if I find a job here in Macedonia – which I really doubt about – it will take me more time to reach good life standards. And I don’t want to wait. Anyway, I hope the situation in Macedonia will change quickly because no one likes to leave his country and to work hard abroad.

Maja Davidovikj is a 24 year old girl searching for a job that could make her life better

Every year, lots of energetic, educated, and efficient Macedonians go outside of their country in order to work, even if their job is not relevant at all for their profile. It’s a big issue that still has no solution. Because of the situation in the labour market the young people get depressed, disappointed and frustrated. They desperately look for sunshine in their life but the more time that passes, the less they believe in a better situation.