How Russians Find the Right Job Abroad (02.02.2007)

By Konstantin Borisov 

Is it a system of bilateral business travel or an effort of building a career abroad? How frequent is the incidence of truly global careers? Despite global careers being a popular conversation topic, there are very few people who were working in Nice yesterday and are now working in New York. For foreigners a sojourn in Russia is mostly a temporary phenomenon, but for Russians this differs.

Many of our fellow countrymen have long been eager to build a career abroad. Judging from experience, there are three likely reasons why professionals go abroad. Some professionals aim to learn the ways Western business works, to acquire new skills and to return to Russia with a new stock of knowledge and higher level employment. Others have their mind set on settling in a country with supposedly better prospects. But since the situation in Russia is not drastically different from that in the West today, there are fewer people in this group. Yet other individuals venture abroad for the sole purpose of building up capital.

The first group of professionals deserves some attention.  There are two reasons why they may return to Russia. On  one hand, most Russians have trouble overcoming homesickness, on the other, many are strongly oriented at continuous career growth. If in the West, a truck driver with some  30 years of experience is highly esteemed, in Russia one is expected to at least direct an enterprise. Even the remuneration system in most Russian companies reflects this trend –  the salary gap between an ordinary employee and that of a top manager can be hundredfold, while in other countries it tends to be much smaller. This is why many of our fellow countrymen do return to Russia after having worked abroad. There are better chances here to pursue in less time, and the experience acquired abroad is likely to boost their career growth at home.

So, what are the advantages that those with international experience possess? A few advantages of Western business over Russian are worth elaborating on.

Firstly, Western management models and standards are more advanced than Russian ones, which borrow much from international experience. Thus, getting work experience in the West is in fact like peeking into the future of Russian business by learning new methods of business management. Applying these skills at home will certainly work to one’s benefit. One surely can’t ignore the Russian national peculiarities, but the overall business and professional functionality in Russia is similar to that in the West.

Another benefit of having worked abroad is its “attractiveness” for employers. The latter tend to strongly believe that a job candidate with international experience is more competent in many areas. It so happens that good manners, a communication style, and self-confidence are subjective factors that enhance the candidates’ value for employers. Likewise does our Western colleagues’ ability to establish rapport and knack for making contacts. Regrettably, Russians still have much to learn in this respect. That is why one should be prepared to encounter a somewhat prejudiced attitude towards Russians in the West.

Even while working for an international company in Russia it is impossible to acquire all these positive qualities. Furthermore, fashionable trends are slower to catch on in Russia. At the same time, grasping this “science” is not very difficult – someone with a humanities degree can master it in just two years, and a science person – in about five years. This time usually suffices, and one returns home.

In regard to searching for a job abroad, there are three basic ways to proceed. The most straightforward and obvious one is to get a job at the Russian branch office of a big international company.

The second way is appreciably “faster,” but more tricky. Many U.S. companies are willing to hire individuals of any nationality, taking only professionalism into account. Such companies can be discovered at www.monster.com: this site has an enormous number of listed vacancies from “direct” employers and recruiting agencies.

Third way of building a career abroad has largely been forgotten lately. Namely -- working at a renowned Russian company. The Aeroflot company is one example. Aeroflot has  branch offices in every country it flies to that handle food purchases, servicing of aircrafts, and other operations. Such offices may employ up to 50 people – local mechanics and accountants plus one or two Russian managers. Naturally, the company prefers hiring Russians for the management positions. Many other companies also have a big international presence. The main hurdle of this method is the difficulty associated with working one’s way up to an appropriate level at such companies, for they are well known to be rather closed communities. But once in, one stands a very good chance of building a career abroad.

In conclusion, a very important point needs to be highlighted. When planning to work abroad, one should have a very clear idea about the goals to be attained. If such experience is apposite to one’s career course, it will be duly appreciated by employers.


 

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