Russia : Job market

What are my chances of getting a job?

The Russian economy was hit hard by the 2008 - 2009 global economic crisis as oil prices dropped and as foreign credit that Russian banks and firms relied on disappeared. The decline seems to have levelled out and there have been signs that the economy is growing once again.

Opportunities in Russia include teaching English or working for an international firm. It is more likely for graduates to join a large international company such as the organisations mentioned above, and be transferred by request to working in Russia, than it is to find a graduate job in Russia by applying to Russian firms.

• Typical problems encountered: while there are no laws to prevent foreign citizens from working in Russia, applying for a visa to live and work in Russia for longer than a year is a lengthy and difficult process, and the country has the highest level of academic graduates in Europe, so there is no shortage of candidates to fill graduate positions.
• How to improve your chances: opportunities for experienced UK managers and professionals are good with Western companies in Russia, but opportunities for new graduates are largely confined to teaching and NGOs. English is the main business language leading to a high demand among Russians to learn English and a strong TEFL market.
• Language requirements: an excellent knowledge of the Russian language is crucial to your job hunt in Russia, in particular outside the capital city. Russian is spoken throughout the country along with some English, French and German. There are many local languages, notably Turkish and its Central Asian variants. English and Russian are the main business languages. Apart from courses at international colleges, it is unlikely that any degree courses will be taught in anything but Russian.

Where can I work?

• Major industries: oil, natural gases, metals and timber account for 80% of Russia’s exports. Other major industries include IT outsourcing, mobile technology and manufacturing, and banking.
• Industries in decline: traditional farming and textiles.
• Shortage occupations: Western goods and expertise remain in demand, particularly skills in transport, construction, ICT, engineering and teaching.
• Major companies: 13 of the companies listed in the 2008 Financial Times Global Top 500 are Russian. These include gas producers Gazprom and Novatek, Vimpelcom, financial group VTB, steel manufacturers Severstal and Novolipetsk and aluminium exporter Rusal.
• Search for more companies: Kompass - a worldwide business directory searchable by country and product/service, the Russian Yellow Pages, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce.
• Major cities: Moscow (capital), St Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Niznij Novgorod and Yekaterinburg.

What’s it like working in Russia?

• Average working hours: 40 per week.
• Holidays: typically 28 days per year.
• Tax rate: Russia has a flat personal income tax rate of 13%. This ranks it as the country with the second most attractive personal tax system for single managers in the world, according to a 2007 survey by investment services firm Mercer Human Resource Consulting.
• Working practices and customs: Russian business is status conscious and hierarchical, and networking is extremely important. An attempt to speak Russian will be greeted warmly and business meetings often begin with a short introduction to each person in the room. Russians are intensely proud of their rich culture and you may be invited to discuss their greatest artists, classical musicians and authors even in business situations, so brushing up on these beforehand could help you fit in.