Sometimes even the most optimistic job seekers get discouraged and wonder why they can’t land a job. We spoke with a frustrated job hunter and a recruitment expert to get some insights on the subject.

Career history

This job seeker — let’s call him Dmitry, as he would like to remain anonymous — graduated from the Moscow Aviation Technology Institute in 1990. He then worked for a pharmaceutical company and, later, for a paging company as an operator, an agent and then a supervisor. He then moved on to get a better-paying job as a sales executive at a company that sells financial information. Like many other Muscovites, he went on an indefinite unpaid holiday as a result of the August 1998 crisis. Within a couple of months, however, he found a job as a sales administrator in a sports hall. He later began to work as a sales director for a professional tailor. He later spent two months in England attending a course in business English. He now works part time as a sales executive for a natural medicine company and spends the rest of his time looking for a full-time job.

Career aspirations

Dmitry is now looking for a position in a creative environment that will make good use of his linguistic skills. He is interested in working in the fields of tourism or design. He would like work as an office manager, office administrator or personal assistant to the director of a company. He feels that he is ideally qualified for such posts because he has a lot of experience in management and finance.

Job search to date

He has looked for work through nearly 10 agencies. They have either been informing him of existing vacancies, or specially looking for vacancies that suit him. But he says that he doesn’t really like job searching through agencies because it is time consuming, requiring that the job hunter be interviewed by the agency as well as by the prospective employer. He prefers to apply for vacancies that have been advertised in the press.

He went to a lot of interviews, but often felt that the competition was just too fierce, even when he met all the requirements. But despite this, he enjoys going to interviews and likes the challenge of answering difficult questions. He naturally finds that interviews offer a much more representative picture of him than his resume.

Dmitry has randomly sent his resume out on a couple of occasions, but one company got really annoyed with him, and that put him off. He says that he doesn’t normally send a cover letter with his resume to apply for jobs advertised in the press, and that he thinks that the use of a cover letter is rare in Russia.

What’s holding him back?

He said he feels that his lack of specific experience holds him back. In the past, for instance, companies have required specialized knowledge in the areas of customs and freight.

He also said he feels he would have better chances of employment if he had one of the following: an economics degree, a teaching qualification, or an MBA. He has thought about applying for a grant to study for an MBA through the British Council.

Dmitry also feels that his age is a problem. He is 34 and a lot of places are only looking for people under 30. Companies like to hire younger people because they can pay them less, and because they believe that it is easier to train someone with less experience.

Why does he find it hard to find work in Moscow?

He has specific salary expectations, and feels that $450 per month is not enough, considering his experience and knowledge. In the past, when he has applied for a position that demands less expertise than his, he has been told by the potential employer that he wouldn’t find the job interesting or challenging enough.

Feel free to e-mail me at editor@theleader.ru if you would like to interview Dmitry.

Please contact The Leader if you are a job seeker and would like us to do a profile on you. The profile can be done anonymously if you wish.