Excerpted from the Russia Career Guide

General overview

Outside of the larger cities of the Russian Federation, both the culture and process of job seeking and interviewing are still being formed, as for many years the USSR had a ‘distribution system’ that effectively assigned graduating students to a specific position and even a specific location.

Language

Usually the job interview is conducted in Russian, and it is highly advantageous if the foreigner speaks Russian. This is especially important for Russian companies where a limited number of people speak other languages. In international companies and in cases where the position requires the candidate to speak another language, the interview could be conducted in another language.

Pre-Interview Preparation

A candidate should take several copies of his/her résumé (in both Russian and English/or other language) and personal documents (photo ID, diplomas, letters of recommendation, certificates, awards, PowerPoint presentations and business cards) to the interview. Other documents may be asked for and could be of help during the interview, but this generally will not happen at the first meeting. More important for a successful interview are a positive spirit and precise mind.

The Interview

There are different methods used in the selection process. These include various kinds of evaluation processes such as a demonstration of skills, case studies, psychological tests, assessments and role playing. Some companies use individual interviews focusing on biography and competence, multiple interviews and stress interviews (multiple interviewers in a fashion designed to intimidate). In general, the individual interview takes 40 to 60 minutes and is held in a separate meeting room. The style of the interview will depend on the specific company, the position, corporate policy or sometimes even on a specific interviewer’s preferences. Depending on the company’s policies, the candidate will often be expected to pass several interviews in the selection process as well as tests.

Regional/Company differences

There can be regional differences in how interviews are conducted. However, in Russia’s major cities, the situation will be as described above. Expect variations in levels of English language skills and the amount of English language usage. It is recommended to ask for a translation of all information into Russian (translation services can be found throughout Russia).

This is just a sample of what you'll find in over 100 pages of information in the Russia Guide.