Finding a good job is difficult in our hard times. This is especially true if you have no special education, important connections or experience, and even more so if you want a position in a respectable company with an attractive salary. Nevertheless, such things happen. ‘A great piece of luck,’ some would say. To a certain extent, this is true. But desire to find a good job must be supported by certain efforts.

I talked with Anna, 20, PR manager at the OLMA investment company. Anna has been working for three years and occupies quite a prestigious position. How did she manage it?

When she began her job search, Anna was anxious about her lack of information about the labor market and her lack of experience. She bought Iz Ruk v Ruki newspaper. The paper was full of ads promising fabulous salaries. Anna decided to call one offering $2,500 per month for a personal assistant, naively hoping that this could be true. She was invited for an interview in a private apartment. This surprised Anna, but she was so tantalized by the wage promised that she forgot all her suspicions. A strange-looking woman led Anna into the front room and left her alone. Anna looked at the old-fashioned, shabby furniture and would probably have run away, but a young man entered the room. Deftly evading Anna’s questions about the job, he said she would be paid $500 at the beginning, but first she had to invest $250. Anna thanked the man, promised to call back and left.

For nearly a decade, Russia’s labor market has been flooded by so-called multi-level marketing, that is, the distribution of goods, such as herbal products, cosmetics and stationery, by individuals. Almost every job-seeker comes across such ads. They make promises that have nothing to do with reality. I can only advise you to view such offers critically. And never, never pay any money in advance!

After she finished high school, Anna enrolled in evening classes at Moscow State University’s department of journalism. With some help from her parents, she found a position as a proofreader at Morskoi Sbornik magazine, where she worked for several months.

The next year, Anna changed jobs several times, then decided to call a human resources agency. At the agency, they kindly offered to include her in the database, for 50 rubles. Anna paid, and was told to go home and wait. She did not, and this was the right decision. The call did come – in three years – and the human resources manager solemnly offered her a job for $100 per month.

Anna understood that she had tried everything, except for one thing – the Internet. The Financial News Agency announced several vacancies. At the interview, Anna was told that she could combine her job with her classes, but the job was dull, the budget was low and there were few opportunities for career advancement. Moreover, the work often required Anna to miss lectures.

This went on for some time until Anna saw an ad posted on the wall for a public relations manager with experience in finance. She passed an interview and was accepted, for she had acquired some experience in finance. Since then, she has been satisfied with her salary, enjoyed the team atmosphere, and, last but not least, she really likes her job.