Gagan, an Indian national who has lived in Moscow for some time, is currently looking for work. But, despite his experience and willingness to adapt, he is having problems finding suitable positions. He asked The Leader to help show him the way to an exciting and rewarding new job.

“Multinationals prefer to hire locals these days,” says Gagan, an Indian who moved to Moscow 20 years ago to study and is currently looking for work in sales or marketing. He sees himself as a local, his citizenship notwithstanding, because his work experience is Russia-based. He says his candidacy goes in contrast with most expatriates, who are groomed in their own countries and then transferred to Russia.

According to Gagan, most employers are weary of hiring foreigner because they believe it is more expensive. He does not expect preferential treatment, and says so in his cover letter to make himself more competitive in the job market.

Gagan decided complete an M.B.A. program last year after analyzing the market and concluding that his chances would improve tremendously. He has recently received confirmation of his M.B.A. in marketing and management, which he completed in June. He has also completed a three-month basic G.A.A.P. course.

He would prefer to work in marketing, sales or distribution. The position he is aiming for involves more marketing rather than sales. If he were to work in sales, he would like to be an area sales manager, while in marketing he would be very satisfied as a marketing manager. In an especially large and respected firm, he would settle for a position of an assistant marketing manager.

Gagan said he is also interested in working as a business-development manager or a key-account manager. He would prefer to work in a foreign multinational that specializes in fast-moving consumer goods, but he does not want to work in electronics, a field in which he has no experience.

He has applied to a couple of advertisements in Moscow’s English-language newspapers, and says he has not been very impressed with the recruitment agencies that contacted him. He is under the impression that most agencies work on behalf of companies and not on behalf of the job seeker, he added.

Gagan worked at Medit, a Russian business partly financed by an Indian company; he left because he was unimpressed with the growth prospects. He believes that it is important to keep growing professionally.

He says that he is friendly and sociable, with good interpersonal skills. The job he has enjoyed the most is his present one, where last year he was charged with distributing tea for Unilever. The project was shelved because the company realized it was not making much money, but Gagan said he found the challenge very enjoyable. At the moment he manages 12 people, but in the past he has managed up to 30.