For those who are serious about their future career, international experience is a must; it broadens one’s horizons and empowers people with new skills and confidence. Such experience may entail working for a multinational company in Russia or leaving your home country to work abroad. In any case, such opportunities abound in the form of internships, exchange programs, and many similar resources.

Recruitment for the majority of internship programs is based on open competition. Most programs require applicants to speak fluent English or another foreign language, depending on the country of the potential internship.

“Since the knowledge of English is one of the criteria, unfortunately not all the businessmen who want to learn can go on such internship, as they lack proficiency in the language,” said Alla Poluarshinova, deputy program director at the International Research and Exchange Board, or IREX.

IREX is an American non-profit organization, which, among other things, is fostering the exchange among professionals of the United States and C.I.S. countries. Its project, titled Business for Russia, is a U.S. government-sponsored program that offers Russian businessmen five-week internships in businesses communities across the United States.
The internships focus on small- and medium-sized companies and private enterprises in various sectors.

“During these five weeks our participants spend in the United States, they get a unique opportunity to study business operations in their employment field,” Poluarshinova said. “For example, the owner of a small bakery in Russia goes to a similar bakery in the States, where he studies not just the technological processes of production, but the way this kind of private enterprise survives in the sector.”
Interns gain knowledge in management, financing, personnel administration, and advertising. Having learned the various skills, they can apply them to their own businesses in Russia.

That’s why most internship programs prefer candidates that already have a working knowledge of the sector they plan to study. “Those who are already working in the sector have a clearer idea of what skills they lack,” Poluarshinova said, adding that most Russian businessmen suffer from a lack of “the western manner of working with clients, and personnel administration”.

“Certainly, Russia cannot copy the U.S. business models 100 percent, but some practical, well-established ideas can be useful,” she added. “Upon their return, some of the alumni try to launch private businesses and organize them using the Western scheme.”
An international exchange is always a two-way process since the hosts are also interested in the practices and experience an intern can provide.

“My host in the States was doing her master’s in International Relations, so communicating with me was useful to her,” said Boris Sedunov, one of the program’s graduates. “Besides, I still keep in touch with the program’s organizers in Saint Louis, where my internship took place. I meet their representatives in Moscow and help them organize various activities here.”

Mikhail Priorov, another Business for Russia alumni, went through his internship at a private television company in Vermont.
“Although Killington TV was a small television station, seeing the volume of work, the level of professionalism and a smooth coordination of activities of this small team was quite impressive,” he said. “I took turns staying with the families of the cameraman, manager and program director, I had the unique opportunity to receive advice even after the working hours, seeing the specifics of different professions, and taking an active part in the creative process.”

Priorov was already working in television prior to his internship, but since his formal education was in interior design, it would have been difficult to grow professionally. Priorov said his experience abroad helped more to a better-paying and more challenging job. Currently, he is the editor-in-chief of Mayak radio-station.

Most internship opportunities involve visiting businesses in the United States and not in Europe, and for a good reason:
“The problem is not the money; it is the lack of initiative”, explained Maria Sannikova, program coordinator at the Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights. As a Russian public policy and advocacy organization, the center, in cooperation with its German partners, offers a six-month program in which the heads of non-government organizations have a chance to work at similar bodies in Germany.

“The initiative came from a German non-profit organization, the founders of which worked in Russia themselves and realized the value of exchanging experiences and establishing horizontal business relationships. Once they expressed the desire to established such a program, a private fund expressed the desire to sponsor it,” Sannikova said.

Although there are some obstacles, Russia’s cultural, social and economic ties with Germany are stronger than those with other European countries, and people are very interested in learning about each other.
Despite a high demand, the amount of Russians doing internships in Germany is rather small.
“It is not a secret that Russian organizations host a great amount of Western interns, it is not always the case the other way around. Our goal is to increase the amount of young people participating,” Sannikova said.

Andrei Kalich, one of the interns who currently studies in Berlin, said he was interested in going to Germany because he sensed the Germans have a great interest in the Russian culture.
“I like the fact that we can join our efforts in achieving common goals,” he added, “I am glad I came here.”
The program will begin accepting applications for next year in the beginning of the summer, so those who are interested in participating still have some time to master a foreign language and gather some information about life in Germany,” Sannikova said.

To participate in this program, an applicant should speak either German or English, and have a working knowledge of Russia’s non-governmental organization. The process involves filling out an application and passing an interview with program coordinators.
Remember to have your resume, letters of recommendation and university transcripts ready.

Guide to internship Programs

Business for Russia
Contact: IREX
Deadline: October-November
www.irex.ru
irexmos@irex.ru

German-Russian Exchange
Contact: Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights.
Deadline: July
www.democratia.ru.
center@democratia.ru

Edmund S. Muskie Fellowship Program
Contact: American Councils for International Education
Deadline: October-November
www.actr.ru
actrmuskie@actr.ru

Hubert H.Humphrey Fellowship Program
Contact: Educational Exchanges office, U.S. Embassy, Moscow
Deadline: November
pamoscow@pd.state.gov

Managment in small and medium size business.
Contact: Program regional commission
Deadline: January
www.informika.ru;
skpk@informika.ru

Internship at The Russia Journal
Moscow & Washington, D.C.
The Russia Journal is currently offering internships for business and journalism
graduates in its Moscow and Washington, DC. bureaus.
Apply to: intern@theleader.ru