Against all odds (and by odds we really mean communist roots) Russia's become something of a hiring mecca for investment bankers in recent months.
Financial News reported last week that both domestic and foreign banks in Russia are continuing on a hiring surge that's been several years in the making.
We know what the fabulous life of bankers looks like in Hong Kong, Singapore and, of course, New York, but we were in the dark as to how Moscow's financiers' live the high life (and we don't mean relocating to the US).
So we caught up with a Moscow-based trader to see what finance in Russia is really like.
There are plenty of banking jobs to go around, at least on the senior level
According to the Financial News:
"The Russian market remains a hotspot for hiring in investment banking with Sberbank, Renaissance Capital, Otkritie, BrokerCreditServices and VTB Capital all having been active in the market this year at a time when many large European banks have cut back."
According to our source:
"Banks are trying to expand qualified staff, big financial players are trying to improve their teams" she explained. "But the job market isn't as hospitable if you don't have as much experience."
And the hours are pretty sweet, for the traders
Our source told us that trading doesn't start until 11 a.m., so junior-level traders usually get into the office around 9 a.m.
That's four more hours of sleep than traders get in New York. (One New York-based junior trader told us he gets into the office at 5 a.m.)
But don't expect to live in a 'rich' neighborhood
If you're a banker looking to relocate to Moscow, you may have some trouble figuring out where to live.
"There isn't district separation for rich or poor" our source explains. "[Bankers] who rent prefer to rent usually rent in the city center. But I have friends who live all over the city."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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