If only national stereotypes weren't self-perpetuating

Image by AFP/Getty Images via Daylife

Superjobs.ru asked Russians whose job they would most like to have, and the results are completely unsurprising. A majority of “economically active” Russians over the age of 18 want the job of none other than Vladimir Putin. Next on the list, with 11% of the vote, is Dmitry Medvedev, followed by Chelsea-owning oligarch Roman Abramovich. Just below them, we find Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who happens — just happens — to be married to a billionaire real-estate developer, and chair of the government gas giant Gazprom, Alexei Miller.

This supports summer poll results, which indicate that the companies most Russians want to work for are Gazprom, state oil concern Rosneft, and Sberbank, the largest bank in Russia and controlled by the Russian Central Bank.

Certainly, this makes sense: people aspire to high-prestige, high-grossing professions, and in Russia it rains only in government and in government-controlled companies like Gazprom, which accounts for 10% of Russia’s GDP. (Not coincidentally, yet another poll found that only 1% of Russians had fulfilled their career dreams: most once wanted to become a teacher or a doctor, two of the lowest paid white-collar professions here.)

But, to get back to our lede here, most Russians want to be Vladimir Vladimirovich, whom they — and, well, the rest of the world — perceive to be  the ever-reigning strong-man-in-charge of this Resurgent Russia. With approval ratings at 78%, he is still the most admired man here.

And, speaking of national stereotypes, here’s a look at the job description.

[youtubevid id="XBNcq2PGi1o"]

via Vedomosti

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