my first part time job experience essay

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By Johannes Helmold

Everyone’s first job is special. There are a couple of reasons for this: the experience is burned in one’s memory, it gives you the practice needed to fulfill other positions, and it teaches you about the value of money. Of course we do jobs around the house when we are young, like cleaning dishes, vacuuming, and doing laundry, but working for others for money gives off a different feeling.

When I was about sixteen years old, I wanted to buy albums from my favorite bands, but I did not have any money. My parents were not the type of people to give money to me out of nowhere, or even for work done at home. I had to find work in order to purchase the music I wanted.

So, I inquired as to who could give me work around town. I lived in the town of Woodway, which was relatively small, with no street lights, and hardly any population. But my neighborhood, Twin Maples, had enough people, especially elderly people, that needed help in their yards. I went to the oldest person I knew in my neighborhood, Mrs. Hudson. She was over eighty years old, and could not tend her garden anymore. She had flowers, a grass lawn, and some tomato plants. I knocked on her door, building up enough courage to ask her for work. She answered that indeed she needed help in her garden. She did not discuss the amount of money I would get for the work.

After getting that $10, I walked the few miles to the supermarket at the top of the hill, above the Puget Sound. I went to the electronics section of the supermarket, and bought an album from the band “Tool,” which was extremely popular at that time. It was dark and richly-layered alternative rock music with sinister lyrics: the type of music teenagers enjoy.

One of my favorite hobbies was to lay on my lawn with two computer speakers between my ears and to listen to music with all of its nuances, moods, and atmospheres. This, and taking in the fresh air of the woods around me, was a sort of bliss. That is why I worked: to make these moments even more rapturous with more music.

After many days of working for Mrs. Hudson, and buying more CDs, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to save money for something even more interesting than music: a Gameboy. Gameboys at this time were all the rage, so it was natural for me to yearn for it. I started to work for multiple clients, so to say, in order to earn enough money to purchase this prized possession.

When I gathered enough money to buy a Gameboy (it was about $100 at that time), I went out to a shop and bought a shiny red one, and one game to play on it. However, after one day of playing on it, I realized that I had made a mistake: it was not as fun as I thought it was going to be, and I felt like I wasted my money. I sweated in the hot sun for hours doing yard work to buy something I did not want. So, the next day, I returned it for a full refund. From then on, I bought only music albums with my money.

I think everyone should get on one’s knees and pull weeds. I believe everyone should at least once work for an elderly person, and help him or her take care of his or her garden. I think everyone should feel the searing sun on one’s back as they mow grass. It seems these experiences harden our spirits and resolve, and make us more in touch with the earth. Besides this, a first job like this supplies you with the value of money, as sweat turned into cash is something no can take away from you.

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My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained Essay

When I was a child, my dream was to find the work connected with managing people and resources. The vision persisted until it became time for pursuing a college degree, where I opted for a business course in Human Resource Management (HRM). I intended to be in a position to lead people at the workplace. After graduating from school, luckily, I got an internship program with one of the renowned retail companies called Costco Retailers.

The first working experience was memorable because I finally managed to become independent and earn my first money. When I started working in the corporation, I changed my mentality to adapt to the new system. This paper will discuss the experience during my first job recruitment, skills, and knowledge gathered during this period. During the first working experience, recruits should apply the theoretical knowledge in practice to avoid difficulties in time-management, issue solving, and communication with clients and colleagues.

The time-management appeared to be a fundamental problem that I have faced during my experience. It was a requirement that all the staff report one hour before the opening of the stores. This was necessary to facilitate daily planning and arrangement of the work routine to enhance the efficiency of the operations. It was difficult for me to manage time properly and organize the activities of other people. I had to participate in various events and often failed to perform my duties correctly. There even was a period of time when I was at significant risk of being fired. I had to learn how to be time-conscious to overcome the pressure. I solved this problem thanks to applying some time-management techniques.

Besides the time factor, another issue was working under pressure. During the first few months, I was stationed at the customer care desk to attend to the clients’ queries. At this position, several problems emerged that required immediate attention from the top managers within the department. It was challenging to handle some inquiries because of the large number of customers and the nature of their needs. The intensity to meet their expectation was overwhelming, and it involved many commands from the senior staff.

Another problem that required theoretical knowledge from me was cultural diversity. Shoppers consist of people from different races, gender, culture, and profession. Communicating with customers was a nightmare, especially for those whose cultures tend to diverge at some point. Sometimes you might offend people from different cultures without noticing it. Nonetheless, thanks to their interactive nature and understanding, some clients helped me learn how to communicate appropriately.

Generally, working with customers entails fluctuating motions since they come in different moods with various expectations to be fulfilled. Meeting people from different backgrounds increased my exposure and understanding of individuals behave in relation to their culture. The race-tolerance strategies learned during my education helped me to adjust my communicational style.

I thought handling customers was the main challenge of this position, but there was another significant problem. Being a novice, young, and unfamiliar with the company’s system was another terrifying encounter. At the customer care desk, we had co-workers who had been in the institution for an extended period. These workers used to take advantage of the recruits by assigning complex tasks and overworking them. I became a victim and felt exploited since I could do twice what the other workers were doing. From one point of view, such pressure was rational, aiming to increase my working skills. From the other point, I had moral difficulties coping with a considerable amount of work while experienced colleagues did not offer me any help.

It is also essential to mention which new skills I have gained during my working experience which contribute to my professional development. Thanks to this organization, I gained valuable knowledge and skills helpful for developing in this work industry. First, I gained an understanding of how to communicate with customers and colleagues. Before joining the Costco team, I thought managing people was easy to perform and did not require any special knowledge. Thanks to this working experience, I have learned that communication and management is a whole science that requires profound knowledge and well-developed communicational skills. Therefore, I realized that it is critical to apply the behavioral analysis approach to maintain effective communication.

Moreover, the company made me develop and improve my intrapersonal skills. Working with people having different ages and cultures requires self-understanding (Horak & Matoskova, 2018). To be able to relate effectively with other staff members and even customers, I had to learn how to communicate and listen. Communication is essential in advancing the relationship amongst the business affiliates. The on-the-job experience made it easier to comprehend and apply the skills. Here I also successfully applied the gained during my education knowledge.

Surprisingly, technological knowledge was vital during my working experience. Furthermore, being at the customer care desk exposed me to using the computer system to record, search, monitor, and even communicate with the administration. I developed deep insight into technology, and my computer knowledge increased. Through the period, I could use the system to perform critical tasks like monitoring the level of inventory, tracking customers’ purchasing records, and updating new valuable information for clients. In addition, I was able to analyze the trend of buyers, which was helpful for the administration for updating the stocks.

Another critical skill that I acquired during the period was the ability to solve problems. At the customer care desk, clients came with various issues ranging from sales of defective products to poor service delivery. I have analyzed different literature on the topic of problem-solving. Multiple techniques help the manager build good relationships with the customer and colleagues (Funke et al., 2018). One of them is the culturally-tolerant attitude towards the participants of communication. I developed a profound knowledge of managing different circumstances to generate a proper solution by handling such issues. Seeing and learning how the colleagues were regulating similar situations at work was vital and prompted self-confidence. To make a decision, self-reliance is essential as it allows one to find their own answers to the problem.

Generally, obtaining a job after completing coursework in college is beneficial because you can gain valuable experience. On the job, learning makes the whole perspective different as it comes with arrays of experiences both encouraging and demoralizing. Sometimes changing and adapting to a new routine is difficult for the new employees. Furthermore, interacting with various people at the workplace advance understanding and worldview of individuals.

The exposure also makes people gain the necessary knowledge and skills that are essential for further carrier development. Joining the proper organization could impact the level of experience individual gains. If people are ready to develop their knowledge and skills, asking questions, elaborate new ideas, then the chances of attaining new skills at work are high. It is also vital to implement the theoretical concept learned through education in practice. Thus, applying theoretical concepts and constant development contributed to forming a positive working experience.

Funke, J., Fischer, A., & Holt, D. V. (2018). Competencies for complexity: Problem solving in the twenty-first century. In Assessment and teaching of 21st century skills (pp. 41-53). Springer, Cham. Web.

Horak, M., & Matoskova, J. (2018). Comparison of training programmes and activities for cluster managers in Europe with respect to their focus on skills development. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Knowledge , 6 (1). Web.

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IvyPanda. (2023, October 31). My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-first-work-experience-and-knowledge-i-gained/

"My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained." IvyPanda , 31 Oct. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/my-first-work-experience-and-knowledge-i-gained/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained'. 31 October.

IvyPanda . 2023. "My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained." October 31, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-first-work-experience-and-knowledge-i-gained/.

1. IvyPanda . "My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained." October 31, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-first-work-experience-and-knowledge-i-gained/.

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IvyPanda . "My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained." October 31, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-first-work-experience-and-knowledge-i-gained/.

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The Experience of the First Job

Growing up as a shy and self-contained person, I have never thought that I would be able to work with people. When I was offered an internship opportunity at a rehabilitation center, I was so frightened, I thought I would fail. The mere thought of constantly meeting new people and talking to them scared me, and overcoming this fear was the most difficult thing I have done in my life. The experience of the last six months has changed my perception of myself, turning me into a more open, friendly, kind, and confident person. Analyzing my journey, I now feel grateful for this opportunity and willing to share my experience.

When I came to work on my very first day, I felt extremely nervous and anxious. However, I was welcomed kindly and introduced to the staff who happened to be nice and friendly people. My job was to meet patients and answer their questions while they are waiting for their appointment. From the start, I encountered several problems due to my lack of experience. The first was always feeling unsure about what I was doing and saying. The second was communication difficulties that I have experienced for my entire life. As a shy person who had never worked with people, I had trouble finding the common language with patients of different ages and backgrounds. The third issue was the fear of new challenges that I had to encounter every day.

At this job, I learned several important things that changed my perception of my future career: how to deal with stress, how to communicate with people, and how to work in a team. When I overcame the initial anxiety of asking for help and realized that my colleagues are always happy to offer me their advice and support, I started to feel much more self-confident. I learned how to talk with patients, what to say and what to do when I am unable to help them, and I was surprised to see that, day after day, there were fewer and fewer problems that I could not solve. This experience has changed my personality, and I now feel that I have turned into a more confident, friendly, kind, and empathetic person that is not afraid to ask for help and meet new challenges.

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Narrative Essay about My First Job

From the moment I turned 16 all I heard from my parents was “you need a job” . It bothered me so much that I finally broke down and got a job, little did I know this job was going to be one of the most hectic and easiest jobs you could imagine. This job would not only teach me how important money is in the real world but would also teach me the importance of responsibility I had been missing my whole life.

My job was at this little chicken place called Golden chick. I had heard of this place before. I used to see it almost every day and have never eaten there but I would have never imagined I would work there. I only applied there because It was one of the closest restaurants to my house. As soon as I walked into the restaurant I was greeted by relatively young employees and I filled out my application in the empty restaurant. Once I finished they told me to come back the next day to talk to their general manager. When I returned I saw an old man and he had barely interviewed me about my personality or anything. He just asked when I could work and if I'm in school or not and just like that I got the job and started the following week. 

The following week came and it was time to walk into my first job and I did not know what to expect. Luckily I started with my friend so I wasn't completely alone. The general manager wasn't there so I had talked to the assistant manager and she was very young for a manager but she was very nice. She sat me at the desk to begin my online training videos. I was getting paid for watching videos on my first day so I could not complain but I only did that for around an hour.

They needed my help, they said and they wanted me to cook, which was very weird because I applied to be a cashier. They said they needed cooks but I figured it can't be that bad. I was trained by a shift lead which is just below an assistant manager and he taught me how to make chicken tenders and fried chicken and it was really easy. Little did I know I was getting paid a lot less than I should have been getting...

I had asked around and asked how much another cook how much he was getting and he told me that he was getting $10 an hour and I had found out I was only getting $8.50 and I was doing the same job as him so I complained and the manager said he would fix it but by the time I talked to him again a new manager had arrived as the old one left for good. This manager told me he would give me 10 dollars an hour and I will do both jobs cook and cashier so I was fine with that, but he lied to me and the raise never went through and I was stuck getting paid 8.50 shortly after that manager was no longer there for reasons I do not know.

Luckily for me, a good manager came along and he gave me the raise I wanted and 2 months later I became a shift leader because of my knowledge and skills in the store. I had a lot of responsibility now and it taught me the responsibility I had been missing and it taught me how money can drive you to do anything in this world. I am still currently working at Golden chick and I am getting paid $12 an hour and I am on the verge of becoming an assistant manager I never thought I would do this well in my first job but I know the day I leave it I'm leaving it with lessons that will help me in further jobs in the future.

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Describe a part-time job you have ever done – IELTS Cue Card

Updated On Sep 18, 2023

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Describe a part-time job you have ever done.

You should say:

• What it was
• When it was 
• Where you have worked 
• And explain why you have worked there

Sample Answer 1

To be honest, I have done plenty of part-time jobs while pursuing my studies. It was merely to get professional experience in the real world. However, I distinctly remember my first part-time job offer, which had nothing to do with my studies. The closest I can describe is that I worked in a library as an assistant librarian.

I started my part-time employment to make some money while also getting an opportunity to be around books and read whenever I desired. My parents resented working part-time because they believed I was squandering my time and energy. Nonetheless, I convinced them and worked this job. I was required to contribute 4 hours a day for about a month.

Despite my clumsiness, I learned to meticulously order the books in their required sections and keep a daily record of the books issued to individuals and those returned after they had been read. Apart from that, I was instructed to help with the library’s administration and organizing. It involved assisting library visitors in locating appropriate reference resources, processing interlibrary loans, and enrolling visitors in receiving their library cards.

After struggling with basic organizational skills for the first 15 days, I was able to take out some spare time in order to read my favourite books. Since I was a student trying to save money, I was ecstatic to be able to read as many books as I wanted without having to buy them. Additionally, the librarian who recruited me taught me many organizational skills, which helped me grow. I owe her gratitude for her patience with me during my part-time work.

Sample Answer 2

Part-time jobs are the best ways to manage daily expenses abroad as they are the only sources of additional income.  Here, I’d like to talk about a part-time job that I’ve done. Initially, I got the opportunity to pursue my master’s from the University of Melbourne, Australia, through a scholarship. But with the Australian lifestyle being extraordinary, the scholarship funds were not enough to manage my life there. It became complicated, so I sought a suitable part-time job. One of my seniors noticed my flair for writing, so he suggested that I opt for a part-time content writing or editing job. After some struggle, I finally managed to get a part-time job as a content writer for a travel company. As my part-time job as a writer can be done at my comfort, I used to perform it in my room, while other students who were involved with part-time jobs had to hasten from pillar to post. I was fortunate enough to work as a content writer at my flexibility and convenience,  the company made regular payments. To conclude, I learnt a lot as a part-time writer. Besides, it was the only monetary support during my difficult times. 

• Meaning : follow or chase Eg : He was determined to pursue his dreams
• Meaning : a special or instinctive aptitude or the ability for doing something well.  Eg : My flair in communication landed me in this job.
• Meaning : move or travel hurriedly  Eg : Mary hastened towards the elevator as she reached the office late. 

4. Pillar to post

• Meaning : forced to keep moving from one place to another.  Eg : I ran from pillar to post in search of a genuine online English coaching center.

5. Convenience

• Meaning : the state of being able to proceed with something without difficulty  Eg : The significant advantage of online classes was that they were held at my convenience. 

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first part time job experience

IELTS essay first part time job experience

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11 Things You Need to Know Before Moving to Moscow, Russia

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Despite all the places I have visited during and after my time living in Moscow, everyone wants to know what is it like to live in Russia. When I accepted a teaching job at an international school in Moscow I knew very little about the country. Of course I did some research, but the United States presents a very skewed view of life in Russia today. Moving abroad is always an emotional experience, but anyone from the USA planning on living and working in Moscow might be surprised about what is and isn’t a challenge in Russia.

After a year living in the country I can say that I didn’t love living in Russia, but I did love the new cultural experience. I already wrote about what it is like to live in Russia in general. In this post I go into the logistics and details of moving to and living in Moscow, Russia.  If you are debating whether or not you should move to Moscow, Russia here are 11 things to know before you pack your bags.

1. The Visa Process is a Hassle

When I was living in Moscow I came across an article about the hardest visas for US citizens to obtain. Russia was one of the top five. Go figure, I decided to move to Russia!

The US embassy website says it best, “The Russian government maintains a restrictive and complicated visa regime for foreigners who visit, transit, or reside in the Russian Federation.” I may not agree with the US government on a lot of things, but they are correct on that!

A Russian-based sponsor is always required in order to obtain a visa. I’m not going to go into details on the process, that could be a whole different post. It’s unlikely that you could move to Russia without a work/school sponsorship, so your new employer/school should help you through the steps. Before accepting a position that is something to check into!

After receiving sponsorship and your invitation letter you will need to apply for the visa and get an HIV test done. Be aware it needs to be the formal blood drawn test that gets sent to a lab and not just a finger prick instant test. I found that out the hard way!

2. Registration is Required Every-time you Return to Russia

Within a specific period of time when returning back to Russia from another country you or your company needs to register you using the migration card you are given at customs. For most of my time in Moscow this was within 3 days, during the World Cup this needed to be done within 24 hours. One guy from my school did not give his migration card to HR within the required amount of time and had to leave the country and then immediately return in order to avoid issues. 

You will need your migration card in order to leave the country. Needless to say keep it in a safe spot!

3. Documentation Needs to Be Carried at All Times

When walking the streets of Russia you need to carry your papers at all times. This includes your passport, visa, and migration card. A police officer can ask you for these for no reason and you can be detained if you do not have them on you. According to the HR department at my school you can also have an officially stamped copy of your passport and visa instead of your originals.

4. The Cost of Living is Low

If you are coming from the USA or Western Europe you will most likely find the cost of living low. My phone bill was about $15 a month and my internet was about $20 a month. I had a monthly membership at one of the nicest two story gyms with various classes and a pool for $58 a month. Taxis cost only a few dollars for 10 – 20 minute rides. Overall if you compare costs to what you paid back ‘home’ you will be pleasantly surprised.

Retail shopping was the one thing I found more expensive than in other parts of Europe or the US. The prices of both familiar worldwide brands and unfamiliar Russian brands seemed pricier. Coming from NYC I didn’t think the restaurants were too expensive, but many of my colleagues thought they also had higher prices.

5. Bill Paying is an Odd Process

It took me awhile to figure out how to pay my phone and internet bills. In the US I always had a set monthly fee due on a specific date. I could easily set up bill pay. In Moscow the way I found out that my phone and internet bill was due was when they stopped working. For my internet I wouldn’t be able to use it on a random day and had to enter my credit card information to pay for the next month. Without having access to the internet to translate this page I had no chance of figuring out the form correctly. Not to mention, it was a guessing game of figuring out how much I owed. Initially I was confused about the conversion rates so I didn’t even know in the ballpark what monthly internet cost.

Oh my goodness did I struggle with my phone in Moscow! The data wouldn’t work. Sometimes it was because I had to ‘top up’ my payment. Similar to the internet, I didn’t know how much I owed or when. There was some other issue with my phone that took three visits to the phone store with Russian colleagues to resolve. I still don’t know what the issue was because according to my co-worker who translated I would have to pay for them to tell me what they had to fix on my phone. I didn’t have to pay for them to fix it, but I would have to pay if I wanted to know what they fixed??? Welcome to life in Moscow! 

I loved how cheap internet and phone service was, but sometimes I wished I could pay a little more just to simplify using them.

6. Many Online Sites are Blocked

Internet and WiFi in Moscow usually work really well. That is unless the site is blocked. Some sites you would never guess would be blocked like Target.com. I found many American online store websites blocked. Also many important financial sites are blocked. M y US bank’s entire website was blocked online, as well as my credit card company. TV shows direct from the networks are often blocked. No watching American Ninja Warrior on NBC or Amazing race on CBS. Hulu is also blocked. Your best bet is through youtube.com or VPN blockers. 

7. Transferring Money is Not Fun

My school set me up with Raiffeisen Bank. It worked well except for when I needed to transfer money. As I mentioned above my bank (Capital One) couldn’t be accessed online and wouldn’t except transfers from Russia. Before moving to Russia make sure you have a bank back home that you can transfer money to if you plan on doing that. It was very difficult to set up once out of the country. Luckily my parents set up a Chase account that was able to except money from Russia. They then transferred the money to my US bank account.

8. Hardly Anyone Speaks English

The hardest part of all the challenges I have listed above is that most people don’t speak English. It’s one thing being a tourist and trying to communicate at an attraction while traveling. It’s another thing to attempt banking, bill paying, grocery shopping and everything else that living and working in Moscow entails. 

Some Russians speak a little English in the city center, but don’t count on it. In other outlying neighborhoods, like mine, it was rare that someone spoke English. I had so many experiences when people would just speak more Russian to me when I didn’t understand. Unlike a lot of countries that attempt to put more things in English for tourists, Russia seemed to have the attitude of, it is your problem, figure it out. 

Have Yandex Translate or Google Translate at the ready if you don’t speak Russian. Also set your web browser to translate web pages into English.

9. Learning Russian is Hard

I knew that learning Russian would improve my life in Moscow a great deal. If you know me personally, you know I am a pretty persistent person. If I set my mind to something, I will do it…..except for learning Russian . My Russian teacher would say a word and I couldn’t remember it two seconds later to repeat it. To be fair I did learn the alphabet, how to count to ten and a few greetings and other nouns.

10. Getting Around Moscow is Easy

The Moscow Metro is very nice, cheap and easy to use. It follows the same basic system of metros around the world. If you are considering learning Russian start with the alphabet, it will help you use the metro. Not all the stops and stations are in English. Have a metro map downloaded on your phone in English. You can use it to help you figure out the stop names in Russian. The metro runs from about 5:30am to 1am.

I took the metro whenever I could, but on off hours, going to the airport or when traveling somewhere not on a metro line I used Yandex taxis . They are the Uber of Moscow and very cheap. Most drivers don’t speak English, so this is a good time to have a translator app handy.

11. Hot Water is Shut Off for 10 Days Every Year.

Between May and August almost all of the apartment buildings have an assigned 10 days when the hot water is shut off for maintenance. You can check online at Oaomoek to see when it will be shut off for your apartment building. If you have a new building you may not have to deal with this (most buildings are old though). 

As an American moving to Moscow, Russia I definitely had an adventure! If you have moved to Moscow let me know in the comments below what your experience has been like. Feel free to leave any questions about moving to Russia below as well. 

More About Russia

• Moscow Things to Do: The Must See Sights , Unique Things to Do ,  Spartak Stadium
• Moscow Markets:  Izmailovsky Market , Danilovsky Market
• Moscow Museums: Moscow City Museum , Victory Museum , Museum of the Patriotic War in 1812 , State Historical Museum ,
• Moscow Life: Malls , Christmas in Moscow , Metro , Learning Spanish , My Russian Apartment , What is Life Really Like in Russia , FiFa World Cup , Russian Winters , and more posts about life abroad in Russia .
• St Petersburg: City Guide , The Hermitage Museum , Kayaking the Rivers & Canals , Peterhof Palace

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33 comments.

The hot water thing happened to me while living (and teaching english too) in Prague! I had no idea that was a thing! Luckily it was for 3 days.

Interesting, I didn’t know it happened in other countries too!

Thank you for such a great article! Moving to a new country is always a stressful process no matter how prepared you are and knowing these little ins and outs of the process really helps. Having to get an HIV test before moving kind of surprised me and registering every time you return to Russia seems like a hassle! I have heard that Russian is a very difficult language to learn. I tried learning the basics when I was travelling through Eastern Europe and the Balkans and almost immediately gave up because I found it incredibly difficult to teach myself from free online resources. I’ve heard that Moscow has some of the most beautiful metro stations in the world and would love to see them one day!

You’re welcome, thanks for reading! I’m terrified of needles, so I really hated having to do an HIV test. Also we had to do them a couple times of year at the school I worked at. I found Russian really hard to learn when I had a private teacher. I can imagine it would be even more difficult to try to teach yourself. Yes, the metro stations are beautiful!

Tell me about it (the visa progress, internet, hot water shut off!), I lived for a while in Moscow many years ago and the paperwork was a nightmare and by the sounds of it, nothing has changed. I learnt Russian pretty fast (had no choice) but I did enjoy my time there. Would I go back? Maybe….

It’s great to hear from someone else who lived in Moscow! That’s awesome that you learned Russian really quick, I’m impressed!

I had heard about a lot of things about Russia and turns out most of them are true! They have this strictest Visa process and paperwork. One of my acquaintances arrived in Russia after visiting some other Central Asian countries. He was apparently deported with no proper reason. He was told if you want to visit Russia, come directly from your country and not through any other country! It was good to know a lot about Russia and Moscow in general from your blog. I hope you had a good and exciting time there.

Oh wow that’s quite the scary story! I traveled to other countries quite a bit when I lived there and luckily didn’t have any problems going back to Russia.

First off – kudos for having managed in this city. It does seem like a challenge to get here and more importantly stay here. The amount of documentation and forms. And to not be able to pay your bills in a jiffy. Oof! Russian only and no English can be hassle if you are staying there for long term. The last point totally put me in a bind – no hot water for 10 days in a cold country! Brrrr….

Hahaha the visa the visa the visa!!!! I was had planned for my trip in December 2019… The hardest part was figuring out how to get an invitation letter when staying at an Airbnb. That took me quite a while to figure out and was a bit costly about $65 but the Airbnb was affordable so the costs balanced out. On arrival don’t be in a hurry, it took about 3 hrs to be cleared at immigration as a first time tourist to Russia. But once that was done i really enjoyed my stay. I love how beautifully decorated it is in December and the fireworks on 31st. Being an African I was a tad cautious but boy are those people kind and friendly… I got so many hugs and numerous people eager to find out more about what I think of Russia and where I’m from. I’d definitely go back. Oh and I visited Voronzeh by bus… Small nice and really affordable town but not as much to do as Moscow though..

The Fearless Foreigner

The visa process and the invitation letter are quite the hassle. Glad you had a good experience in Russia overall though!

This really opened my eyes to some of the things we take for granted in the US, like consistent WiFi, phone service and hot water. And paying bills sounds as though it would be very frustrating. As someone who has a tendency to misplace things, I was relieved to hear an officially stamped passport and visa copy would be accepted. Imagine losing the originals? Ugh. All worth it, I’m sure, to have this incredible opportunity to experience Russia as a resident. These tips are very helpful and I do hope to visit in the near future. Thank you!

That’s so true, we do take a lot for granted in the US. Moving to Moscow was a challenging experience, but still rewarding!

Sheriannekay

I am hoping to visit Moscow in the fall. I know it won’t be my easiest trip and have put off research. This is a great starting point. The tips for apps are greatly appreciated. I didn’t realize language would be as huge a barrier as it sounds so I will do extra prep. Thanks for the heads up on carrying papers with me at all times, I don’t usually do that

As a tourist you will hopefully have an easier time with the language barrier and your hotel will send you the invitation letter to start the visa process. It still is a hassle and takes more planning than other countries though. I have several other Moscow posts, I hope you check them out and let me know if you have any questions!

Most of the “rough” things mentioned are truly in the eye of the beholder – and a matter of simple adjustment. WI-FI is a lot more consistent and readily available in Russia’s big cities than in cities of comparable size in the US. As to cell phones – the vast majority of plans is “prepaid” vs “pay-as-you-go”, which essentially means you can hypothetically run out of money. That said, internet banking is a lot more developed in Russia – so “topping up” your phone is a matter of a couple of clicks on your phone (or, alternatively, and “auto-payment” from your bank account as soon as you hit a certain limit). Back in 2018, I went for 7 days in Moscow and Spb without any cash or credit cards at all – paying for everything with my phone (Samsung Pay, Google pay, etc).

Hot water – yes, that’s something I had a hard time getting used to. Luckily, most rental apartments have a back up water boiler (or in-line water heater) to help you through those 10 days 🙂 If not – you can always get one (costs about $70, no electrical license or skills needed to install – it’s a simple plug and play. Plug and shower, rather 🙂

As to visa – well, yes, it’s a bit of a pain. To give you some perspective, though – the wait times for a (mandatory) visa interview at the US embassy in Moscow back in 2018 started at 1 year (yes, that’s 365 days), and Russians have to travel to the US embassy, regardless of where in the country they reside. If they happen to live, say, in Petropavlovsk, they need to fly into Moscow (a 9-hr flight across 9 time zones)

Linda (LD Holland)

Wow! A move to Moscow is certainly adventurous. I know that visiting requires a whole big process. So I am sure residency is a degree of magnitude harder. I am not surprised that internet is blocked. But the process for paying bills is just bizarre. And I am not sure how to deal with no hot water for 10 days. Some great tips for people wanting to do a longer stay in Russia.

Moving to Moscow was an adventure! Some people tough it out and take cold showers for 10 days. I heated up some water and took showers at my gym some days.

Bhushavali N

Oh wow! That’s quite an experience. Language barrier when you move to a country is indeed difficult, unlike being a tourist for a few days. I know that feeling, coz I’ve been through that! Interesting to know that the cost of living is cheaper than USA or EU! I wonder if the situation of money transfer is difficult only with banks of USA or with any other country! Just like China, I’m not surprised that many sites are blocked in Russia as well!

Most of my co-workers were from the UK or other countries around the world. I talked with them about the money transferring and none of them seemed to have any problem. So I guess it is more of an issue with US banks!

Victoria immigration expert

Thank you for sharing your experience. This is very valuable. I think it is the language barrier that causes many inconveniences. Good luck to you!

Yes, the language barrier was one of my biggest challenges! Thank you.

I loved reading this! I am SO curious about Russia right now. It’s somewhere I really really want to go but as you mentioned, the visa process is a bit tricky. It’s just such an unknown place to me, I don’t really know anyone who has been there. I think it’s very cool that you taught English there! I appreciated your honestly about how you didn’t technically love it nor hate it, it seems like there were many challenges but a great experience overall!

Russia is an interesting place! It is a hassle to get a visa, but if you are intrigued you should visit! It’s unique because it is Europe, but doesn’t feel like the other European countries, yet doesn’t feel like Asia either. Let me know if you have any questions about visiting!

Anton Vasilyev

Just read your article and having traveled to Russia multiple times I think you made it sound a bit too complicated. First, the visa issue – Google an online Russian visa support site and they will do it for you for a modest fee. You all seem to mention that 7- 10 day hot water maintenance. It does take place in the middle of the summer so it’s not that dramatic. When searching for an Airbnb make sure it comes with a water heater. That way you don’t depend on centrally supplied hot water. Most local apartments come with a tankless water heater installed to avoid this exact situation – just ask. And I’ll just ignore your other complaint that English is not widely spoken in Moscow. I actually enjoy that there are not that many English speaking tourists in Moscow and St Petersburg.

Living in a country and traveling in a country is very different.This post is geared to expats moving to Russia and people who like to know all the pros and cons of moving somewhere, even if they are minor inconveniences. For the most part our companies choose where we live and we have no control over the apartment (no AirBnBs). That’s great that you enjoy that many people do not speak English. As I said that is the point of this post, for people to determine if they would like to live in the country or not. Anything that does not pertain to your situation or needs you are free to ignore!

Hey Elizabeth! I came across your blog after participating in the collab about teaching abroad, with Monica from This Rare Earth! I resonated with what you said here — many of the same things happen in China where I work. It is definitely an adventure 🙂

Thanks for stopping by! That’s very cool that you are teaching in China! I’m sure there are a lot of similarities….teaching abroad is an adventure for sure 🙂

It was interesting to read, so let me give you Russian point of view. As for visa, I really can not understand what’s the purpose of such hassle – if I was responsible for Russian visa policy, I would make visa-free regime for the majority of countries. We had quite nice experience during the World Cup 3 years back, so I hope things will be changing. Even now, they introduced new e-visa policy, at least for various European countries. However, they always state that all visa policies should be reciprocal, though it doesn’t make sence for me at all. As for passports I strongly disagree with you – you don’t need to carry it all the time, at least in Moscow. It is not required by law and normally no one will ask it as well, at least if you’re not looking like people from Caucasian & Central Asian republics. Attitude towards foreigners from “rich countries” from police is mostly much better, than towards any Russian. As for internet, it amazes me that you found it problematic. Wi-Fi is all over Moscow, Apple Pay can be used almost everywhere, and the unlimited internet package I have on my tablet is less than 10$ per month – i never found anything like that in other countries, though I am travelling a lot. As for blocked sites – there are some, but target.com is blocked not by Russians, but by target.com itself, because it does not accept our cards and doesn’t provide any services to us. Absolutely same situation applies to Ukraine – you will not open it there either. However, absolutely nobody in Russia uses and even knows about that site, we use other websites for shopping, both local and international. In general, we use local sources – we have our analogues of Facebook, Netflix, Spotify etc, and in some cases they are really much more convenient. In general I am happy to read you report – visit us again!

Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts!

Thank you for sharing so many details living in Moscow ,and i am gald that i have read this article before i go to Moscow ,yes i will study in Moscow for few years and i don’t know what is the life will be there ,i am nervious and at mean time don’t know if it is right for me to live in Moscow ,because i know they have low salary too ,so maybe it’s hard for a student to find a good part time job,anyway ,i will start to my life in Moscow soon,hope everything will go smoothly,thank you for sharing this again!

You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy your time in Moscow.

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Home — Essay Samples — Geography & Travel — Travel and Tourism Industry — The History of Moscow City

The History of Moscow City

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Published: Feb 12, 2019

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