Get Your CV Ready: Finding a Job In Israel

We got you! So you are not only planning on coming to Israel for your Birthright program or just to visit the Kotel, right? If you are planning to come to the Land of Milk and Honey to find the job of your dreams we have bad and good news to give you.

Good news, you are going to find it! But bad news, it is not going to be as smooth and easy as it might be back home.

There are several available jobs in Israel, and since it is the #1 Startup nation worldwide (yes, we recently passed the Silicon Valley in the number of startups our country has), new tech and creative positions are always appearing, begging for talented people like you to fill them successfully.

So go print a few copies of your CV, get some airplane tickets, and come to the land of our patriarchs. We assure you it is going to be a phenomenal experience.

Tips to get a job in Israel

We want you to land that job you’ve been dreaming about! That is why we want to give you some useful tips. First of all, we truly recommend you learn the office vocabulary in Hebrew. By knowing these extra words, both your interviews and the experience in the office will be way more pleasant.

Now, take some notes and get ready to receive these tips to find the job of your dreams, in Israel.

Contact some recruiters

Israel is the land of contacts. Everybody knows somebody. So, first of all, tell all your Israeli friends and family members that you are currently here and looking for a job. All of them can be potential recruiters.

Also, there are several recruiters that help very talented immigrants land the job of their dreams. Leap, for example, specializes in helping foreigners find an exciting, interesting, well-paid job, within the hi-tech industry. Check them out. They could be very useful!

Be assertive and humble

No, this doesn’t have to be a contradiction. In the startup nation, they are not only looking for the best talent and for those who are going to perform better. Since in Israel, your coworkers become a second family, the qualitative skills of the candidates are more relevant than in other places.

Show that you know how to do the job in the best possible way, show numbers, success stories, recommendations, etc. But do not forget that for your coworkers it will be a delight to work with you.

Think about the personality of Israelis; they might seem hard at the beginning, but most of them are really sweet inside. Find a good balance between your talents and background, and between your capacity to fit within teams. Teamwork is the keyword!

Optimize your online presence

You don’t have a LinkedIn profile? Leave everything you are doing right now and go optimize it! Recruiters, HR representatives, and big CEO’s who are looking to hire employees are always very active on this social channel.

Add a nice extract about yourself, add all of your significant experience, mention your studies, and most important of all, ask your friends to recommend you. It is always more important to show what others say about you than what you say about yourself.

In Israel, this platform is extremely popular, and if you are wanting to penetrate the local workforce, it is a must for you to be there, and to show yourself as a winner. But don’t forget… stay humble, find the balance.

Ask questions

Israelis are chit-chatters, you know that! Don’t let an interview end without you asking questions. It is important to share your story, to mention the places you’ve worked at in the past, and to make your goals and expectations clear.

That being said, it is as important to hear, to ask, and to show a genuine interest in those who are interviewing you. Prepare a few questions to ask in advance, and depending on how the conversation goes, decide when to throw them out.

One little detail: Don’t play like you are the one leading the interview. Show interest and ask questions but understanding that someone else is evaluating you, not the opposite way around.

Learn about the company

Do your homework! Learn about the company, startup, or project who wants you as an employee. It is not enough with a simple Google search, no sir! Ask your contacts, review the company’s LinkedIn presence, their Facebook page, their press appearances, etc.

Make sure to mention a few of the highlights you found during your interviews or conversations with that company. Giving them a little massage directly in their ego can only be useful. Israelis love to hear compliments, so do your best and give your future employer one or two!

The ultimate tip to get the perfect job in Israel: Learn Hebrew!

Yes, your multicultural background is definitely a plus. The fact that you already speak another language is something that companies, startups and projects love and find very useful. But there is one thing that will clearly mark a difference between you and other Anglo candidates, and that is Hebrew.

Even though everyone in Israel speaks English, and many people learned Spanish thanks to the various telenovelas they watched, if you speak Hebrew the approach to both the Israeli society and a potential working space will be more positive and optimistic.

You’ll be able to understand the conversations during lunch, the internal jokes, and even the mentality of your bosses and coworkers. If you want to start today and learn all the Hebrew you need to get the job of your dreams in Israel, register for one of our online and live Hebrew courses. You’ll certainly enjoy it, and your potential employers will definitely appreciate it.