The Most Complete Guide to the Israeli Job Market

Increasingly, people are approaching me and asking for my help in their job search in Israel; most of the times these people ask me very general/initial questions. Since I’m not a specialist and don’t work in HR, I can only answer based on my own experience (this is the basic rule of my blog).

But, since I’m curious, resourceful, very organized and I love to turn any data into information, I created this quick guide collecting only one link for each topic that should be the first read (you can start even before you make Aliyah/immigrate to Israel). If you want more information about a specific topic, just google the same keywords I used below.

I hope you enjoy reading these practical recommendations on how to begin your job search in Israel:

1. The typical recruitment process in Israel – from after you submit your CV to being hired. It’s important to emphasize that not all processes are the same, but I displayed in the graph below all the possible phases:

2. How to tailor your CV for the Israeli job market: https://www.nbn.org.il/aliyahpedia/employment-israel/career-guidance-for-students/adjusting-resume-israeli-market/

3. If you know you’re overqualified but you’re willing to take a more junior position and you’re ready to take a lower salary, make it clear in your cover letter (in Israel, just an email to the recruiter): https://www.myperfectresume.com/how-to/tips/in_cover_letter_address_being

4. How to adapt your CV to each position, so that your CV doesn’t fall into the “black hole” after being scanned by the bots used by the applicant tracking system (ATS): https://zety.com/blog/tailor-your-resume

5. Infographic about the ATS, with some data, for those who are interested to learn more: https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/what-is-an-ats-resume

6. Test your CV to beat the ATS here (you must have a job description): https://www.jobscan.co/

7. How to write a LinkedIn profile: https://www.totaljobs.com/insidejob/how-to-write-a-great-linkedin-profile/

8. Salary by profession and department – in English: https://anglo-list.com/israel-jobs-and-employment2/israel-payroll-calculator-table

8.1. Since most of the salary surveys in Israel are posted in Hebrew (the one I found in English is missing some important positions), I’m adding one more website in Hebrew (you can translate the page to English – I use the Google Translator extension installed in my Chrome browser): https://www.ethosia.co.il/salary_report

9. Some statistics about Israel economics: https://www.cbs.gov.il/EN/pages/default.aspx

10. Work rights regarding Israel law – also in Hebrew: http://www.jobfind.co.il/חוקי_עבודה/

11. List of companies in Israel by sector: https://www.duns100.co.il/en/rating

12. A guide to the most common positions in hi-tech jobs in Israel: https://www.secrettelaviv.com/israeli-job-market

13. How to get more information about your job search in Israel and some resources: I have created and published, a list of placement agencies, job search websites, meetups/bar talks, Facebook groups for job search and much more information – everything in English. Check out here: http://bit.ly/2tE9xCa or download the app that Yitzchok Ginzberg developed based on this table: bit.ly/DREAMJOBISRAEL

14. Are you attending meetups? Not getting new connections out of it? Read my tips on how to get prepared for your next meetup and make the best out of them: http://bit.ly/2Tc2j2K.

15. Tips on how to increase your online networking in Israel, even if you do not know many people (7 Easy Steps for Focusing Your Job Search and Expanding Your Network):

Part 1 –  http://bit.ly/2C0w6Wr

Part 2 – http://bit.ly/2TgHIhC

16. Why printing Business Cards for your job search can help you build your new network in Israel: http://bit.ly/2TaigKS

17. Typical Israeli attitude that we, olim chadashim/newcomers, must develop (Israeli chutzpah) – and that will help you get your dream job: http://bit.ly/2T8Q3Eb

18. “Dress code” for the Israeli business environment: https://www.jpost.com/Metro/Israeli-attire-explained-412575

19. Were you invited to an interview? Congratulations on this achievement! But don’t forget to be well prepared for this next and important stage (The Ultimate Guide to Acing Your Next Job Interview):

Part 1 – http://bit.ly/2H2fUaf

Part 2 – http://bit.ly/2NqIRxJ

20. Were you invited to prepare a home assignment? Don’t know what to expect at this stage? Read my tips on how to plan, research and execute home assignments with success here: http://bit.ly/2SqFZUE

21. Received a “no” as an answer? Ask for constructive feedback: https://www.theguardian.com/careers/candidates-constructive-feedback-questions-answers

22. Negotiating your contract: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/negotiating-a-job-offer-without-sounding-greedy/ – quoting Giora Gil-Ad, from Nisha, in one of his lectures I attended, “You’re in the Middle East, you need to negotiate everything!”

23. Want to read what other people write about the same topic? Here are 13 other blogs/websites written by olim chadashim/newcomers/experts on the subject – all in English: http://bit.ly/2Vaccz8

24. Read how I applied to the position that I just landed and my main takeaways from this journey: http://bit.ly/2DNj8Lv

25. Understand some Israeli cultural habits in the workplace, from my own observation:

Part 1 – 5 Examples of Situations Where Israeli Cultural Habits Brought Me Positive Feelings

Part 2 – 5 Examples of Uncomfortable Situations and How I Overcame Cultural Gaps in Israeli Workplace

Part 3 – Understanding Israeli Workplace Culture Part 3 (+ Bonus: The Funniest Habit That Is Only Acceptable in Israeli Culture)

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Did I miss any information in this guide? Help me improve it! What are your main questions about the Israeli job market? If I don’t have the answer, I’ll try to look it up with “specialists”.