This was included in the March NBN newsletter thing, so I thought I’d share…
Employment Tip of the Month with Aliza Israel | |||
Adjusting Your Resume for the Israeli Market –
Part 2: Pitfalls in Israeli Resume Writing Does your resume unwittingly turn away Israeli employers? Here are a few common pitfalls to avoid:
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Contact details. If you are applying for jobs that are relatively far from home, avoid mentioning your mailing address. For example, if you live in Jerusalem and are applying for jobs in Tel Aviv, list your cell number and email address only. Similarly, if you live in a politically sensitive area, avoid listing where you live – unless you are sending the resume to someone with similar political views. Language skills. Language skills are important in the Israeli job market. List your language skills in a separate section, and describe your knowledge level with care. Write “Native speaker” for languages that are your first language. Use terms like “Fluent,” “Conversational” or “Basic” for languages that are secondary. Many employers are looking for individuals to interact with clients overseas and are only interested in people with native language skills. Personal information. Traditional Israeli resumes list age, marital status and number of children. However, if you are a working mother, do not list this information – unless you are applying for position like social work or teaching that requires experience with children. |
Israeli experience. Israeli employers like to see that you have previous Israeli experience. However, if your current Israeli experience is less senior than your previous North American experience, you can list it in a separate section near the bottom of the page, allowing employers to notice your North American accomplishments first. If you have not worked in Israel but volunteered here prior to your Aliyah, it is worth mentioning this as well, as it shows that you have experience functioning in a Hebrew-language environment. Yeshiva studies. Most Israeli employers do not view yeshiva as part of your academic or vocational training. Avoid listing your yeshiva or midrasha experience unless you are applying for a job in Jewish education – or unless this leaves a big gap chronologically. In some places in Israel, Yeshiva study is interpreted as indicating a whole socio-religious package, which you don’t necessarily want to raise. |
Whadya got: