One of the biggest questions that potential olim have is what will happen to their careers once they make aliyah. This is especially acute for people who have established and successful careers in their home countries and are fearful that they will have to take a step down when they move to Israel. Although this may sometimes be true, there are also olim whose careers have advanced and/or who enjoy their current work situation much more than the one they had before aliyah. Here are some ways that aliyah can benefit your career.
Expertise that’s not common in Israel
If your expertise is less common in Israel, you may be in high demand in the Israeli job market. If you are well-established and experienced in your field, it’s likely that you have skills that are valuable to Israeli companies. A CV which emphasizes these skills and demonstrates your expertise can help catapult your career to new levels.
For instance, according to Nefesh B’Nefesh, physicians with specialties such as family medicine, pediatrics, female gynecologists, geriatrics, radiology, internal medicine, nuclear medicine, anesthesiology, neonatology, nephrology, neurology, pathology, and surgery are in high demand in Israel.
English-speakers are in high demand
Native English is a skill that opens many doors in the Israeli job market. In addition to teaching English and content writing, many other jobs are available to English speakers. These include careers in marketing, project management, customer relations, sales, grant writing and fundraising.
Any company with international clients or a nonprofit with overseas donors needs English speakers to interact with them. The ability to send well-written emails, run meetings and present in English is a sought-after skill that will make you more attractive to potential employers.
Change of career
A move to Israel is often an opportunity to switch careers and reinvent yourself. If you’re not happy with your current career path or your job doesn’t easily translate to the Israeli market, aliyah is a good time to make a change.
Israeli society is less classist in general and certainly when it comes to careers, so there is a large variety of professions that you may not have considered before aliyah. And if you have a passion you haven’t yet explored, think about opening a business and becoming your own boss.
Vacation days that are aligned with Jewish holidays
One of the challenges that Jews living outside Israel face is that most of their vacation days are used up for Jewish holidays and they have to explain to incredulous bosses why they have to take off so many days for the various chagim. In Israel, Jewish holidays are automatic vacation days. You don’t have to make up those hours, use up your vacation days or beg your boss’ indulgence in order to celebrate.
There are, of course, some jobs that require working on Shabbat and holidays, such as those that involve national security. But the vast majority of jobs are aligned with Jewish holidays, making for a smoother career path and a better work/life balance.
Protection for pregnancy and parental leave
Israeli law protects pregnant mothers and provides for maternity and paternity leave when a baby is born. It also protects parents from losing their jobs because they took parental leave. They cannot be fired within 60 days of returning to work, except under special circumstances (such as company-wide layoffs). This protection and the positive cultural attitudes surrounding parenthood make it easier for parents of young children to succeed and advance in their careers.
More spending power if you keep your current job
In recent years, it has become very popular for people to bring their jobs with them when they make aliyah. If working remotely in your current job is an option, there are many reasons to consider it. It will ease your transition to Israel and be less disruptive to your career path. If your salary is significantly higher than what you would earn in a similar job in Israel, you’ll enjoy more spending power on the same salary.
While the prospect of aliyah can be daunting, it’s important to remember that the Israeli job market has advanced along with the country’s general development and many olim enjoy satisfying and lucrative careers.