Every culture has its interview culture, so even if you’ve been to loads of job interviews, interviewing for an Israeli company is sure to be a different experience. What’s universally true, though, is that the better prepared you are for your interview, the better the chances of landing the job. These are some of the ways you can ensure you’re ready for whatever the interviewer throws at you.
Dress in casual put-together clothing
Israelis dress pretty casually for work. Come to the interview dressed slightly nicer than you would come for a workday, but don’t overdo it. Business suits have no place in most workplaces in Israel. Jeans are even acceptable if worn with a smarter shirt. Whatever you wear, make sure it’s clean, unwrinkled and looks neat.
Memorize an elevator pitch
One of the first questions you are likely to be asked at an interview is, “Tell me about yourself.” You don’t want to just repeat what they have already read in your CV. Instead, be ready with a short statement about who you are, what qualities you bring to the job and what kind of position you’re looking for. You can use AI to help craft the elevator pitch. Feed it your CV and ask it to write the elevator pitch. Then add in the points that are missing and ask it to rewrite.
This is particularly helpful if the interview is in Hebrew, which is not your native language. If you have the pitch basically memorized, it will come out smooth and polished without your having to think too much.
Know how to describe your current or most recent role
A CV only tells an interviewer so much. You will almost certainly be asked to tell them more about what you do or did in your previous jobs. They will be especially interested in your most recent role. You should prepare a few sentences about what exactly the job entailed, including examples if they ask for them. Describe a project you worked on and how you contributed to it, who you managed or who you worked under etc.
Learn everything you can about the company
Show that you are invested in the company’s mission by researching the company on their website, in the press and on LinkedIn before you go for the interview. Once there, ask intelligent questions that show you know what they do, why they do it and who the key players at the company are.
Prepare questions about the company culture
An interview is a two-way street. You want to learn as much about the company as they learn about you. Put together a few questions about things that are important to you, like work-life balance, how collaborative the office is and how formal the work environment is. Asking questions also shows that you care and are sincerely interested in the job. See Israeli Company Culture (and Your Culture Shock) for tips on what to expect in an Israeli workplace.
Be ready with a story about a work challenge
A lot of interviews in Israel include a request to name a work challenge you experienced and describe how you dealt with it. It can be hard to come up with something on the spot, so it’s best to prepare this in advance, in case it comes up. Choose a challenge where both the issue and its solution reflect well on you.
Expect personal questions
According to Israeli law, potential employers aren’t allowed to discriminate against candidates based on things like age, location, marital status, number of children and religion. However, this doesn’t prevent interviewers from asking lots of personal questions. Sometimes they are part of a casual, small-talk, get-to-know-you type conversation. Other times, they are more pointed and are meant to help determine whether you’re a good candidate for the job. You can choose to answer honestly or try to deflect with answers like, “I live within commuting distance of the office” or “my family life will not interfere with my professional obligations.” Figuring out what direction you want to go in before the interview will prevent you from stammering out answers that don’t reflect your skills and employability.
Plan for the salary discussion
You’re not often told the salary for a job before you come in for an interview. Sometimes, they don’t even tell you then and ask you to come in for a second interview. Avoid wasting your time with multiple interviews for a job you don’t want by finding out what the salary is in the first interview. If it’s not mentioned by the interviewer, it’s fine to ask at the very end what salary is being offered for this position.
Often, you will be asked to name your salary expectations. This is tricky, since you don’t want to undersell yourself or ask for more than the company wants to pay. You can try to get the interviewer to name a sum first. If that fails, give a range and stress your flexibility in case you overshot the mark. Read Navigating the Question of Salary Expectations for more tips on dealing with this eventuality.
Get help
Career coaches, organizational psychologists and public speaking coaches can help you get ready for an interview with practical strategies that relate to your specific work experience and your personality. If it’s your first interview in Israel or you haven’t had the success you hoped for in the past, professional assistance may be just the ticket for getting you that job.