Whether you are considering aliyah or have already arrived, the question of employment in Israel is likely to be uppermost in your mind. The more information you gather about this aspect of life in Israel, the easier it will be to build a successful career and support yourself and your family.
Career opportunities in Israel
The days when it was extremely challenging to make a living in Israel are long gone. However, it’s not always easy to continue on the same career path you started in your home country and you may find yourself making some adjustments to your current career trajectory.
It’s also possible that although you can continue on your exact career path, you don’t actually want to, and the move to Israel is a good opportunity to try something new. Some olim take advantage of the lack of social hierarchy in Israel to take a job that might have been looked down on in their home country. Or they may pivot into a field they are interested in, but hadn’t had the chance yet to make the leap.
The opportunities are endless, but here are some of the fields that are most popular with olim.
Hi-tech
The highest salaried workers in Israel are mostly in the hi-tech industry, including programming, data and communications. English is a highly valued skill in the hi-tech job market and experience isn’t always necessary to get a foot in the door. If you’re not a programmer and don’t want to be, consider taking a job in a hi-tech company in a related field, such as marketing, HR, customer support, sales, office management, website development etc. Companies that interface with American customers often look for employees with native-level English. Be aware that hi-tech companies, especially in the startup world, are not always stable, so there can be risk involved in taking a job in this industry.
Education
Teaching (especially English) is a popular job amongst olim. Due to a shortage of English teachers in the country, the Israeli government runs retraining programs for people who want to make this a career. Although teachers aren’t the highest paid professionals in Israel, their salaries have improved in recent years. And they do get a tremendous amount of paid vacation, which corresponds exactly to the days that children are off from school.
Gap year programs for young people from outside of Israel are staffed almost exclusively by olim. Younger olim serve as madrichim, while older olim teach in the programs or work in operations.
Healthcare
Many olim work as doctors, nurses, therapists and psychologists. Medical professionals who were trained outside of Israel will have to be recertified or have their credentials approved in Israel in order to work. Some healthcare professions lend themselves to working online remotely, while others require working in a hospital or clinic.
Nonprofit
Israel is the capital of nonprofit organizations of all types, serving the Jewish people in a myriad of ways. There are religious organizations, political NGOs, chesed orgs and more. Olim often find themselves in jobs that take advantage of their English and their connections to Diaspora Jews, in fields such as fundraising, donor relations, marketing and grant writing.
Marketing
Traditional and digital marketing are popular jobs everywhere. Hi-tech companies, nonprofits, businesses big and small – there are tons of opportunities for jobs, especially promoting to the international audience and the Anglo population in Israel. Marketing can include content writing, social media and SEO.
Sales
International sales is another field in which excellent English is a huge advantage. Sales jobs are often composed of a base salary and commissions, so those who are talented at this work can make a very nice living. Some international sales jobs, especially in hi-tech, require working American hours instead of the usual Israeli hours.
Small businesses with Anglo clientele
Other olim open small businesses which focus on English-speaking clientele. These include childcare in English, handymen who provide the type of customer service olim expect, repairmen who specialize in American appliances, caterers, bakers and Hebrew-English translators.
Tourism
Although the tourism industry has its ups and downs, plenty of olim work as tour guides, tour operators and in hotel services. Tour guide training in Israel requires a two year course, including site visits, and a licensing exam at the end. It is illegal to give tours without a license.
The key to success in Israeli employment is flexibility. The more open you are to trying new things, the easier it will be to make a living here. Olim who trained for a number of years and gained experience in a specific field often find themselves with better job satisfaction after they switched gears in Israel and recreated their careers. Consider pushing the boundaries in the field you are in as well as switching gears entirely.
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