Guide To Writing Your Israeli Resume

Why is it so important getting your resume in tip-top shape? Simply put, your resume is your face and your introduction to the world. It is the first thing a potential employer sees about you and you want to make sure that it is not the last! In today's day and age, a resume that is just “good enough”  is not enough to stand out. Rather, a resume needs to be great!  Further, just like you pay careful attention to your appearance for a job interview, it is equally important to ensure that your resume appears no less neat. The first and most common way to either make or break a resume is with regards to formatting and layout. Formatting and layout form the foundation of the resume, providing a platform for your education, accomplishments and skills to be seen easily and efficiently. A resume that is hard to read or confusing may discourage employers from considering qualified candidates and  can result, more often then not, in the employer simply discarding the resume. So exactly how do you create the perfect resume for your job search in Israel? Israeli culture is known for many wonderful things, including the ability to get things done quickly and efficiently, and the Israeli resume strongly reflects that. The Israeli resume is short (one page only for entry level positions) and to the point. Using bullet points to list your skills and accomplishments makes it easy to read and understand, as well as being eye-catching! Additionally, it is helpful to keep in mind that whoever is reviewing your resume may not be familiar with high-level English vocabulary, so avoid being overly wordy and keep details to the point. When creating your resume, it is helpful to write a short summary paragraph about your experience and place it at the top of your resume. Equally important, make sure that your main qualification for the job that you are applying to is listed early on so as to avoid an employer not noticing it right away. Keep in mind, this summary is customizable and should change according to the job that you are applying to. For example, if you are applying to a Human Resources position and have experience in both human resources and also in social media marketing, you may want to tweak the paragraph to reflect your human resources experience. If your next application is for a social media marketing job then go ahead and tweak it back to reflect your social media skills.

Although in some parts of the world it is considered regular practice to list “extracurricular accomplishments” and hobbies, in Israel the practice is not to do so. Listing these things only adds to the length of the resume and shifts the focus away from your relevant skills. Make sure any dates listed (such as education or dates of employment) are written clearly so that the employer can easily follow along with the timeline. Additionally, if you posses a college degree or have extensive work experience, it is unnecessary to list your high school degree. Many jobs in Israel will require some computer knowledge. It is worthwhile to create a section on your resume titled “Computer Experience” and list the various programs and software that you are familiar with. Lastly, create a section of your resume titled “Languages” and state your fluency of any languages that you speak. Use the terms “Native” for your first language and “Fluent,” “Conversational,” and “Basic” to describe any other languages.

Keep these tips in mind when creating your resume and you will be that much farther to finding your dream job!