Meet Lesley Wasserman: From Poetry Major Living in France to Marketing Manager for a Global Company

Lesley Wasserman was raised in California, lived and taught English in France, and made Aliyah five years ago. She is fluent in 3 languages, a trained figure skating coach, and works as a marketing manager in Tel Aviv! Lesley’s journey in Israel was anything but straightforward, however her persistence and attitude is something we can all learn from! I sat down with Lesley to ask her a few questions about her Aliyah story and job search experience in Israel.

How did you end up settling in Israel?

I was living in France, and while I always loved visiting Israel, I had no serious intentions of staying here permanently. I came on a Masa Program in Jerusalem for 6 months. We learned in a seminary for half the week, I had an internship with a nonprofit organization for the other half, and we toured and traveled for the rest of the time. After the Masa Program, I didn’t have any real reason to leave, and I thought that it would be nice to stay here a bit longer, maybe a year or so, and so I started to look for a job.

What type of job were you looking for?

I have always loved being involved with positive social change, and I loved the idea of working for a nonprofit which would promote funding solutions to social issues. Unfortunately, at least at the time, I don’t think this concept was as developed professionally in Israel as it was in America, so I found it hard to find a job working in this field. However, I do have a degree in Poetry and English Literature, and I enjoy writing, so I found a job doing copy writing and digital marketing for a small company in Tel Aviv.

Did you ever find a job connected to social change?

Yes, after working for the digital marketing company for a year and a half, I found a job in an Impact investing venture capital firm. It was exactly what I was looking for, as they focused on local start ups that were applying their technologies to solving global social issues. I managed the external facing outreach and created presentations for investors and the public.

How did you find that job?

I found my job through a lot of cold calling and emails! This was something that initially felt very uncomfortable, but then I realized that marketing yourself and reaching out is necessary. At first, I researched companies that I was interested in working for and followed up by phone and email, requesting time just to chat and connect. I didn’t ask them to hire me, rather I requested a meeting to learn what they were all about and more about the industry, and I definitely highlighted the fact that I was new to Israel and was motivated to learn more. After one of those chats, the woman I met called me the next day and told me that they just had a maternity opening and asked if I would like to come into the office and hear more about the role. I jumped at the offer and worked there for a year.

So by this time you had been living in Israel for almost two years. When did you make Aliyah?

I wish I could say that I made Aliyah for Zionistic reasons, but that isn’t the case. It just sort of happened. I was living here and I was working here, so the next logical step to smooth out living here was to make Aliyah. Although I always had an interest in Israel, I wasn’t necessarily considering Aliyah, I was actually considering going back to the States, but it just so happened that I liked my job and my life so I made Aliyah.

Tell me some difficulties you first faced when you made Aliyah?

I would say that the difference in cultures in the workplace was a pretty significant issue for me. When I originally began applying for jobs and I didn't get any responses I would think, “Oh, they weren’t interested in me, maybe I’m not good enough.” It took me a while to learn that the Israeli approach is to be assertive, so I started just sending another email, and another. It was quite a different way of doing things. In America, there is an emphasis on being polite and correct, in Israel it is more about being straightforward and direct. I'm not trying to say that either way is wrong or right, its just a different process.

Did you have to pivot your career when you came to Israel and decided to stay?

Actually, yes. Since the position at the impact investing firm was a maternity leave position, I needed to find a job elsewhere. I became more interested in high tech and apps, specifically analytics concerning the UX/UI. I researched it thoroughly and found a job for a UX app analytics startup, and my role combined inbound marketing, guerrilla marketing, and understand the whole of UI analytics for mobile apps. I worked there for a year until they had an exit in 2018, but this was my springboard into the high tech world and it got me to where I am today. Because it was a small company I had my hand in many different pots and I was able to learn a lot about a multitude of topics. I really enjoyed that job and it was a great experience for me!

So, you came to Israel with a degree in Literature and ended up working in high tech?

It sounds funny, I know. But I am really happy that I have a degree in Poetry and Literature. I found my place in marketing, which combines writing, analytics, strategy, and development, so having the writing and analytics skills was really an edge. Even though I am writing about data and technology instead of the English classics, my writing and literature background definitely helps me in my current job.

Did you ever find your dream job in Israel?

Yes, I did. My previous role at the small app analytics startup was a dream, and my current job as well! Although it’s impossible to predict the future, I am exactly where I want to be right now.

Could you tell me a bit about how you found that dream job and any challenges that you faced in the search?

So, like I said before, switching from the American workplace mentality to the Israeli was a challenge. Another example I can give is networking, In Israel, everybody knows everybody. For example, I like gardening, so I was in the gardening store buying a plant and suddenly here I am talking to the owner who knows someone who has a relative in the field that I want to work in. That is Israeli networking!

I call it being resourceful. It’s the most important thing to be in Israel. Without being resourceful it is difficult to get anywhere or achieve anything, not because Israelis are going to step on you in a negative way, but more that Israelis are go-getters by nature and you need to compete. Being an Oleh is a tremendous resource! In addition to being fluent in English or another language at a mother tongue level, you also have a different perspective from native Israelis that can actually work to your benefit.

It sounds like you have had an incredible journey here in Israel and that your journey will still have many more steps. Is there any specific advice that you would like to give to other Olim, whether they are very new in Israel or even not so new?

Yes, I think I would summarize it into 3 things. 1) Be resourceful! 2) Network! 3) Don’t take the process personally (and this is very important)! I have had aggressive interviewers which makes it feel like they are out to get you, but that is not their intention and they are actually assertively running their businesses. Besides these three points, there are some other things to keep in mind. It’s important to know that you may have to let go of your ego, as you may need to take an entry level job and get paid less, even though you may have been over qualified in your original country. This is how you’ll move up the ladder, and you really can, fast, in Israel. There are also some “don’ts”. Don't get discouraged by “lowering” your standards, instead, refocus and think that the position can provide you room to grow. Don’t get scared off by fancy sounding titles. There are so many titles that pop up in high tech, so it’s crucial not to limit yourself to applying for a job based on a title. Don't be afraid to learn something new! Lastly, keep in mind that only you know how valuable you are and the Israeli workplace is a great place to show it to the world!

Thank you Lesley for agreeing to be interviewed for iJobs Israel!

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