Israel Business Management

Over the last few weeks, there have been a number of articles written about finding a job and how to hunt for employment in these tough economic times. Some of the lessons below are first hand experiences, some have been from people I know and some are just a collection.

1. When hunting, make sure to be thorough in your work. If a company asks that you refer to a job code or the title of the position in your email, make sure you do so.

2. Make sure you can do the job - Living in Israel, a lot of jobs are for those speaking Hebrew. If you cannot speak Hebrew, do not apply. The same holds true for jobs asking for Mother-Tongue English. Do not waste your time or the company's time.

3. Sound professional - When responding to a job ad, make sure that your letter is laid out like a business letter, like we learned in our elementary school years. Do not start with a "Hi" or any other informal greeting.

4. Make sure you attach your CV. There are plenty of times that people hit the "Send" button on their email only to realize that they did not attach their CV first. This frequent error can cost you the hiring person considering you for a job. Take your time and do it right.

5. Have multiple versions of your CV. Though you may know what your ideal job is, that opening may not be available now. If you are in marketing, have separate CVs that address Marcom, branding, lead generation. If you are in sales, maybe one for account management and another for business development.

6. Consider different formats. Though a lot of people use a chronological CV, a skills (or milestone) based CV may be best if you have held jobs in multiple disciplines over your career. Use the one that is best for you.

7. Keep your CV focused. In Israel, employers, in general, do not want to see your hobbies or skills unrelated to the job. Focus on how you can make their company better or more efficient.

8. Make your cover letter compelling. Most potential employers will not make it to your CV unless the cover letter (or email to which the CV is attached) "sells" you to the company. Do not restate your CV in the cover letter. Instead, focus on the requirements that were listed in the ad and how you can fulfill those corporate needs.

9. Use spell check before sending out the cover letter and CV.

Good luck.