Ulpan La-Inyan has been growing at a very fast pace, and I have recently been hiring new teachers to keep up with the demand, as well as office staff. I have seen hundreds of resumes from Israelis, Anglos and internationals. Sometimes when I saw a terrible resume I wanted to call just to tell the person to fix it, but instead I decided to share the takeaways from these resumes with you job seekers, so that you can improve your job applications and really stand out.
- Looks Matter
Like in everything on life, our eyes our drawn to good looking things, people or objects. Make your resume look great: add color, fonts and style to make it stand out. Before I start reading, you need to make me want to look. Ask a friend who knows something about graphic design to perk it up for you – to make it look interesting yet professional.
- Edit
When you text your friend, typos don’t matter, and you might not capitalize everything that should be, but in your resume, every letter needs to be perfect. Have at least two people with a good eye proofread it and make recommendations for better wording or grammar.
- Consult with a native
I’ve received from Israelis resumes in English. One of them wrote “couching” instead of “coaching” (that was awkward). One spelled relocation with a k, among other mistakes. One guy wrote that he has been attending a “tourist guide course” for the past two years. Shouldn’t take 2 years to work out how to be a tourist… For you non-native Hebrew speakers, when you write in Hebrew, let several Israelis correct it.
- Not too long
If it doesn’t fit into one page, it is too long. I have other things to do, and I don’t want to read – I want to skim. No long sentences. Make the font or margins smaller if you need to. Less is more.
- Not too short
If you are young and you don’t have a lot of experience, put down a few bullet points that highlight different aspects of what you have done in the past. You can put in volunteering or youth leadership roles. But once you’re older and have held some real jobs, take them out.
- Include all the details
If you want me to hire you, I need to know who you are. I find it annoying when people don’t include an address or even what city they live in. Israel is bigger than just Tel Aviv or Jerusalem – don’t assume I know where you live. Write your marital status, so there is no need to ask. Stating your date of birth is accepted in Israel.
- Tell us interesting things about you
Because we hire Hebrew teachers, some people have tried to play up their teaching experience, but I’m always looking for interesting people. Artists, actors and musicians actually make really fun and amazing teachers. When I see only teaching experience with nothing else, I think boring, boring… delete. But if you play the flute, studied art therapy or perform in a dance group, you are so much more interesting! Tell all parts of who you are, because you never know what people are looking for. Being interesting and talented is a plus.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Word does not count as a skill
Write skills you posses, tell us what languages you speak and if you can use special programs like graphics or programming, but don’t include things that are basic knowledge. You also know how to count to ten, but you wouldn’t put that in your resume. If you write that you know Facebook, that just makes you sound old.
- Be careful not to sound too good
Don’t brag or write long passages about how likeable you are. It is appropriate to write awards that you have received, as well as degrees, of course. Let what you have actually achieved speak for itself. If you think that you look overqualified for a job, explain why you are applying. If someone has a post doc and is looking for a job that doesn’t require more than a bachelor’s degree, they should explain why. For example, I received a resume and cover letter from someone who was looking for part-time work in order to spend more time with family. I respect that, and I appreciated that they answered the question I would have thought to ask.
- Snap a shot
Very few people sent resumes with their photos, but those who do actually really impress me. It takes courage to put on a photo, but, like I said, people who are hiring want to know who you are. This can be an especially good tool for people who are older than 50. It is harder to get jobs for many reasons once you are older, but if you look good for your age, pasting in a picture can go a long way.
Some Hebrew Resume Vocabulary
| קורות חיים | resume, CV |
| תעסוקה | employment |
| ניסיון תעסוקתי |
employment experience
|
| השכלה | education |
| התנדבות | volunteering |
| שירות צבאי | military service |
| תכונות אישיות |
personal qualities
|
| כישורים | skills |
| שפות | languages |
| שונות | miscellaneous |