Working abroad often looks more attractive than at home, so the number of labor migrants from Russia and other countries of the former CIS is increasing every year. People go to places where living conditions are better, without fear of possible problems with language, status, housing. Working in Israel is profitable: the country is economically stable, with low inflation and steady growth in average wages, fairly high living standards, and loyal labor and migration laws. This is a chance worth taking to change your life for the better.
How to look for a job
The influx of repatriates into the country has decreased to almost a minimum, the natural growth of the indigenous population is small, and the peculiarities of Orthodox Judaism in the context of constant economic growth raise the issue of labor force.
Job search in Israel, as elsewhere, is possible independently or through intermediaries. On average, this takes two to four months. Of course, if we are talking about a place according to specialty, especially leadership positions. There are plenty of their own professionals in high-tech industries.
A vacancy that does not require qualifications and experience can be obtained quite quickly, if there is a desire.
Self search
Legal work without intermediaries is selected through:
- printed editions;
- acquaintances;
- social networks;
- specialized Internet portals;
- employment centers, recruitment agencies.
Announcements are available on the websites of the country's major publications ─The Jerusalem Post, Yediot, Maariv. Protection and networking in the country play an important role. By acquaintance, thanks to connections, you can get a worthy place.
Work for CIS citizens from direct employers is much easier to find through communities in social networks. Personal contacts on Facebook, participation in thematic groups contribute to the emergence of opportunities in a wide variety of areas.
An attempt to contact the employer directly is often crowned with success. It works even better than submitting a resume. Having chosen the company you like, you should try to visit the office right away and pass an interview without tiresome expectations.
The most popular Israeli classifieds site where you can find a vacancy is doska.co.il, which positions itself as the country's main Russian-language bulletin board.
You can also use the portals:
- orbita.co.il;
- jobs-israel.com;
- gigajob.com;
- careerjet.com;
- israeljobsites.co.il;
- jobnet.co.il;
- jobmaster.co.il;
- israemploy.net;
- alljobs.co.il ─ paid. The cost of the subscription is 40 NIS / month.
With their help, it is quite possible to find a job in Israel on your own in a couple of months. The algorithm for using these portals is simple, just keep in mind that fraudsters often hide under beautiful signs.
As elsewhere, a vacancy is selected, a request is sent, contact is established with an employer, and an interview is scheduled and conducted. For the latter, it is often necessary to visit the country in person. Russians do not need a visa for this.
With the help of intermediaries
The recruiting and employment firms are called here "hevrot asama". It is unrealistic to get a job in some specialties without visiting such offices. Part of it works on a paid basis.
The largest are:
- "HR services" Etgar "or" Etgar mashavei enosh "(www.etgar-hr.com) - specializes in the selection of personnel for all sectors of the economy. Information in Russian is available on the official website. Tel. in Haifa: * 3434.
- Ortal Human Resources (ortal-hr.co.il) ─ the portal is available only in Hebrew and English. Tel .: 972-3-7616100.
- Manpower Group (manpower.co.il) ─ Tel: 03-5639999 (Hebrew, English).
It is easier to get a job with a higher education. In addition, there is an opportunity to contact government agencies, for example, the Ministry of Absorption. The official site supports Russian.
The free labor exchange "Lishkat Taasuka" will help with the search, and the Youth Center will help to write a resume, advise, and offer to attend a thematic seminar.
If a job is needed for returnees, the official website of the MAOF company, which operates Israel's employment centers, guarantees employment. The centers are open from 08.00 to 17.00, located throughout the country:
- Nazareth Illit ─ tel .: 072-3957555;
- Haifa ─ tel .: 072-3355590;
- Afula ─ tel .: 072-3957555;
- Hadera ─ tel .: 072-3922159
- Nahariya ─ tel .: 072-3922161;
- Karmiel ─ tel .: 072-3922161;
- Khutsot ha-Mifratz ─ tel .: 072-3355590;
- Tel Aviv ─ tel .: 072-3954555;
- Tiberias ─ tel .: 04-6439731;
- Petah Tikva ─ tel .: 03-9344965;
- Rishon LeZion ─ tel .: 072-3355599;
- Netanya ─ Tel .: 072-3922159.
Job can also be offered by the “Shalom” employment center. The consultants, who speak different languages, have experience in the field of employment, have a good command of the situation, and are in direct contact with thousands of employers.
Required documents
To find a job, you will have to go through an interview, during which the employer has the right to check the professional, general knowledge of the candidate, the ability to adapt to the conditions of collective activity. An Israeli job test can be:
- psychometric;
- professional: knowledge of the specialty is checked;
- personal, clarifying the individual qualities of the candidate: communication skills, attentiveness, a sense of responsibility.
Most likely, it will be complex. But the psychotest is most often used. It all depends on the vacancy. It will be different for a potential housekeeper and financier.
The complete test takes 6 to 8 hours and includes:
- Solving simple arithmetic, logical and geometric problems.
- Mindfulness assignments.
- Collective tasks.
- Assessment of personal qualities.
- Conversation with a psychologist.
Any deception, an attempt to hide something will be revealed instantly.
Before leaving for Israel to work, you must obtain a permit and a special visa. The list of documents includes (originals and copies in English):
- labor contract;
- visa application form;
- consent to fingerprinting;
- two photos 5x5 cm;
- passport (foreign);
- birth certificates, marriage / divorce, pension;
- a criminal record;
- medical certificate with marks on the absence of tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis;
- receipt of payment of the fee.
Working in Israel under a contract involves the initial paperwork by the employer. The contract is drawn up for a period established by mutual agreement.
A written work permit from the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs is given to the candidate who submits it to the consulate or embassy to obtain a B1 visa. The procedure lasts from a week to a month.
An Israeli company must hold a special license from the Ministry of Labor, which gives the firm the right to engage in employment.
This is practically all a Russian needs to work in Israel.
If the documents are in order, the visa (usually for a year with the possibility of further extension for 5 years) is issued on the day of application. It remains in thirty days to come to Israel, undergo a medical examination and purchase insurance.
To extend the visa, you will have to apply to the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs with an application and an employment contract. When you change your place of work, you have to get a permit again.
Very often, work is provided in Israel with accommodation.
Recognition of diplomas, courses
The graduation document must be translated into English and Hebrew, notarized. The confirmation certificate can be obtained approximately three to four weeks after the document is submitted. Without it, finding a job in your specialty will not work: the document makes it possible to receive bonuses in accordance with Israeli law.
Such a certificate will be needed for persons with higher education when submitting documents to the Israeli employment office, for admission and further study in courses.
Confirmation of the diploma allows you not to waste time and money on obtaining local education.The original (certified copy) of the diploma is sent to the nearest department of the Ministry of Education. Here are the phone numbers and addresses:
- Jerusalem ─ st. Dvora HaNevia, 2. Tel .: 02-5602863, 02-5602853.
- Tel Aviv ─ st. Ha-Shlosha 2. Tel .: 03-6896126.
- Haifa ─ st. Pal-yam, 15. Tel .: 04-8632566
- Nazareth Illit is the building of Beit Ha-Memshal. Tel .: 06-6500179
- Beer Sheva ─ st. Ha-Tikva, 4. Tel .: 08- 6263255.
The application requires an appointment. The procedure can be done by mail. It is enough to call, ask how to draw up an application, and send the documents. In about a month and a half, a certificate is issued confirming the confirmation.
List of required documents:
- Request for verification.
- Passport.
- Diploma.
- Statement with marks.
- Certificate of maturity.
- Documents on graduation from magistracy, college, technical school (if any).
- Certificate of change of name / surname, name of the university (if changed).
If the training was part-time, a special questionnaire will be required. Samples in English and Hebrew are available on the website of the Ministry of Education.
It is important to note that applications for verification of incomplete education are not considered. As a rule, the procedure is not required when entering factories, plants, farms, and so on.
There are many legalization and employment programs with their own conditions and selection criteria. Often an additional preparatory course is needed, some specialties require complete retraining (in particular, a lawyer, economist, teacher), some do not exist (for example, a paramedic), but the most important thing is knowledge of the language. It will be required even when working as a caregiver for the elderly or, for example, as a waitress.
Israel has a large number of schools (ulpan) with several degrees, levels of study, different terms and costs. Classes are held in Hebrew only. Moreover, the attendance should not be less than 90%.
"Newman Center" provides courses of professional training and additional education, teaching the languages of new immigrants for their successful employment in the following specialties:
- realtor;
- photo-video operator, presenter;
- accountant;
- Secretary;
- Office Manager;
- IT specialist;
- stock broker.
To be invited to work, you need to prove your worth. It professionally trains specialists in the beauty industry, jewelry, technicians for the repair of mobile phones, air conditioners, refrigerators, operators and adjusters of programmed machine tools. There is a service for the employment of graduates.
More details about job search and courses in Israel can be found at www.facebook.com/UTime.College.Israel.
Knowledge of the language
Knowledge of Hebrew is a must for a highly qualified specialist. For example, jobs in Jerusalem for Russians without a language are limited to cleaning apartments, garbage, working at a construction site or warehouse. Low-paid unskilled labor in a factory, in a field, and an au pair does not require this. You can try your luck in Ashdod - in the city, almost a quarter of the population is Russian-speaking.
Recruitment agencies offer job seekers without knowledge of the language in factories for the manufacture of products from cardboard, paper, rubber, plastic: vacancies without accommodation, but with compulsory health insurance.
What specialists are required
The most demanded specialties and professions in Israel for 2021:
- engineer;
- architect;
- programmer;
- builder;
- worker;
- hotel staff;
- Cook;
- junior medical staff;
- social worker, nurse.
Electricians, welders, carpenters, climbers, plumbers, turners find work without any problems.
Men without high qualifications and work experience can get a job on a construction site or a farm, women - as domestic helpers, caring for children, disabled people and retirees, to pick strawberries.
Work in Israel as a driver of a taxi, bus, or heavy truck is also available. There are many vacancies, but an Israeli driver's license and knowledge of the language are required.
Vacancies for Russian speakers and citizens of the CIS
When recruiting personnel for prestigious positions, priority is given to local applicants. A visitor can count on something if there are connections, a high level of education, intelligence, qualifications, the ability to prove their own usefulness. Most often they are employed in the service sector, social sphere, agriculture, construction.
Working directly from an employer for Russian speakers as a nurse or nanny requires special medical education. To get a job as a doctor or a nurse, if the work experience is less than 14 years, you will have to do an internship and take an exam for six months.
There is a free Russian-language site for nurses to help you prepare for the exam, rntest.helth.gov.il. In general, all professions that can be obtained in an ordinary Russian technical school are in great demand in Israel.
Can tourists work
Working in Israel for tourists without a work visa is considered illegal.
Employment is risky and does not provide any social or legal guarantees. Hebrew speakers can get a job as guides in the north of the country, which is popular with tourists, others ─ for example, to wash cars.
Work for the season
Employment on a permanent basis is more attractive, but it is easier to get a seasonal job. In the field of agriculture, these are:
- livestock care;
- harvesting vegetables, berries, fruits;
- work on farms.
Seasonal jobs in Israel offer better conditions for couples, and it is easier to get a job. Diplomas, any special skills, work experience and knowledge of Hebrew are usually not required. The maximum that is needed is the minimum knowledge of English.
Staff are recruited in spring, summer and autumn, often with accommodation. As part-time jobs are offered positions of salespeople, cashiers, tilers, plasterers, rotational work at construction, industrial facilities, cruise ships, nursing homes. The duration is determined by the contract ─ on average 3-6 months.
Working conditions
The Israeli calendar is unique in its own way. It so happened historically that Jews cannot and should not live like everyone else. This fully applies not only to official days off, but also to the work schedule.
According to labor law, the working week in Israel cannot exceed 43 hours, except in cases of employment under special collective agreements. The hourly rate from 2021 is calculated based on 182 working hours per month. A week can be 5 or 6 days, which is determined by the employer, based on the conditions of production.
Now about how many hours a working day in Israel. According to the law, it should not exceed 8, with a five-day period 9, and on the night shift (from 22:00 to 06:00), on the pre-weekend / pre-holiday day ─ 7 hours. In addition, it is prohibited to work night shifts for more than one week for three weeks.
For the first two hours of processing, a supplement of 125% is imposed, and for each subsequent hour - 150% of the rate, which also includes additional payments for family and seniority.
The break must be at least 45 minutes. On the pre-holiday / pre-weekend day ─ at least 30 minutes.
Rest between work shifts cannot be less than 8 hours. A cigarette break or going to the toilet is considered part of the work process, and deductions for this from hours worked are prohibited. The right to prayer breaks is also guaranteed.
The employer is obliged to keep a register of working hours, rest and remuneration. Workers working on weekends in Israel are guaranteed payment at one and a half rate within 36 hours after the onset of the holiday.
On public holidays, the salary is kept (paid 9 days a year). Labor law provides a choice of rest during state or religious, including Christian holidays. This is stated in the contract.
The employee is guaranteed the right to annual leave. Duration (in days) is determined by experience:
- from 1 to 4 years old - 15;
- 5 years - 16;
- 6 years old - 18;
- 7 years —21;
- 8 years old - 22;
- 9 years old - 23;
- 10 years old - 24;
- 11 years old - 25;
- 12 years old - 26;
- 13 years old - 27;
- 14 and more - 28.
Parental leave ─ 14 weeks. The workplace is saved.
Some companies forcefully send employees on vacation over the holidays. This is not a violation as long as it is warned about it in advance.
Those who have worked for more than a year are entitled to time for recovery, depending on the length of service:
- 1 year of continuous work - 5 days;
- 2-3 years - 6 days;
- 4-10 years - 7 days;
- 11-15 years - 8 days;
- 16-19 years old - 9 days;
- more than 20 years - 10 days.
Most companies pay cash compensation instead of days off. In the private sector 1 day = 378 ILS. Also guaranteed 18 sick leave per year with the preservation of part of the salary:
- 1st day - no payment;
- 2nd and 3rd - with payment of 50%;
- 4 and following ─ 100%.
If the limit is not used during the year, the sick leave is retained ─ in total, you can accumulate up to 90 days.
The employer is obliged to reimburse the travel expenses if the distance between the places of residence and work is more than 3 bus stops. The maximum amount of compensation is 22.6 ILS. This also applies to those who have just come to Israel to work.
After the army, a young man receives a lot of benefits here. And this is also a very interesting question.
Israeli salary
The minimum wage is legally set at 5,300 shekels ($ 1,450). This value is determined not only by qualifications and experience, but also by the field of activity, as well as by the region. The highest salaries are in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Ashdod. Average ─ around $ 3000.
Taxes in Israel
The taxation system is complex. Income tax is progressive, from 10 to 50%. Certain segments of the population, repatriates are entitled to preferential tax units, they are reduced in tax on wages.
Capital tax is 45%, VAT - 17%, contributions to the pension fund from working citizens - 5.5%. Tax incentives are provided to investors, in particular, they can be partially exempted from payment for 20 years.
Illegal labor and consequences
Illegal work threatens with deportation and an entry ban for 10 years. The fine for the employer can be up to $ 500 thousand.
The best places to work and live
To choose the best place on the Promised Land, one should evaluate the safety, cost, and comfort of life. The price of food and clothing throughout the country is approximately the same. The lowest prices for real estate in the town of Bat Yam.
Housing in large centers is more expensive, but the infrastructure is better. Therefore, the place must be chosen next to work.
By the way, part-time work for pensioners in Israel is not prohibited. There are more Russian speakers in Ashdod, Haifa. Manifestations of nationalism can be encountered in rural areas.
From a security standpoint, the Golan Heights, the areas around the Dead Sea and villages bordering the Palestinian territories are less attractive.
Own business in Israel
The government supports small and medium businesses. The registration rules are pretty simple. The authorized capital should be about $ 2.5 thousand, and the form of the enterprise is chosen depending on the planned income.
Foreign business owners are given the same rights and responsibilities as Israelis.They can employ both local citizens and labor migrants. The charter, the memorandum of association can be written in both Hebrew and English.
It is necessary to open an account with an Israeli bank, register a company with the tax office, and insure the business. The business will not do without the help of local lawyers, auditors, tax specialists.
Conclusion
At the end, it is worth mentioning what the pros and cons of working in Israel are. The clear benefits include the following:
- High profit payment.
- Good conditions.
- Protection of local labor laws.
The disadvantages are:
- The need for a work visa.
- Priority to local job seekers.
- High competition for leadership positions.
- The originality of culture, religion and traditions.
- The need for knowledge of the language.
Despite the numerical superiority of minuses over pluses, working conditions in Israel are among the best in the world in terms of employee income and social security.
