Why you shouldn’t look for work outside of Israel

I found this article entitled Why I Decided Not to Look for a Job From Outside Israel while skimming the JobMob blog today. I was very excited to read why the author decided not to freelance to ouside of Israel. Unfortunately, the article is about looking for a full-time job in Israel before making Aliya. This isn’t what I expected, but it’s still a good read (I’d say line up clients before you make Aliya, like my friend Dan at RankAbove.)

I found this article explaining one women’s dillema – to freelance or get a full-time job. I’ve written what I think are the biggest problems

  • The Problems
    1. The Office
      When I was doing part-time work from home, I took a small pay cut, reduced my hours significantly, and was able to set my own hours. My life had a lot of flexibility and I took advantage of it for a while, but I missed having human interaction. I got myself a full-time job and enjoyed having people around, although I did most of my work alone.
    2. The Stability
      At that full-time job, I spoke with a co-worker who spent 10-15 hours in the office every day, who said that he used to freelance, but his wife needed the regular paycheck.
    3. The Benefits
      The car, the retirement plans, the health insurance (not in Israel).
    4. The Bravery
      Once again, people’s fears insist that one has to be brave to make the move away from full-time jobs. Usually this stems from the stability argument, but it’s often articulated on its own that I insisted on listing it separately.
  • The Solutions
    1. The Office
      For me, my desire to work with others could have been satisfied with an office sharing situation, but my employer didn’t want to pay for it, which meant I would have had to get more work to afford it, or get a full-time job with an office included. The full-time job was more than I bargained for! Simply the limitations it put on my lifestyle was incongruous with my Gen-whatever attitude. Maybe full-time employers should learn from freelancers and Best Buy and try their ROWE system for balancing corporate life with flexibility.
    2. The Stability
      I’ve spoken amongst my friends (and with my wife) about womens’ need for stability. I won’t go into it in-depth here, but I’ll say that it makes sense from a physiological point of view (imagine you couldn’t work for a few months when you got pregnant) as well as many other reasons. Men tend to have less-foresight and more adaptability skills, so it’s less of a concern for them. As long as you spend some time developing the skills and resources to land enough good-paying work, there should be enough consistency/stability and enough money to convince anyone of the rewards of freelance work.
    3. The Benefits
      I don’t know much about this. I won my own car and was never given one by a company. I have national health care, I have a retirement plan which was started at my last job and I hope to continue funding it privately. With the money that I’m saving and earning now, I can afford to pay for this on my own.
    4. The Bravery
      Yes, there is a voice inside all of us that fears failure, especially when we insist that it’s our fault. When the company we work for fails, it’s not our fault, but we’re stuck in the same situation – jobless and penniless. The real difference is that you had no control over the company’s failure, but you’re responsible for your own failures. Let’s all decide to grow up, act like adults with responsiblity for our lives and livelihood, and take actions for success.

If you think I’ve missed something, over-simplified matters, or I’m just full of crap, leave me a comment below.

Make the move to self-employment

I have a confession – I fully agree with my previous post regarding the importance of a business blog, but if you haven’t yet made the move from worker bee to queen bee, constant writing can be time consuming and detracting from your progress. As with anything in life, a balance must be struck.

I may skip a day here and there, or just refer you to an interesting article from one of the growing list of blogs that I follow, such as today’s posting.

This article offers advice on making that brave transition to self-employment. As with anything, you have to find the method that works for you. For me, it was a series of events – my lease expiring, deciding to move into an apartment owned by my parents out of town, some investments maturing, frustration with my previous company, and a burning to desire to work on my personal project – all these things encouraged me to quit what I was doing and chase after my entrepreneurial dream.

Most people fear taking a risk, so you’re not alone, but don’t let your fears take away from making the most of your life.

You don’t have to be a millionaire…

Israel is great! Almost everyone knows it. It’s the place all Jews want to be, and all non-Jews want us to be. There are tons of reasons why Israel is so important to the Jew – one such reason is that we get to celebrate 2 birthdays here (today is my brother’s and my Hebrew birthday – 16th of Av, 6 years apart).

Of course, there are many reasons or excuses why people don’t make Aliya. Family, fear, and finances are probably the excuses that top the list. "I’d miss my family too much", "I’m not brave enough to pick up and move to a foreign country", "I don’t even speak Hebrew, how could I support my family", "We’re saving up some money until we can afford to move".

Maybe your family can move with you, or maybe you can take advantage of modern technologies, such as blogs and Skype to grow even closer with your family.

We should overcome our fears and take action and we may just found ourselves to be just like the Cowardly Lion, with the courage inside us all along.

And, if we had 1 million dollars, then we wouldn’t have to worry about working and living a real life in Israel.
Doing some rough calculations, I estimate that the average American family can be comfortable in a home which costs about 4000 NIS per month in rent/mortgage. Assuming this is 1/3 of their monthly expenses, they’d need 12,000 NIS per month, or 144K NIS per year, or about $34K after taxes (bruto, neto, I still don’t know what’s what). That could be about $44K before taxes. This seems far below what is needed in America, and should we enough incentive to make Aliya.

If you want to retire when you move here, you can take your savings of about $880K, stick it in a bank and live off the interest. If you don’t have that money, so find a full-time job earning $23/hour, or work part-time contracting for $50/hour. With your skills, finding work should be a breeze.

If you think I’m being facetious, you’re wrong. Perhaps companies in Israel are currently paying that amount in Shkalim, but you don’t speak Hebrew so well, so why put yourself into that system. There’s a better system available called the global network, and they’d jump to hire an American at those rates.

FRANK LEVY: The basic message I think is that while the number of jobs is growing, there’s a chunk of jobs in the 20 to 35 dollar an hour range, a lot of blue collar jobs and clerical jobs that are really being taken over both by computerized work and also by off shoring.

Not sure if you can telecommute your job? Here’s a short list of such jobs:

  • Law
  • Finance
  • Radiology
  • Broadcasting
  • Fashion
  • Education
  • Marketing
  • Business
  • Accounting
  • Design
  • Photography
  • Videography
  • Writing
  • Translating
  • Engineering
  • Programming

If you’re young and inexperienced, talk to people or read newsgroups to find out what’s in demand that you can learn and do. And don’t worry if you’re job isn’t something that can be done for clients half-way around the world. Between the increased Aliya rates and growing tourism in Israel, any job advertised to serve the English-speaking population will find the demand they need to make the money they want and live the life in Israel that they deserve.

The importance of class participation

In many high school and college classes, my teacher would reward students who excelled in class participation, such as answering and asking questions. I was always a bit shy, and, like many students, wasn’t sure if what I wanted to add was intelligent, innovative, or even pertinent. I don’t think I truly understood the full importance of this concept, though.

Most of us were taught as such, that "the greater the student’s involvement or engagement in academic work or the academic
experience of college, the greater his or her level of knowledge acquisition and general cognitive development" (Pascarella & Terenzini 616).

This article explains further rationale for class participation:

Participation in the classroom can enable students to develop social skills, increase recall of information, improve presentation skills, and increase their scope for improving the quality of work.

I do not disagree that participation, at least, demonstrates attention and absorption of the material. This was my view at the time, yet I believe it goes further than this. I believe that class participation can train a student to be a successful business person. Let’s explore 3 of the items mentioned above: social skills, presentation skills, and increased scope for improving the quality of work.

When I’m forced to express my thoughts, such as this post here, I have to massage the idea in my head to make sure it’s correct and that I haven’t missed any glaring contradictions. But being correct is not enough – if I can’t express my idea in such as way that it’s both understood and concurred by the recipient, then my idea is worthless.

(Political aside:)In this world full of disagreement and hatred, the ideas are what separate people, and the expressions or presentations of the ideas are what will bring us together. As our enemy’s Public Relations improve, they are able to gain sympathy and understanding, despite the repugnance of their ideas.

(Return) One teacher of mine would tell the shy ones in the class not to worry, that the ones who participated and received credit were usually the ones who spoke out and lost credit, so it balances out. In the business world, outside of bureaucratic systems, the ones who are able to get the message of the company across, usually through sales, are handsomely rewarded. Even "speaking out" is rewarded, since the idea or product is only worth as much as the buyer is convinced it’s worth.

As far as increased scope for improving the quality of work, I discussed it in this post, how going beyond what’s given and obvious extends one’s abilities and value. At least, I think that’s what they’re talking about, so I won’t go into it again.

Therefore, anyone looking to succeed in business has to find their voice, hone their communication skills, and make themselves heard.

Is the fire under your butt, or are you chicken?

Inspiration, Motivation, Perspiration.

Whatever process works for you to go from concept to product, the final step is always action. Nothing happens on its own without some action putting it into motion. Staying with the motion analogy, there is no perpetual motion machine, so even a well-oiled machine needs fuel to keep going.

Sales seminars (of which I’ve listened to many over the last few weeks) are mostly motivational, encouraging people to overcome their fears, believe in themselves (confidence), and take the step of putting idea into action. 100% of all businesses that aren’t created fail.

I keep getting so frustrated when someone tells me that what I want is impossible. I’m not saying it can be done cheaply, but almost everything is possible. As a programmer, I’m often asked such questions as, ‘Is it possible to…’, and the answer is always ‘Yes’, which begs the next question, ‘So, how long will that take.’ Such projects will often demonstrate your advanced skills, even if you have to go and learn how to make it happen, which will only make you more desirable (and more expensive!)

Whatever it is that you are thinking about doing, laugh at your fears, take the step, burn the boats, and make it happen!

Blogs are a business’s best friend

Starting a company takes lots of time and effort. Building a business requires building bridges, not burning them. Developing an organization requires listening, not talking. I know all this to be true – so why on Earth Why would I make myself a blog now, with daily entries, brutal opinions, and one-sided communication?!

Right off the bat, let’s dismiss the idea of one-sided communication. If you ever seen a slightly successful blog, then you’ve seen tons of comments, and probably how easy it is to post to them. An intelligent business man will both read and respond to those comments, and take most things to heart, as far as improving communication and business concepts. Blogs can elicit negative feedback sometimes, but read on to see how that’s not bad for business.

I pointed my brother, Gary, to yesterday’s post, and he e-mailed me back (why not blog comments?) with the following:

I worry that you are taking a strong political (really religious) stance and business professionals might be put off by that. So while they may be very interested in the service they may shy away from it given its founders strong PUBLICIZED political views. You can have those views, and you need not be shy about them, but to publicize them in your very first blog entry. Worries me a little.

I’d like to argue the complete opposite point, and say that not disclosing my political/religious views is more damaging to business. The reason for this is TRUST. Good business is all about establishing a trusting relationship with your clients. About 92% of people (made-up statistic) prefer to hire someone they personally know and trust over someone unknown with alleged higher credentials. What good are those credentials if they might be fabricated.

Many of these ideas are "borrowed" from other blogs, such as this one, including this amazing quote:

“Big idea: People want to know that you are real. That you are decent, kind and trustworthy. They want to feel you and sense you and look into your eyes to see what you are made of. They want to know your passion for whatever it is you stand for. And when they sense that you are the real deal, they will open up to you. When they see that you have their best interests in mind, they will trust you–and keep your best interests in mind. Once they get that you are good, they’ll be good to you. And your career (along with your life) will get to a place called world class based on those trust connections.”

~ Robin Sharma

OK, so we can understand trust, but we trust strangers sometimes also, but we’d still hire a friend before we hire a stranger. The reason for that is ACCOUNTABILITY. The better you know someone, the more likely it is that they won’t disappear on you when you need them. If you knew my home address in Modi’in, even if I tried to screw you and take your money without finishing a job, or not give you the follow-up service you demand, you could just come knocking on my door and insist that you get what you paid for. Even if you don’t know my address, the more you know about me, the better you can track me down in other ways (I found out my wife’s last name before we dated by Googling "Meira Jerusalem football" and there it was!)

So writing a blog, putting your personality out there, creating relationships and communication, are all forms of "paying yourself first". That is, it’s a way of investing your time in your future, maximizing that time for yourself and your business, and then doing what has to be done to take care of the routine.

Be honest about your views, have a purpose in your writing, and don’t focus on self promotion: "the audience reading your blog have well developed crap detectors". Expressing yourself is important, but with blogs out there, people won’t read your unless there’s a value that you’re providing them. My purpose in writing this article is to promote the blog feature which will be intrinsic in the JobShuk system, and to convince users what to write and why. Getting to know me is a bonus.

I’ve been listening to a comedy talk show, almost consistently for 10 years now. They’re not always funny, but I still listen, sometimes waiting for the funny part, but sometimes it feels like I have a bond with these guys, and the voyeuristic part of me wants to know more. I come for the laughs, but I stay for the connection. They’re real, and that’s why there are so many devoted listeners.

Here’s a few more reasons why business blogs are good:

  1. Search engines love blogs, so you’ll attract more clients.
  2. If you post your goals and deadlines on your blog, your readership will expect you to make the deadline, so you’ll work harder not to disappoint.
  3. Converting your thought to words helps you crystallize those ideas.

You don’t have to be a writer to keep a blog, clearly I’m not, but I’m sure my skills will get better over time, and I’m sure you will forgive my lack of skill once you get to know me better.

The Last Tisha B’Av

From the first few verses of Eicha, the Book of Lamentations, my eyes began to well up with tears. It tells the story of a once glorious city of Jerusalem, and how, because of our sins, it was destroyed and its inhabitants cast out into exile. The inhabitants then turn their backs on Jerusalem in search of sustenance, and don’t bother to console this widowed city, but become her worst enemy.

Further, it is said, any generation in which the Temple is not rebuilt, it is as if they destroyed it. This is a powerful and often-quoted verse commanding us to take steps to ensure the rebuilding of the temple. And how are we doing at this charge? I’d like to interpret another common verse in an uncommon way. When a Jew loses a family member, they are wished condolences with the verse, "May [the Omnipresent] comfort you amongst the remainder of the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem." Perhaps this means, not that the mourner is not alone in his grief, but in fact, just as Eicha says, the people are not mourning and there is no grief over the loss of Jerusalem and the Temple. This is our blessing for the mourner – you should go and chase after your sustenance and you won’t feel any loss, just as there is no one mourning the loss of Jerusalem.

How do we reverse the process of destruction and bring about the redemption? Because of our sins we were exiled from Israel, and by removing ourselves from evil and doing good shall we return. This is not a personal obligation, but one which applies for our entire generation. Ultimately though, G-d will be the one who gives us the opportunity, the tools and the opening, to return. We pray, "Return us, G-d, to you, and we will return to you."

Almost 60 years ago, G-d gave us the opening that we’d been praying for. After the most massive national punishment known to modern man, G-d proclaimed, I’ve punished you enough – now I will return you to me, and you shall return as you promised. Come back into your land which I have given you. Comfort the fallen city with the sounds of children playing in the streets. Follow my commandments, and we shall restore the days of old, and be united like husband and wife once again.

So what am I doing? I’ve taken my personal steps: moved to Israel, served in the army, taken a beautiful wife, began to have children . But of the national responsibilities? What should I do to expand my circle of influence and help others return to G-d and Zion, so that this generation will be the one to rebuild the temple and not destroy it?

The gift which G-d has given me is not in Torah or rhetoric: I am a computer nerd with sensitivity to my surroundings. In a "Super-size Me" world, everyone is so focused on acquiring their sustenance that they don’t recognize when it’s doing more harm than good. The mission that I’ve taken upon myself is to close the gap of wealth between those living in Israel, and those outside. By demonstrating that people in Israel can work as hard as others, and be compensated on a similar scale so that they are as comfortable in Israel at the end of the day as anywhere else – by using finances, the modern international language and the most common reason why people don’t move to Israel, I hope to restore this country to its glorious days of old.

And to all those Israel supporters whose mission is not to move to Israel, I’d like to give them the opportunity to support the country, not through donations, but through the highest form of charity, with a job and a profession, so that he never has to rely on charity.

I thank G-d for this vision and this opportunity, and I hope we will achieve these goals and see the redemption speedily in our days.