Public Relations and Marketing Writing

There is a lot of flexibility in the public relations and marketing writing job market. Opportunities can be found in the business sector as well as the non-profit sector. Writers can work full time in salaried positions, or can work with a variety of clients in a freelance capacity.

For those of you headed for communities farther from the center, businesses all over Israel need writers for English-language marketing collateral, Web sites, and other promotional materials. In addition, you might want to consider working on a freelance basis from home -- an arrangement which is convenient from any location.

If you are looking for employment in the hi-tech sector, there are numerous web sites devoted to computer and hi-tech employment in Israel. Some are maintained by organizations and others by private individuals. For more information about opportunities in the hi-tech sector, see Computers and Hi-Tech Professionals.

In the nonprofit sector, you can find a full listing of non-profit organizations in Israel online at www.givingwisely.org.il, the Internet directory of Israeli nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.

In addition, there are several professional email lists that may be helpful in your job hunt:

• CIWI is an email list for English speaking writers in Israel. To subscribe, email ciwi-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
• Techshoret is an email list for technical writers that also mentions, on occasion, projects and positions suitable for other types of writers. You can subscribe to the list or check out their archives by going to: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/techshoret/
• Digital Eve is an email list run for and by business women. Job opportunities are frequently advertised, and the jobs are open equally to men as well as to women. To subscribe to Digital Eve send an email to:
  dei-discuss-subscribe@lerner.co.il.
• IsraEmploy is the largest email list for daily postings about job opportunities in Israel, specifically, for jobs not requiring Hebrew. To subscribe from this group, see www.israemploy.net.

Employment agencies may also have information about positions that are not publicly advertised. For a partial listing of recommended agencies, see Headhunters.

The best, and most common, way to find a job in Israel is by word of mouth. Develop networking contacts with other writers and PR professionals who can give you information about freelance opportunities and open positions. If you need assistance in establishing a network of professional contacts, be in touch with the employment department at employment@nbn.org.il.

Since writing is a profession that lends itself to telecommuting, check if your former employer or other professional contacts abroad, are interested in outsourcing projects and sending them to you in Israel.

Finally, let everyone you know be aware that you are looking for work, and follow up on any leads they may offer. Many positions are filled before they are ever advertised.

Other Opportunities

Several related fields offer opportunities for professional writers that you might want to consider:

• Grant writing: Courses are regularly offered in the Jerusalem area that will sharpen your skills in this area. For more information about grant writing see Nonprofits.

• Translation: If you have strong Hebrew skills, you may enjoy translating materials from Hebrew into English. For more information about the Israeli translators’ community see www.ITA.org.il. For information about translation projects, subscribe to the Israeli translators’ email list:

• Technical writing: Technical writing courses teach you the writing style of technical communications and train you how to use various software packages. The courses are reasonably costly and time consuming, and competition for entry-level technical writing positions is steep, therefore it is recommended that you only consider a course that offers to help place you in a position after completing training. For information about the Israeli technical writers’ community see Technical Communication.
• Journalism: Unless you are comfortable writing in Hebrew for local newspapers and magazines, the best opportunities in journalism involve writing for publications abroad. Limited English-language opportunities do exist in Israel, but these opportunities are few and fiercely competitive. Experienced journalists might seek work as a foreign correspondent for an American paper, or freelance for American and British publications. However, it is difficult to support yourself solely on journalism; and especially if you are a new oleh, you should plan to seek some other form of income to supplement your writing until you create a niche for yourself in media work. If you are interested in breaking into the field of freelance journalism, see www.mediabistro.com for advice, coursework and job opportunities.