Accounting & Finance

As to be expected from the “Start-Up Nation”, Israel has a booming venture capital industry. With over $6 billion USD raised in various projects, and each deal averaging about $6 million USD, Israel is a venture capitalist haven.

Financial opportunities in Israel have traditionally been restricted to the unionized banking sector, which meant limited job options for Olim. Almost all Israeli financial institutions were owned by the same three banks, and investment or financial investment opportunities were relatively undeveloped.

Actuarial science is one of the few fields where Olim actually have an advantage over Israeli born and trained professionals. The primary potential employers – insurance companies and pension plans – actually prefer to hire US/UK trained actuaries over actuaries who are trained in Israel.

some accountants have developed businesses filing U.S. tax returns for American Olim and acting as tax consultants. Although there are jobs available for North Americans without an Israeli CPA, having this added certification can open doors professionally and enable you to climb higher on the corporate ladder.

A bookkeeper (Menahel Cheshbon), must be familiar with the relevant Israeli computer and bookkeeping systems in Israel and become certified by Misrad Hataasiya, Hamischar v’Hataasuka (Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor). There are courses offered at several Israeli colleges which prepare candidates to pass the certification exam and work in the field. For information about colleges in Israel, please see the article Higher Education in Israel.