“Since the trauma of October 7, 2023, the employment market has undergone a dramatic transformation. There has been a 60% increase in the number of Israelis seeking career retraining, as the fields in which they previously worked have become irrelevant for various reasons,” Hayut Yogev, a senior consultant specializing in career development, human resources, and guidance in finding new professions, told Maariv.
The concerning employment data is based on a sample of 500 participants surveyed under Yogev’s supervision. According to her, “These are people whose businesses were forced to close due to the economic and security situation, business owners from communities near the Gaza border and from northern Israel who were unable to rebuild their operations, reservists who lost their jobs following extended military service, and individuals who experienced personal or emotional upheaval as a result of the war.”
Those seeking a new future explain that in their previous professions, they felt they were not fully using their skills, were unable to achieve personal fulfillment, and were not earning a sufficient income. This led to a sense that their professional future had become stagnant and no longer allowed for meaningful personal growth.
According to Yogev, “One of the main reasons people aged 35–55 struggle to find employment and do not receive responses, despite sending countless applications for job openings, is that their resumes are not properly tailored to market demands and specific positions. The traumatic event the country experienced in October 2023, the ongoing war that followed, and hundreds of days of reserve duty each year have led to the closure of businesses – particularly in communities near the Gaza border and in northern Israel – where many businesses did not survive and were unable to resume operations even after the security situation improved.”
Yogev further explains that reservists who lost their jobs due to prolonged military service, as well as people who experienced personal or emotional upheaval, have come to the realization that they need to start a new chapter in their lives.
At this stage, she explains, many job seekers find themselves uncertain about which professional field is best suited for them. This is why they turn to career consultants, with the goal of accurately identifying their skills, abilities, and personal suitability for the next stage of their professional lives. Most are looking for a combination of a profession that matches their abilities and talents, genuine passion for their work, a sense of purpose, and appropriate compensation.
According to Yogev, “The precise method for finding a suitable career path is based on three principles: Personal Signature – every individual has a unique set of abilities and characteristics, and the goal is to find the profession in which they can fully express their potential; Self-Fulfillment – choosing a career that allows a person to utilize the skills and abilities that enable them to achieve success and higher income; and the third principle is the ‘Magic Circle’ – working in a field where a person excels leads to professional advancement and greater rewards, creating a cycle that drives excellence, satisfaction, and increasing success.”
Source:
www.jpost.com
