OUR COMMUNITY
continued from page 30
going to feel personally ful-
filled by this work.”
FINDING THE
PERFECT JOB
The logic that helped Jason
Charnas, director of business
and career services at Gesher
Human Services,
select his job still
rings true for new
employees today,
he says. As job
seekers look for
work with con-
nection, purpose
and balance, agencies can pro-
vide a match as far as mission,
vision and values, he explains.
“It’s not only about the dol-
lars,” he says. “I want to wake
up in the morning, and I want
to feel excited, passionate and
connected to where I’m about
to go to work.”
He works for an organiza-
tion, for example, that helps
people find jobs that align
with them best, assisting job
seekers to identify a career
path or change careers as well
as build on their networking
and interview skills.
Meanwhile, with unem-
ployment low and a high
number of retirees across the
workforce, Charnas says there
are lots of spots inside differ-
ent agencies for graduates to
choose from as they enter the
workforce. And there are ways
to know if it’s the right job for
them, he says.
“Part of it is knowing what
you’re looking for and inter-
viewing at a place that you
think meets your goals, so an
interview is not one way. It’s
not just an employer finding
out about you and are you a
good fit,” he says. “In a best-
case scenario, an interview is a
two-way conversation — what
am I looking for in an employ-
er and how do I determine
that my goals, my career path
and trajectory are in alignment
with this organization?”
It’s important to look for
professional growth and devel-
opment opportunities, and
the skill sets employees both
can bring to the organization
and gain to walk away with, he
adds. Finding out about agen-
cy leadership and the amount
of interaction employees have
with them is also valuable.
“
Are they engaged? Do they
value feedback? Are they lead-
ing with an iron fist or when
they say ‘open door’ do they
make the effort and put the
work in to value employees, to
be receptive to feedback?” he
elaborates.
Talking to former employ-
ees can also give a job seeker
a clue as to if the potential
workplace is supportive and
collaborative, as well as what
the culture looks like, he adds.
That can include, for Jewish
employees, finding out about
their cultural literacy around
Jewish holidays and obser-
vance. “It depends what the
organization is,” he explains.
Today’s workplace teams are
multigenerational and draw
on the expertise of employees
who’ve got years of industry
knowledge and also those just
getting started, says Charnas.
“The best thing you can
do is in a positive way learn
from and take advantage of
the resources you have,” he
says, adding that the sector
welcomes those looking to
get into the industry and also
those looking to put their skills
from other sectors to work.
WORKING WITH
NONPROFITS
Ted Cohen, chief marketing
officer for the Jewish
Jason
Charnas
Local Jewish Communal Leadership Program alumni and current students from last fall gathered for a photo. Dr. Karla Goldman is on the left,
Emily Gordon is in the back row, as is Jake Ehrlich, who is wearing a mask.
continued on page 34
32 | AUGUST 3 • 2023