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 

