As part of your time with Aardvark Israel you will have the chance to choose from a huge range of volunteer programs and internships. These are a great way of gaining some experience in a field that you are interested in and may be considering a career in. It’s also a great way to build your resume/ CV. We offer a huge range of internships, everything from the Magen David Adom (the ambulance service) to placements in surf clubs, start-up companies and music studios.
Obviously you will be thinking about what you would like to do well in advance of coming on the program and one thing we often get asked is how people are meant to dress for their internships.
In some cases this is very obvious; you won’t turn up to a surf club in a suit (perhaps a wet suit). However, this question actually reveals one of the most unique aspects of Israeli society. As a general rule there is no dress code at work. You will see the CEOs of businesses turning up to work in shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops during the summer months and probably nothing more formal than jeans and a shirt in the winter. Even when attending important meetings there is rarely a need to wear a suit and tie. Basically, as long as you look clean and not a total wreck you will probably be fine.
Of course there are some exceptions to this rule. If you are working in a religious organisation then you will most likely be expected to dress modestly. There may also be occasions wherever you work when you will be asked to wear more formal attire, such as a button-down shirt.
However, you can be sure that you don’t have to worry about packing your best suits to turn up to work in or make sure that you have enough of a tie selection to keep life varied and interesting.
Foreigners often have a love or hate response to this part of work in Israel. Some believe it shows a lack of respect in the work place while others believe that it is simply doing away with archaic and unnecessary traditions.
If you do feel you should turn up to work dressed more formally then of course you can. However, since your time in Israel is limited, it is the perfect chance to enjoy the more casual attitude common in Israel prior to returning to the more formal dress codes common in the rest of the world.
In short, pack clothes you like and don’t worry about the rest.
