Tips for Aspiring Future Shluchim

By Chana R. Novack

Shlichus is a dream for many, yet hundreds of couples are looking for Shlichus and hundreds of Shluchim need couples and are looking (or waiting) for the right fit. Finding the right Shlichus can be very involved and time consuming but I believe there are ways that many couples can put their best foot forward when reaching out and responding to open Shlichus positions. Over the last few years, I have been involved in many hiring processes with Shluchim from identifying their hiring needs to ongoing support on managing healthy dynamics on multi people Shluchim teams. Obviously every Shlichus is different but here are some tips based on my experience.

-Get some experience in the type of Shlichus you say you are interested in.

If you are interested in campus, go to a campus for Shabbos or staff a Birthright trip. If you want to work with kids, volunteer with kids or run a camp in the summer.

Many Shluchim look for related experience on a resume. If you want to show you are serious about a shlichus, show the head Shliach you have engaged in that type of Shlichus and want it.

-Your “interview” starts the moment you make contact with the hiring Shluchim.
Each email, phone call, and whatsapp conversation will all be taken into account when Shluchim make the decision to offer a formal interview to a couple. Be prepared and review communications to be sure you are representing yourself in the way you would like to be representing yourself.

-Do your research.
Read the actual job description and get to know the Shlichus you are applying to before sending in a cover letter or resume. Know the name of the city you are looking into. Look at a map. Google basic demographic information. Find out how many Jews are in the city and what other Jewish organizations exist. Read up on the Chabad House’s website and facebook page. In the age of the internet, everything is a click away. Once you have done your research, update your resume to reflect the job you are applying to and not a generic resume.

-Spell check your emails and check for proper grammar and typos.
If you are unsure, ask someone to look it over for you. We know that the Lubavitch world of Kollel is very different from the world of Shlichus. But, you are applying to enter the world of Shlichus and a Shliach is responsible to bring on a couple who will present as respectable to their community. A Shliach is reading your communications as if they are a Baalabas. Communication is important and Shluchim don’t want to look foolish to their professionals and educated constituency.

-When asked about your ideal Shlichus, please don’t share something very narrow that doesn’t line up with the Shlichus offered.
I have yet to see a Shlichus posting in which the job description was teaching Chassidus one on one. I have seen dozens of resumes in which people say this is their ideal shlichus. Whatever your future Shlichus is, you will probably be spending time on administrative tasks, outreach calls, funerals, shopping and preparing for Shabbos meals, fundraising and so much more. Teaching Shiurim generally comes after hours and years of work. Show the hiring Shluchim that you know that, and you are ready to do all aspects in the Shlichus including the leg work and efforts behind the scenes. Show us you want you to spend time reaching out to new families. Getting teens excited through innovative programs. Engage our young families with Hebrew School and mommy and me and visit the offices of community members. The rest will follow.

-If you are applying for a Shlichus as a couple, find ways to show that both you and your spouse are interested in the Shlichus.
If all of the emails, outreach calls and interview arrangements are done by one, it raises a red flag that the other spouse is not as interested or enthusiastic. When sending emails, include your spouse in the cc field and sign emails from both of you. Try to have both during phone calls or have your spouse follow up with a phone call themselves and be sure to send both of your resumes.

-Respond promptly to emails and phone calls.
If a hiring Shliach doesn’t hear from you for a week, they will assume that you will treat your future constituents in the same way. You might be busy having a baby, working a job, family obligations etc, but this is what your life will look like on Shlichus too. Show the hiring Shluchim that you can juggle your life with the job.

-Hire a babysitter or schedule interviews or Zoom calls for when you can have quiet.
Again, if you are giving a Shiur or going to an important fundraising meeting, a hiring Shliach wants to know that a when you are a Shliach and Shlucha in the field, you will know when it’s appropriate to have a child in tow and when it’s more respectable to not.

-Express your willingness and openness to learning from the hiring Shluchim.
You may want to carve out your own Shlichus and, you might want to show the hiring Shluchim that you are responsible and capable. But, your willingness to learn from the decades of experience from the hiring Shliach is much more important. Your future Shlichus wouldn’t be possible without them. It would be foolish of you not to take advantage of that knowledge and show it the proper respect it deserves.

-Please don’t think you have the job until the contract is signed.
Unlike Shiduchim, Shluchim are considering many couples at once. To avoid hurt feelings, please be proactive, but let the hiring Shluchim tell you when they are ready for the next step.

After picking a spouse, the biggest decision a Shliach makes is who to hire to join their Shlichus. It’s a very big decision and has huge implications. Responsible hiring Shluchim will invest hours and hours, lots of finances and a lot of emotional energy to find the right fit for them and the Shlichus. Respecting the hiring Shluchim and realizing how hard this process is for them, will ultimately bring you the most success in closing the deal and moving out on Shlichus.

Chana has been on campus Shlichus for over twenty years. She offers HR support for Chabad Houses who want to hire smart, hire right, and manage healthy dynamics on multi staff Shlichus teams. She can be reached at www.managingshlichus.com