Success Story – Nadav Cohen, Accountant, Bagir Group Ltd. / Hadas Shimoni
after completing his bachelor’s degree nadav cohen, 39, found an accounting job in the area of finance. over the years nadav worked as an intern at an accounting firm, advanced to the position of accountant and even specialized in computerization. before coming to bagir, nadav worked at a control and monitoring company in the construction and road-paving industry, but after four years he felt he had maximized his potential there and decided to leave.
one year ago, just two weeks after sending out a batch of resumes, he got hired as an accountant at the bagir group ltd., a job he found through the jobnet site.
on fashion company, the bagir group:
the bagir group ltd. plans, develops, designs, manufactures and sells tailored clothing for men and women.
the company is global, with most of its business activity (over 90%) conducted outside of israel. bagir has subsidiaries, production sites and offices abroad (in england, the us, germany, etc.) and for over 45 years has sold tailored attire around the world. bagir suits are distinguished by technological innovation and are renowned throughout the world. about 10% of bagir’s activity is in israel, primarily through the bagir chain, which carries a classic collection of tailored fashions. the company has 3,500 employees, with 230 in israel.
“as manager of the suppliers department in the finance department of the previous company, i headed a team of six workers. in the course of my work, which went very smoothly, i was in charge of managing day-to-day accounts. though i had some qualms, i reached a decision to start looking for a new job.”
nadav cohen at the bagir offices in kiryat gat
why, after four years, did you decide to leave?
“although i held a managerial position at my previous company, the routine work lacked dynamism, making me feel sated. i felt my abilities were not being fully utilized. i also felt a need to advance professionally and financially, but there was no such opportunity available to me at the company. the finance department was small and was subordinate to a single finance manager, so it was hard to work your way up the ladder, in contrast to the organizational structure at bagir, where there are numerous ranks.”
where did you look for work?
“i left my previous job a short time after i decided to quit and i started putting efforts into sending out my resume via various internet sites. my friends from the department recommended jobnet to me as a website with attractive offers and as it turned out the response from placement companies and organizations was extensive.”
which considerations did you take into account when you sent out your resume?
“i was looking for a challenging, dynamic job at a company that would allow me to advance. i sent out my resume for various type of accounting positions in the field of finance, including high-level jobs since i had acquired managing experience.”
how was the recruitment process at bagir conducted?
“the recruitment process began with a series of personality and professional tests at an assessment institute, during which i was very impressed by the effort invested in assessing the person to be chosen for the job. my sense that it was an important post was reinforced when i came to bagir for the interview with the finance manager and the human resources manager.”
you got hired after a very short amount of time – just two weeks.
“i’m happy to say i never felt unemployed. during this period i was in the recruitment process at placement companies and in advanced stages at bagir and at another company in yavneh, both positions in the field of finance.”
why did you wind up choosing bagir? what drew you to the job?
“i was offered a fascinating job in terms of the range of areas of enterprise and the companies i’d be working with. in my job i’m involved in high-level accounting and serve as the link between bagir and its foreign subsidiaries by maintaining constant contact with their finance people. i definitely think bagir is the best place to learn accounting.”
how did your integration at the company go?
“on my very first day on the job i felt secure and soon my fears fell to the wayside. the human resources department took me in nicely, talking to me in a personal manner about the structure of bagir with its various departments, and introduced me to the company staff. afterwards i went through a training program that included meeting the managers of every department, e.g. the manager of the computing department and the manager of innovations, who is in charge of patents, the logistics department, etc. i was also broken in by the department accounting manager and i was given full support and encouragement from the rest of the staff. bagir makes efforts to nurture its employees and build them professionally, and has often invited me to take part in conferences and workshops held in israel and abroad.”
how is the finance department structured?
“the department has ten workers, most of whom are bookkeepers, and the rest, including myself, form the professional department. besides the regular accounting work, which includes issuing and listing invoices, preparing salaries, paying suppliers, collecting debts and other tasks, the professional department is also involved in preparing bimonthly reports, financial analyses, presentations for the board and quarterly reports with complex analyses and breakdowns.”
what kind of a company is bagir in terms of the atmosphere and the people?
“the atmosphere at the company is tight-knit so the managers deal with the employees in a personal way, instead of placing distance between them. for instance, the head accountant of the department sometimes sits with me during lunch, and finance manager doron avramovich, who is one of the key people at bagir, is always willing to help, lend an ear and push us forward.”
what added value do you receive from the company as an employee?
“for me the advantage is the investment in and the attitude toward the employees. the employee is treated as a person in a position of influence, who has the ability to alter things. i’m given a free hand and full support in expressing my ideas and taking the initiative. during department meetings there’s full transparency and cooperation. doron tells the finance personnel about the quarterly results and future plans, but during the meetings everybody is invited to have his say.”
how do you see yourself in the long term?
“i see a long-term future at bagir and hope to advance, and i can certainly see room to move forward. i’m designated to advance to the job of special reports manager, a prestigious and complex post that requires a wealth of knowledge and experience. i also see bagir as a home away from home and feel lucky to have been hired here. the warmth, the unique interaction among the employees, the professional training, the cooperativeness and other things as well make me want to stay at the company and give it my all.”
what advice can you offer jobseekers?
“i recommend you stick to a dream and not compromise on your career direction. in the past i was compelled to compromise due to financial necessity, and throughout that period i felt frustrated. i think if you have the will and a lot of motivation it’s possible to realize your aspirations.”
esther feingold, manager of marketing communications, talks about the company’s collaboration with jobnet:
“we’ve been working with jobnet for several years and are very pleased. as a growing global company with regular recruitment, for us jobnet offers a good, effective solution for successful hiring. we aim to recruit the top people and jobnet has an excellent screening setup. this fact, along with the courteous, professional and fast service, makes jobnet one of our main sources of recruitment.”
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