By
Published
November 14, 2016
CareerHub Interview is an ongoing series where we speak with and learn from emerging leaders working and volunteering in the Jewish community. In this edition, we catch up with Shira Weiner, manager of executive talent recruiting at Hillel International. Shira shares her vision for Jewish life, how she builds relationships and what podcasts are at the top of her list.
1. What is the best part of your job? What gets you out of bed in the morning?
The best part of my job is the collaborative and insightful people I get to work with each day, not only in my organization but leaders in Jewish organizations across the country. There’s a lot of love for the work that we do and that translates in the workplace to people wanting to support and collaborate with one another.
2. What is your vision for Jewish life? How do you see the Jewish community evolving over time?
My personal experience has shown me that we have immense and unprecedented knowledge, power, privilege and resources as a Jewish community. My vision for Jewish life is that we use that access to not only build ourselves up but come together and stand for a more just and equitable world. In my opinion, this will require us to also step back and take a look inward, because as our community gets more and more diverse we must insure that we create space for and hold up leadership that reflects that diversity.
3. When things get busy/challenging/frustrating, what keeps you going? What is your source of inspiration?
President Obama had a great quote recently about persisting amidst challenges. He shared, “But the thing that got me through that moment, and any other time that I’ve felt stuck, is to remind myself that it’s about the work.” Throughout my career my passion has always been connecting great people with jobs that do good – jobs that make our communities stronger. So as long as I stay focused on the impact I’m having on others it’s worth it. I’m also a podcast fanatic (This American Life, Two Dope Queens, Start-up, 99% Invisible, The Moth), I love how technology today allows us to share stories in a whole new way.
4. What is your favorite interview question to answer? What is your favorite interview question to ask?
I think giving people space to share their stories is so important. When we share our personal stories we communicate what’s important and valuable to us. So I like the opportunity to share my story and hear that from others. When I’m interviewing people I always want to know the successes and challenges they’ve had working with others. Rarely is anything great accomplished alone in the non-profit sector. So I want to know how you build relationships with others and energize around a shared vision.
5. What is your best time management trick?
If it’s not on my calendar or my email inbox it doesn’t exist! So, I put everything on my calendar. When I read emails, if their response requires less than two minutes I answer them right away which helps to keep my inbox clear.
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The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation is proud to empower emerging leaders to explore their values, identity and new ways to strengthen their communities. We believe that as we work together to repair the world, it is important to share our diverse experiences and perspectives along the way. We encourage the expression of personal thoughts and reflections here on the Schusterman blog. Each post reflects solely the opinion of its author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Foundation, its partner organizations or program participants.
