BJH: Please give us some background about yourself.
Faige Katz: I grew up in Toronto and moved to Baltimore after getting married. Baltimore is a great place to live and raise a family, offering both a friendly, out-of-town vibe and a strong Jewish infrastructure. I’m grateful to be part of this vibrant, Torah-true community with incredible Rabbanim, schools, shuls and many wonderful organizations.
BJH: What is your professional background?
FK: For over twelve years, I worked part-time as a Resume Specialist at Jewish Community Services’ Career Department. I interviewed clients and wrote their resumes. To write a resume, I first needed to learn about their jobs and industries. Over time, I gained extensive knowledge in various career fields, which provided the background necessary for the career testing and counseling that I conduct today.
BJH: What do you currently do?
FK: For the past five years, I have been administering career aptitude testing to help students and professionals identify suitable career paths. I trained as a Highlands Certified Consultant and use the Highlands Ability Battery, which is the gold standard in career testing. Overall, I have nearly 18 years of experience assisting people with their job search. Most recently, I’ve been working to ensure our community has a robust job board to assist employers with their vacancies and people with their job search.
BJH: Many people know you from the Jewish Children’s Library. How are you involved in the library?
FK: Eight years ago, together with an amazing team of board members and loads of siyata d’shmaya, I founded the Jewish Children’s Library located in Shomrei Emunah and still run it today. We have a weekly rotation of five or six middle and high school girls who volunteer to help run the library. Every summer, I join the Baltimore City YouthWorks program and supervise 2 or 3 youth in bookbinding and library database tasks. During bein hazmanim, I hire yeshiva bochrim to bookbind new books. I enjoy offering wholesome reading material and providing young people with work and volunteer opportunities.
BJH: What does a Career Counselor do?
FK: As a Career Counselor, I guide individuals to their ideal way to make parnassah, whether it’s pursuing additional education or training or finding a job. Using a holistic approach, I offer career aptitude testing, career counseling, interview prep, and salary negotiation sessions. It’s all about using one’s unique talents, interests, and skills to find the best-fitting type of work.
BJH: Has AI taken over any parts of the job search process?
FK: Absolutely! I’ve been recommending an AI interviewing practice website to my clients for a while. You can ask ChatGBT to enhance your resume and create a matching cover letter. AI offers many tools in this area. I try to stay updated on how AI can aid job seekers, and it’s impressive what it can do.
BJH: Can you tell us more about the job board?
FK: I recently collaborated with MacherUSA.com, a popular job board in the tristate area, to add Baltimore to heir site.
BJH: Why did you feel the need for a job board in Baltimore?
FK: BH Baltimore is growing! Employers need access to job seekers beyond their existing network. Job seekers need access to job openings. Not everybody “knows someone.” Since I deal with people looking for their first job and professionals in transition, I was acutely aware of this need. I believe a centralized job board such as MacherUSA has the potential to connect local employers with local job seekers.
BJH: Why did you choose MacherUSA over all the other job boards?
FK: The MacherUSA job board is user-friendly and efficient. It allows job seekers to view listings and submit resumes easily, while employers can manage listings and correspondence on the platform. It supports both public and anonymous job listings based on employer preferences. Many employers need to hire but are hesitant to put it on a public forum and MacherUSA allows you to post completely anonymously. I’m excited to bring this level of professionalism to Baltimore.
BJH: How do you define success for MacherUSA?
FK: Success is when job seekers find employment and employers fill their vacancies.
BJH: What else do you recommend people do when looking for a job?
FK: Network! Even with a job board, networking remains crucial. I encourage people to contact the Baltimore Job Network, reach out to recruiters, connect with others in the industry, and get on the Baltimore Frum Jobs WhatsApp chat.
BJH: Any final thoughts?
FK: The success of MacherUSA relies on people using the site. Employers are encouraged to post their open positions, regardless of size, type, level, or sector. MacherUSA is waiving the listing fee for Baltimore employers through summer 2025, and it’s always free for job seekers, so try it out! This initiative aims to benefit the Baltimore Community for many years. For more information, visit macherUSA.com or email fkatz@career360.net.
