Sioux Chief ... Hed Chef ... Gran Mangier
I even had one guy who had pictures of a chicken, a cow and a fish.... because that is what he cooked
First let me calm down.
ok.
1. Your resume is the FIRST thing that a potential Chef or Gm or Owner is going to look at. This is what they are going to make a decision on. "is this person worthy of my time""Is this person going to warrant the time & money that I need to invest in training" (FYI I wrote guy first... & then changed it to person... so GET off of my back). this is your Calling Card... this is how you are going to raise your hand in a room full of people & they are going to pick you... & when you raise that hand, you want them to see one of those big #1 fingers with Fireworks & Sparklers going off behind it that says... PICK ME PICK ME
2. As I look at a resume... there is a certain way that I do it & it goes a little something like this
- EMAIL..... who is the email from? ..... did it come from
- Chefbrianduffy@gmail.com? or did it come from
- Weedsmoker@potluck.com?... or did Timothy's resume come from
- Casey@Im_his_wife_&_he_doesnt_have_a_set_of_balls_to_get_his_own_email.com
- it is YOUR resume & YOU are sending it out... not your wife
- Dates ..... How long have you worked @ each place...
- Somewhere along the way, I too received bad advice... (Thanks you jackass)... I can hear him saying it to me in 1993 "get in get all that you can & then get out.. get as much experience as you can".. BTW, That Jackass... left kitchens about 3 years after I left there... & ended up being a private chef...what he failed to tell me was that in 6 years.. people would hate that about my resume.
- Spelling.... can you spell?
- Use the spell check... & if you are using culinary terms... Use the food lovers companion.. this is a great book . USE IT
- Titles... Stop it with your Bullshit
- Head Chef, Lead Chef, Line Chef, Pantry Chef, Fry Chef, Grill Chef, Saute' Chef, Assistant Chef...
- We have an amazing teacher... Escoffier he is the Godfather of the kitchen... The guy with the Culinary ring that we bow to & refer to. he is the guy who standardized all kitchens... recipes, sauces & .... the Hierarchy
- So stop telling me that you are the Fry Chef... you were a line cook & thats ok. But dont try to make it glamorous, we have all been there & its part of the respect that we believe in... The Honor of the toque
- Job Description... Shut it
- If you were a line cook, please tell me
- what stations that you were trained on
- tell me how long you were on that station
- Tell me that you moved through the kitchen & grew as a cook
- If you were the Chef, Please dont tell me that you ordered the food, dont tell me that you did the scheduling, DONT tell me that you created the daily specials..
- I want to know how many people worked under you
- What were your costs
- What volume did you do.. (volume is sales)
- What were your contributions to the business
- Length of Resume....
- I have been in the kitchen for 20 years..
- I graduated Culinary School in 1994
- I have been on TV for 10 years
- I have coordinated dinners for 1000 homeless men women and children with 400+ volunteers
- I have opened more restaurants than most people have worked in
- I know the financials of every place that I have ever worked
- I have a section on my resume that is just for awards
- I know the location of the chicken in my walk-in from 7 years ago
- I have a very extensive resume... VERY
- NOW.. I am not Bragging about what I have done...
- I am bragging because my resume is ONE Page.
- remember its not the Quantity its the Quality
- Very Important... DO NOT LIE... We as chefs are a very tight knit organization... there is a chance that the guy that you worked for 8 years ago is my buddy & we do talk... we do call each other & do ask the real questions...
- Would you re-hire this guy?
- Did he show up on time?
- How well did he take criticism?
- & then we have the real conversations... over a drink of course
- was he a drunk?
- was he banging any of the waitresses
- was he a slob
- the list goes on
- (HR nightmare.. hahaha)
- I am sure that I will get all sorts of responses from this .. But in reality I don't care. I have had an amazing bunch of years & I pride myself on some of my hires as well as my methods for finding & interviewing potential employees.... Now If i could only remember the name of the guy who showed up for his interview with the Pot Leaf T'Shirt......
- PS. For a bit more help with your resume.... & Next time.. I will go through the interview process!!!
The stories I could share. I feel your pain. I have been an unofficial job coach for people for years. It is so amazing to see what they come up with for experience or lack of experience.
ReplyDeleteLet’s see where to start…
• There are the crazy fabrications that you addressed.
• Poor Spelling (I have seen people misspell their own name)
• Typo’s
• Do not say your computer skills are advance; paying hours and hours and hours of PlayStation does not help you with business applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Don’t tell me “I’m a people person.” Everyone tells me they are a people person. I will tell you “Prove it!” If I had a dollar every time I heard that I wouldn’t have to work. And if you add a side to side head bob with that statement you lose points.
• Come dressed appropriately even when you pick up an application. I work part-time at a retail store for the Minnesota Wild hockey team, every couple months this kid shows up deck in every piece of Wild merchandise he owns, this includes a snapback had pushed to the side and asks about a job. On the third trip I suggested he dress appropriately and not like he is competing for the Minnesota Wild Superfan Award. He looked at me with a puzzled look and said “Wat ya meanin’” I said you should walk in here, or any place you are seeking, dressed nice. Jeans, khaki’s, a dress shirt. Make sure your pants are around your waist, not your butt; no one wants to see your underwear.
• Communications Skills…that doesn’t mean you know how to text and you prove it when your cell phone goes off during our conversation and you answer the person back with a text.
• Just because you like to drink doesn’t mean you should work in a bar, nor should you do it before your interview.
Oh I could go on…