This question is a bit tricky and sticky.  Chefs would have varying opinions when it comes to this.  If you ask this question to a hundred chefs, half of them would advise you to put in your career objective while the rest would advise against it.  Perhaps, the latter would tell you that a career objective is unnecessary and it will not have an impact on you landing the job you want.

There are employers who prefer that you put in an objective on your resume.  This helps them determine your worth as a potential employee.  This helps determine what you can do for the organization.  This also helps employers determine your skills and capabilities.  There are employers who frown at resumes without objectives.

Admittedly, a career objective is a bit limiting.  It is also hard to construct the right words for this.  It is hard to put together the right words that would correctly and completely describe your career objectives.  It is unfortunate but many culinary jobseekers often provide woefully constructed objectives.

Many jobseekers fail to consider that their potential employer needs to know what they can contribute to the organization or the company.  Instead of expounding on this, they list down their expectations, desires and needs from the organization and the position they are seeking.  This inadvertently creates a poorly written and self-serving objective.

Taking all these things into consideration, should you put in a career objective on your resume?

If you are considering providing a career objective on your resume, you need to understand that this can be quite limiting.  If your objective does not please the manager or your prospective employer, he or she will not likely take your application seriously or overlook you altogether.  He or she will not even consider other niches in the organization that you could fit into.

Still, this is not a very good reason for leaving out your objective.  After all, it is considerably easy to prepare several resumes these days.  You can create three or more versions of your resume with the objective as their only difference.  You can have tailor-made objectives to match the job you are applying for. It is always safer to include an objective in your resume.  You will hardly annoy a potential employer who does not care much for these things.  However, an employer who prefers to see a career objective may take its absence negatively.

You can use your cover letter to expound on your objective or to supplement or support it.  Applicants do this when they feel that their objective is insufficient.  Some people include supplementary sections in their resume.  For instance, they include a “Qualifications” or “Skills Summary” section.

Ultimately, it is up to you to decide whether or not you should include an objective section in your resume.  This is your personal choice.  However, if you want to use one, there are some things that you should take note of:

1.    Your objective should be specific.  Unsure of what to put in, applicants tend to create vague objectives.  This is a huge mistake.  You need to choose the right words, so you can avoid limiting descriptions.

2.   Take the opportunity to demonstrate how you can be an asset to the organization.  You need to remember that your career objective should reflect how the organization can benefit from your service.  You need to demonstrate how you can be of value to your employer.  This should not be self-serving.

3.   Keep it short and sweet.  Make sure that your statement is concise as possible.

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Food poisoning can be very unpleasant.  It can also be quite deadly.  There are some things you have to remember in order to avoid eating poisoned or stale food.  It does not matter if you are eating out or eating at home.  You can fall victim to food poisoning, so it is definitely a good idea to take note of these tips.

Understand Food Poisoning and Its Causes

Basically, this happens when you ingest food or drink contaminated with bacteria, parasites, chemicals or toxins.  To be specific, this is actually caused more by ingestion of food contaminated with toxins or chemicals.  Generally, however, the term is commonly used to describe sickness caused by ingestion of contaminated food or drink.

There are many causes of food contamination.  Foods may be contaminated from the very first start.  Fruits and vegetables that have been grown using fertilizers and chemicals have the potential to be contaminated.  Never eat fruits or vegetables without washing them first.  Improper food hygiene can definitely cause food contamination.

Learn the Tips and Tricks on How to Prevent Food Contamination

Bacteria and viruses are everywhere, so it is easy to get your food contaminated with these things.  Therefore, it is important that you observe proper food hygiene in order to minimize or eliminate possible contamination.  You should have a dedicated approach to correct food preparation and hygiene during food processing and food preparation.  There should also be proper food storage.

You need to make sure that areas used for food processing are clean and free from dirt, viruses or bacteria.  Cross contamination can easily occur, so make sure that you use the right tools and equipments.  For instance, if you have wooden chopping boards, make sure that you have two, one to use for chopping meat and the other to use for chopping fruits and vegetables.

Foods should be stored properly as well.  Do not mix raw meat with fruits and vegetables.  This can result to cross contamination.  Try to discover what foods can be cause cross contaminations.

You should also be very careful when preparing food.  Often, contamination occurs during this stage.  Make sure that you wash your hands before you handle foods.  The kitchen implements and spaces should be clean and wash thoroughly before using them.

These are just a few of the things that you can do in order to avoid food poisoning.  In truth, care should be exercised right from the start.  You need to learn how to shop with care.  You should make it a habit to check expiration dates especially of raw foods like meat and poultry products.  You should also make sure that grocery items are correctly separated.  Do not mix food items like fruits and raw meat.  Store food items properly.  Foods that should be kept in the freezer should be stored in the freezer immediately.

By doing these simple things, you will be able to protect yourself, your family or your customers from food poisoning.

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The job of a chef seems glamorous, financially rewarding and fulfilling.  This is how a chef’s job is viewed by many.  This is not surprising considering the fact that chefs are often found working in luxurious hotels, resorts, clubs and restaurants.  A chef career holds a lot of promise, but what does it include?  What does it mean?  Is it worth it?  A chef job description will help you understand the job and what it entails.

Job Description of a Chef

A chef’s job is not that easy.  This is especially true if you are an executive chef.  This chef’s job description involves administering, monitoring and supervising the preparation of food.  It also involves managing kitchen personnel, purchasing ingredients and kitchen supplies, pricing and costing food items.

An executive chef’s job involves keeping tab with kitchen personnel and guiding them through the food preparation process.  It is a chef’s job to ensure that the food items are exquisitely and expertly made.  Food quality is very important.  It is a chef’s job to check that food is of excellent quality before it is served to guests, customers or visitors.  It is his responsibility to make sure that customers are satisfied with the food and the service that the restaurant provides.

It is also a chef’s responsibility to prepare the menu, purchase the ingredients and establish contacts with vendors and suppliers.  It is his task to order supplies and maintain record and inventory.  He is also responsible for ensuring that the kitchen is equipped with all the right cooking equipment.  He also needs to make sure that these equipments are maintained properly.

Cleanliness and safety are issues that concern a chef.  He needs to make sure that these are maintained in the kitchen.  Cleanliness is a major concern especially during food preparation.  Food needs to be stored and handled properly in order to maintain cleanliness.  Often, it is the executive chef who receives customer complaints about the food and he is also tasked to resolve problems or concerns.

Due to a senior chef vast experience, he often plays a role in hiring of kitchen personnel, staff and cooks.  He may also be expected to conduct training programs, assess kitchen employees and monitor their progress.

Now that you know the chef job description, you now have a good idea what is in store for you if you are considering a career in culinary arts.

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Contrary to what you might think or believe, there are foods that you should not eat before flying.  You do not want to end up doing repeated trips to the lavatory.  Eat the wrong food and you will find yourself doing just that.  Unfortunately, you have limited options when it comes to airport dining.  You cannot also control what you may serve in the airplane.

Often, people may have to content themselves with unhealthy foods.  This does not mean, however, that you can eat anything you want as long as it is healthy.  A wise traveler knows that there are some foods that you should avoid eating before traveling.  In fact, there are nutritious foods that you should avoid before flying.  What are the foods that you should avoid?  If you are planning to travel anytime soon, check out this list of foods that you should avoid.

1. Fast foods or food outlets that offer oily, artery-clogging foods.  You will find many of these outlets in airports.  Medical studies show that the body finds it even more difficult to digest these kinds of foods when you are located thousands of feet above the ground.  Aside from the fact that these foods are bad for your health, they are also not the wisest choice for air travel.  They are not the most comfortable choice.

You will also be able to avoid health risks associated to eating greasy and fatty foods.  This is especially true if you are suffering from hypertension or diabetes.  Remember that you will be sitting squished and immobilized for hours inside a pressurized cabin.  It is definitely not a good idea to eat foods that could trigger blood clots.

2. Gas-inducing foods.  The last thing you would want is to be stuck in an 18-hour flight with a seatmate who seems to have eaten every gas-inducing food the planet.  You probably do not want to embarrass yourself as well.  So, you should avoid bloating and farting-inducing foods.  Fried foods are definitely a no-no.  You should also avoid cabbages, cauliflowers, onions and baked beans.

3. Alcohol and carbonated drinks.  Although you may feel like downing a couple of cocktails, it is still a good idea to avoid drinking altogether.  Medically speaking, you will find it harder to go to sleep during a flight if your system is drowning in alcohol.  This is because alcohol is even more concentrated when your body is dehydrated.  If you feel like you need to drink alcohol to help settle your nerves, you should make sure that you drink plenty of water to counteract the effects of alcohol.  You should also avoid carbonated drinks because they contribute to bloating and cramping.

These are some of the foods that you should avoid before flying.

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