So you’ve lost your job……………….

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A guide to being selected in the current economic climate.

There are many challenges to finding work right now. There are record job losses and redundancies, side-served with a record low in available positions, and an excess of conservatism in recruitment practices.

What not to do:

Don’t have a “standard” CV. Employers are very picky right now, and they are looking for specific skills. These will normally appear as buzz words or themes in their ads.
Choose appropriate positions to apply for – make sure you match the criteria.

Make a strong CV that does NOT just list jobs and responsibilities.

It should give an impression of your strengths, individuality and accomplishments.

Employers know that you can chop and cook and manage. They are looking for:

Character traits and attitudes that match their corporate/company culture.
How you made the business better, faster, more profitable, more consistent
Ways in which you developed or bettered yourself during the tie you were there
Evidence that you were not problematic or difficult to manage
Demonstration of your work ethic, drive and initiative

The section where you have your ‘summary and objective’ is your “menu description”
If it doesn’t sound good enough to eat and go crazy over – then your customer – (the recruiter) won’t order the dish (go through the rest of your CV and give you an interview.)

Put some time and thought into describing yourself in a manner that is a perfect fit for your desired role. Get feedback from peers and friends, and go through it eliminating any waffle.

“Dear Sir – I am applying for your advertised position dated March the 16^th” is NOT the ideal way to start an application letter.

Too many people do it. You do not want to be the same as “too many people”

Be yourself – naturally with respect to the company profile and position applied for.

Think of an attention-grabbing start that shows your individuality and personality – and then explain to them succinctly and in a focused manner why you are the ideal applicant, and why they should take the time to read YOUR CV.

Don’t include obvious mistakes. And then, go through Your CV, referees and cover letter to find the less obvious ones as well.

Consider:

Spelling, grammar, and format.
Consistency of formatting including fonts, colours, sizes and spacing.
Correct and CURRENT contact numbers for yourself and referees – including international dialling codes. Many, if not most recruiters will not bother to do any research trying to work out how to dial a number.
With referees, make sure that they know and remember you, that you have a current contact number, preferably mobile AND business, and make sure they know and agree to be a referee. Also give an email address in case of difficulties reaching them by phone.
Company names and job titles – very important that these are correct.
Sequential dates of employment, taking care to explain any periods without employment

What to do:

Develop a current, easily contactable list of strong referees. People who are able to describe your specific abilities and strengths beyond duties and length of service.
General Managers, HR managers, peers, industry figures that know the quality and consistency of your work and, the situations that bring out the best in you.

Look for companies whose culture and values reflect your own. It is hard to pick these days – but if you get a good fit with a team that you fit into well, it could mean the difference between a 6 month blip on the CV and a successful long term position where you can develop and expand your skill base and marketability.

Stay positive. It is easy to get depressed and start to doubt yourself when out of work for extended time. Don’t get into a cycle of blame, stress and desperation.

Even if it takes a few months, a positive attitude and self confidence will win the day.
Never point the finger at interviews, or badmouth employers, colleagues or job seeking experiences.

Employers will look for upbeat people ready to start a challenge with a fresh perspective and an eager approach.

Look at cultural perspectives and outline your previous handling of specific situations and issues to demonstrate your understanding and experience.

Improve your interview skills – check employment sites and the vast resources on the internet that provide typical interview questions, and take time to work out your own responses.

Know yourself. Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses.

Work out what you love about your job – what makes you motivated and what turns you off.
Focus on your strengths and find a way to put them into words – make a “product tagline” to describe and up sell your most important product – you!

Application and cover letters. Personalise them using their own ad as a template.

Take your prompts from the style of their advertisements and job description.

There are normally clues in there: Is it written formally, or informally?

Are they looking for a person with hobbies interests and attitude, or do they want someone to follow a set of rigid criteria?

Do they mention a lot about being a team player and people person, or is it all about financial management, technical skills and discipline?
A good way is to repeat back their criteria in your letter, explaining how and why you fit them and why you feel you would be amongst the strongest applicants.

Put some work into your networking.

It can be as informal as the occasional beer with colleagues, or it could be spending every waking hour on chefs associations, competitions, TV shows and doing Letterman interviews.

At the end of the day, the more people who know you, the more chance you have of getting “that call” about great opportunities through extended friends and colleagues that nobody else knows about.

Build skills – learn a language, develop new technical skills and abilities. Read, study, and consider a ‘stage’. It is good, and looks good for chefs to develop themselves professionally – even AFTER getting that all important trade certificate or accreditation.

Build evidence of your achievements and abilities – via video, demonstration, website, portfolio of dishes, display of media articles etc.

Make it easy for people to web search you or find out about your professional achievements publicly.

Web albums, forums, websites, chefs associations and even “twitter” and “YouTube” are great ways to link your personal flair and expertise to dishes, techniques or skills that can be understood and assessed by viewers.

Good luck – I have just been through the above myself – and maintaining a positive frame of mind, some confidence in yourself and doing the above DOES work.

See you on the other side of the recession, and we can swap notes on how successful the year has been.

Best regards,

Chef Shane

The Culinary Globe Trotter

chefshane@prochef360.com

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