# resumes



## pumbaa (Jul 20, 2012)

Lets say you get a resume from someone. Their resume looks good, has the experience, and everything is fine. Would you as a hiring chef look down upon someone if they put things other than just the basics on their resume. Like winning medals competing or an article attached that they were mentioned in or anything like that.

We were discussing that at work today, my job knows I am moving after the first of the year and I am redoing my resume. I told the chef de cuisine that I would not put that I wont a medal or attach a recent article about our restaurant that I am mentioned in. He said that I should and him being a hiring manager got me thinking. So I am asking all the execs and hiring staff here what do you think?


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## Crothcipt (Jul 20, 2012)

I have always wondered about this. I can see the perks, with the bait. If I remember were you work I think it would help a ton.


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## Sarge (Jul 20, 2012)

I don't think it would hurt and as someone who looks at those things it certainly would give you a leg up and I'd probably want to have you stage before other candidates and certainly do a more in depth stage with you than someone else. I think it is always good to show case your talents. 

That being said when I look at a resume I don't want to see a paragraph detailing your day to day. I say list the position and place you worked at and then give 4-5 bullet points on your basic responsibilities and skills, try to keep it to 1 page if possible. I'll give a guy preference who has a well organized resume that is straightforward and to the point that I can glance at and get an Idea about the place you work based upon your duties, over the dude who hands me 3 pages with 2-3 paragraphs per place worked. 

I hope that helps and made sense. I know I have gotten into a few interviews due to the fact that I had a well organized easy to read and view resume


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 21, 2012)

The medal you can add as a bullet point in your brief resume like Sarge suggested. The article...ehh, I'm not sure. Like Sarge said I don't want to read paragraph descriptions about each place you were at, let alone an entire article about your last restaurant just to find mention of you. Highlighting the bit about you seems cheesy. If the article was run in a paper or food publication in the area of the places you are applying, chances are they would have seen it, they might make the connection. What's in the article, is it really that beneficial?

Also, what positions would you be applying for? If you are applying for line cooks jobs, you might get a 'who the f does this guy thing he is?' reaction from people reading them.


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## bieniek (Jul 21, 2012)

I dont know, I have two pages just with places I have worked at and theres no paragraphs just information about the food, my position and duties. 

I think everything that could help you win your goal, so getting a job where you want, is worth trying. 

Think of whats important chef-wise or position-wise. 
I would put info that Maco Pierre White is my fav chef but [just to help describe my style] and I would not put a note about a competition. 
Who in pro setting gives a shite about that?


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## Crothcipt (Jul 21, 2012)

I think you could put it as a reference. Like a link page if someone wanted to read it they can look it up. Otherwise k.i.s.s.. Also, don't do to many write ups, it will look like you are bragging to much.


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## eshua (Jul 21, 2012)

Different restaurants want different things... the important thing about apping is to know your audience. 

For me I want a guy who is semi-competent and willing to put in 2-3 years min. I have literally no use for an awesome cook who will get bored in 6months... 

Super high end places want you to work for less than min wage and shut your mouth...

Some owners need an ok cook who can Really do the books...

Resumes are more likely to alienate you from new employers than they are to seal a deal. They give you the opertunity to show you are an adult and competent, showing your exceptional in the way valuable to the restaurant is something saved for the interview where you can better judge their needs.


tldr: After hiring 5 bads in a row...don't trust anything i have to say lol


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## Keith Neal (Jul 21, 2012)

"the important thing about apping is to know your audience" by far the most important.

I think resumes should be limited to one page with no attachments. Long resumes have the wrong effect. Make is simple, to the point, and be absolutely certain that your English is perfect.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Jul 21, 2012)

Keep in mind that the purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. It's not your life history, but an advertisement to sell you to the person reading it. It has to be easy to read, it should summarize your accomplishments and needs to stand out from the rest of the resumes as much as possible. One page, no more.


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## pumbaa (Jul 21, 2012)

I do keep my resume simple. it has name, dates, city, and a summary of what the job entailed. the medal is at the bottom in a bullet point with my school and certifications like servsafe and things. the article is pretty cool but i thought it was a bit over the top, so it stays out as far as i am concerned but my chef de cuisine was adamant that it would be good on there. i am applying across the country from where i currently am so no one there will know the magazine anyways.

i am applying for asst. pastry chef or baker positions. i am an exec pastry chef now but it really doesnt mean much its just a title. i am not a manager, i dont do my own ordering, and i have only some input into the dessert menu. i am young to this part of the industry and still in school so i am just honored they let me have the position. i do well i am told but obviously there are things i need to work on. in the 8 months the place has been open i am the 3rd pastry chef and i have been there 4 months now if that tells you anything about the place. it has been good hearing what exec and hiring managers have to say.


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## lumo (Jul 24, 2012)

I prefer resumes to be simple, clean and with perfect grammar. Also what will get you further along than just sending a resume, with me at least, is a brief, well written cover letter that isn't the generic mass produced/to whom it may concern type. Here is where you can throw in a few personal mentions of your accolades and goals, that you know who you are applying to and why you want to work for this company or person. No a$$ kissing...just show that you have a head on your shoulders and have done some research and know where you are going or want to be. My humble two cents, hope this helps and good luck. If you're looking in the Boston area and need some help or direction feel free to PM


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## Keith Neal (Jul 24, 2012)

lumo said:


> I prefer resumes to be simple, clean and with perfect grammar. Also what will get you further along than just sending a resume, with me at least, is a brief, well written cover letter that isn't the generic mass produced/to whom it may concern type. Here is where you can throw in a few personal mentions of your accolades and goals, that you know who you are applying to and why you want to work for this company or person. No a$$ kissing...just show that you have a head on your shoulders and have done some research and know where you are going or want to be. My humble two cents, hope this helps and good luck. If you're looking in the Boston area and need some help or direction feel free to PM



Absolutely correct. 

If you would like a bit of assistance, PM your proposed resume and I will offer suggestions. You are, of course, entitled to ignore them, but it never hurts to listen to suggestions.


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## foreleft (Jul 28, 2012)

Never hired in the culinary industry but did a lot in my previous life. Any resume longer than one page would generally get tossed without a 2nd look. I put one add up for delivery drivers and in 2 days got almost 200 responses. I didn't have time to read someone's life story. I'd look at their last couple jobs, or the first couple things at the top of the page, and if nothing caught my eye I'd move on.


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## Duckfat (Jul 30, 2012)

It's not imperitive to keep your resume to a single page but if your sending a cover letter with it you want to try to keep it short and sweet. There are no absolutes as every Chef is going to be different as you can see from this thread. Then there are those places where you get pre-sorted by HR. I would absolutely include the info about the medal. Skip the article as that's way more than I want to see even at an Interview. If I had two resume's and was going to prioritize I always pick some one who had been involved in competition as that says a lot to me about your motivation.

Best of luck with the job search!

Dave


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## NO ChoP! (Jul 30, 2012)

I'd keep the articles out of the resume and compile a portfolio for interviews. It could contain pictures of your food as well....


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## joex175 (Jul 31, 2012)

best help I ever got was @ Other knife forums someone proofread my resume and made modifications , having someone who looks at alot of them take a look and help you out w/ tips & editing is really helpful


for every job I send a resume too I adjust the cover letter to contain , the restaurants name , chef's name , and at least some thing the restaurant is known for that I am interested in learning about or that I can hopefully be an addition too


its a small thing but I have repeatedly been told that the cover letter is what really stood out on the resume.



for the rest of it I keep it simple & straight forward , always trying to show that @ every workplace I have been promoted & have steadily been going up & never backwards in my profession ( which is 100% correct at this point in time ) 


resume is just to get your foot in the door so you can sell yourself

I try to never let my resume sound like a craigslist post from a used car dealership , do that in person

edit : adding in the only accomplishment I have ever mentioned in a resume besides work experience , is things pertaining to James Beard dinner / nominations ( havent received second one yet ) or other awards that I specifically had a large hand in achieving


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## Mucho Bocho (Jul 31, 2012)

I've been a professional recruiter for about 15 years. look me up Linkedin Dennis M Pinto II, Raleigh, NC). Resumes are an old way of trying to demonstrate skills and experiences. LinkedIn has built a better mousetrap, its dynamic, will allow you to post a pic and will actually be working for you, unlike a file on a disk.

Couple of best resume practices.

Do not write a laundry list of chores or duties:

worked fry, vegie perp, dishwasher... Nobody cares, plus *If you hire someone that has performed the same or similar job for another company that your hiring some for, your seeding your own company with turnover within two years.* Think about, who wants to do the same job, just at a different place. 

Employer are looking for drive, motivation and accomplishment. Not another did, it, done it, been there. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ trash can

Better to state one thing at each place of employment that distinguished you, something that you did better than everyone else (should be a skill and personality trait), unless your looking for a job just shucking oysters or washing dishes. 

Drop all accolades: I'm the hardest working, passionate, even tempered... blah blah blah, nobody cares or believes you. Plus, their only going to give your resume 3 to 5 second look and you wasted your time telling them that You're Mr Hard worker. You blew it.

if you do say something like I was the best at this, then put it into context. "In a team of six chef's and four sous, I was known for my miriproix prep, others would always comment on why my vegetables always lasted longer than the others. I believe the reason for this was that because I cared enough about the vegetables to keep my knife edges professional maintained on a daily basis." 

Sorry if this sounds short but i can't write a book here, have ten people I need to call, are you going to be one of them?


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## bieniek (Jul 31, 2012)

If this would be like this, I guess none of the companies that employed me after reading my CV would actually look at it.



Mucho Bocho said:


> Plus, their only going to give your resume 3 to 5 second look



Now that is just a lot of BS.

So youre saying that someone who runs family restaurant, max group of 6 passionates in the kitchen, and looks for one more, spends only 3-5 secs on my resume? 

Hell, how come they asked about the things written there?


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## Mucho Bocho (Jul 31, 2012)

BS huh. Now you're a recruiter? to be honest it wouldn't surprise me as you seem to be a know-it-all about everything else. Perhaps you should focus that keen intelect on Europe's Debt Crisis. Clearly they are in need of your wisdom or not. 

Like I said, three to five seconds is the average. Once the reader show some interest, then we'll spend more time with it. I can tell if a candidate is a fit for a role from across the room. Least that how we do it in the Fortune 1000.


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## WildBoar (Jul 31, 2012)

Hmmm, maybe that is the difference between a corporate recruiter and a small business owner/ manager. When we run ads for engineers, we spend a bit more time then only 3-5 seconds reviewing resumes, as we are looking for the best people with the best education/ background, and not the best resume writers. The corporate world is different, though. There people often pay others to write their resumes, so the resumes are not always a true depiction of the applicant (since the writing was done by others). It's funny to see a perfectly polished resume that arrives with a cover letter that looks like it was written by a 4th grader.


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## Birnando (Jul 31, 2012)

I suppose there are different cultural takes on the OP's question.
Both geographically and profession wise.

I have been a business owner and manager for a good number of years now, and tend to do like to be involved in the hiring process.

Basically what I'll do is look for a proper presentation in their application and resumes.
The ones who doesn't look like something they have worked on, at least a basic attempt of selling themselves and document their skills, will go to the bottom of the pile pretty fast.
After that initial ranking is done, I will study their resumes in much more detail.
What I look for at that time, is anything out of the ordinary.
Not all A's or anything like that, I'll make sure they receive proper training regardless of that.
No, it is more the person that has shown a will and a desire to get somewhere that kinda peeks my interest.
Extra curicular activities, what subjects they may have excelled in, hobbies or interests outside of the work arena and so on.
In other words, someone who makes me feel that he or she has proven a willingness to go the extra mile for their goals, and possess a personality that, in my initial impression, will fit the current position in that team.


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## pumbaa (Jul 31, 2012)

thanks for all of the help everyone. i have finalized my resume and been sending it out. now hopefully someone in chicago or vegas likes it and i can get out of charlotte


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## bieniek (Aug 1, 2012)

Mucho Bocho said:


> BS huh. Now you're a recruiter? to be honest it wouldn't surprise me as you seem to be a know-it-all about everything else. Perhaps you should focus that keen intelect on Europe's Debt Crisis. Clearly they are in need of your wisdom or not.
> 
> Like I said, three to five seconds is the average. Once the reader show some interest, then we'll spend more time with it. I can tell if a candidate is a fit for a role from across the room. Least that how we do it in the Fortune 1000.



Dont get personal my friend. 

I dont know what else youve been reading in my posts, but this is KKF[kitchen knife forums], and so I write about grinding metal, and cooking.
And if Im trying my best? 

My intelect is not getting even close to yours, so please you fix Europe. I live in the part of it, that does good. 

I dont know if you have been recruiting chefs before or not. Doesnt really matter. From my experience, everyone Ive sent my CV read it. In a few different countries. 
I dont say they did cause its worth it. They did it, cause chefs understand very well [I hope] that to get something good you have to invest time. 

Hahah, for example my current employer was asking me dates question and talked my hobbies with me. The previous asked me whats my favourite Thai food.

We are not a big company and we are not seeking after 100 people to join the crew. Its one at a time, and it takes few days for the decision to invite potential employee for a trial.


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## Crothcipt (Aug 1, 2012)

It really depends on the restaurant, if you are going to a chain or a small one store place. The chain will also hire in bulk and keep the 1 out of the 5. 

Were as the single out one will sit down and look through all they get. Most small places don't get much as far as resume's come. I am now at a place if a resume comes with a application most people just laugh because we usually don't hire someone that has tons of experience.


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## Mucho Bocho (Aug 1, 2012)

All good input. Sorry Bieniek, Just rubbed me the wrong way yesterday. I work for the largest Professional Technical Training company in the world, Global Knowledge. I'm their Instructor Talent Acquisition manger, Instructor recruiter. The folks I hire are consultants in the industry that also have good communication skills. They make an average of $1000 per day some $1500.

One thing that always stands out in resumes in inconsitency in job duties. I'm looking for a steady track record working on that same skill set. So if your looking for a job cooking, its not going to help your chances highlighting you experience as a camp councilor.


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## pumbaa (Aug 1, 2012)

Mucho Bocho said:


> All good input. Sorry Bieniek, Just rubbed me the wrong way yesterday. I work for the largest Professional Technical Training company in the world, Global Knowledge. I'm their Instructor Talent Acquisition manger, Instructor recruiter. The folks I hire are consultants in the industry that also have good communication skills. They make an average of $1000 per day some $1500.
> 
> One thing that always stands out in resumes in inconsitency in job duties. I'm looking for a steady track record working on that same skill set. So if your looking for a job cooking, its not going to help your chances highlighting you experience as a camp councilor.


I tailored my resume for this industry leaving out anything not food related unless it was management.


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## bieniek (Aug 1, 2012)

Mucho Bocho said:


> All good input. Sorry Bieniek, Just rubbed me the wrong way yesterday. I work for the largest Professional Technical Training company in the world, Global Knowledge. I'm their Instructor Talent Acquisition manger, Instructor recruiter. The folks I hire are consultants in the industry that also have good communication skills. They make an average of $1000 per day some $1500.
> 
> One thing that always stands out in resumes in inconsitency in job duties. I'm looking for a steady track record working on that same skill set. So if your looking for a job cooking, its not going to help your chances highlighting you experience as a camp councilor.



Nothing to appologise about. Honestly. 

Now, the part of earning reminded me a funny story. 

The restaurant I worked for once got a guy, he was in his thirties, before was working with computers and earned over 100K sterlings per annum. 
But he really wanted to cook. And so he became commis chef. after a two months he realised he got bullied by everyone, earned barely 700 per month and his wife left him. 
Oh and he was coming to the job in his ew Audi TT [back then it was hit].
Two or three months and the guy was over. 
Guess money aint everything ... :clown:


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