Looking for a job on the Internet - Read This First

Hello everyone,

I've just joined ChefTalk and wanted to share with you a recent experience of mine this past Winter in South America regarding a job I got off the Internet.

I am a seasonal Chef and have gotten 4 jobs off the Internet in the past five years, 3 of them have been great and one was a real disaster.

If you're interested you can read an article I wrote on my web site at: http://www.chefpatrick.com/htm/job.htm

Thanks,
Patrick Brown

Patrick, congratulations on your sucsess and your homepage I have spent the last hour looking at it. The net has defiently opened a number of doors for chefs such a jobs, menu ideas, recipes to name a few. There are still people in hospitality who are not familiar with the advatages of the using the net for jobs and further information.

[choo choo chef]

I guess i am one of the lucky ones who has found some of the great jobs on the net. i follow common sense when searching. i really check out the employer. i use the net to check them out . from calling as a client to the reservations to calling about special menus. i also request about there standing in the community. about there creditors. i am a specialty chef who goes for the extreme, which is a true learning experience. this type of job is hard at times. but my goodness you are a true artist who creates incredible art. **** you get to play with someones food. just imagine... if you do this right you could have shattering effect on where there taste buds will be tomorrow. what we do has got to be who you are not where you are. as a chef it is a passion , a need your right of passage. and yess you must do what you love for what you taste today must be of the heart and never ever of just the palle`t :

[choo choo chef]

I guess i am one of the lucky ones who has found some of the great jobs on the net. i follow common sense when searching. i really check out the employer. i use the net to check them out . from calling as a client to the reservations to calling about special menus. i also request about there standing in the community. about there creditors. i am a specialty chef who goes for the extreme, which is a true learning experience. this type of job is hard at times. but my goodness you are a true artist who creates incredible art. **** you get to play with someones food. just imagine... if you do this right you could have shattering effect on where there taste buds will be tomorrow. what we do has got to be who you are not where you are. as a chef it is a passion , a need your right of passage. and yess you must do what you love for what you taste today must be of the heart and never ever of just the palle`t :and by the way i am working for a prvate railroad dining car service as the Chef de` Cuisine.

all aboard dinner is served

Hi everyone,
It's interesting to note that I am receiving replies to my posting from almost a year ago.

In response to Afra's comments it is not necessarily a bad thing to get a job off the internet. I have been finding seasonal jobs that way for over five years. The main thing is to be very careful and learn to ask the right questions of a prospective employer.

You need to interview them, just like they interview you. Ask for references. Make sure you understand their policies for tips, days off, benefits, etc. Don't leave anything uncovered.

For example, just this past Winter I accepted a position in Costa Rica. I thought I had asked all the right questions and even went so far as to visit the place before accepting the job. Two months later I ended up giving notice because their tip policy was completely different from what I was used to in similar jobs and I felt I wasn't receiving my share.

The employer however felt that what he was doing was fair as he had been doing it that way for years. If I had asked him ahead of time what their tip policy was I wouldn't have accepted the job. Lesson learned for everybody.

Nothing beats meeting the employer in person but regardless, you still need to ask the right questions before you accept the job.

Chef Patrick

[isaac]

chef patrick,

can u list the questions you ask when you are interviewing a place that wants you to work?

[Svadhisthana]

That is a wonderful website.

[Pastachef]

Chef Patrick, Your home page is very nice as well as informative.

Thanks for your comments on my web site web page, I appreciate hearing from ya'll.

When you look for a job off the internet you need to remember that you usually won't have the opportunity to see with your own eyes the operation. Consequently, you need to ask questions that you may not normally ask, relying instead on your eyes to find the answers.

For example: "What is the age and condition of the kitchen equipment?" How many employees work there?" "Does everyone speak English?" Will I need a second language skill?"

I've also listed a number of question that you should ask in the article but I would like to stress that the more you know about your prospective employer (and the more your employer knows about you) the better the odds are of making a good "match."

One important question that I always ask is: "What happened to your last Chef and how long was he/she here?" You might also ask about the turnover rate of the other employees and about the client return ratio. All of those are very important things to know about your prospective job.

I just accepted a new position that I found off the internet and the entire process took about two weeks from first contact until the final agreement is reached.

I learned a great deal about my employer by visiting and studying their web site. With that knowledge I was able to develop a series of questions that helped me better understand their operation.

Good luck,
Chef Patrick

[cheflaszlo]

Dear Patric

I could not open your site : [url="http://www.chefpatrick.com/htm/job.htm"]

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to get a domestic job ! "

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We would love to have you contribute on our website. Please write your stories and send it to info@domesticratings.com

thanks
310-962-9669 Laszlo

Originally Posted by chefpatrick

Hello everyone,

I've just joined ChefTalk and wanted to share with you a recent experience of mine this past Winter in South America regarding a job I got off the Internet.

I am a seasonal Chef and have gotten 4 jobs off the Internet in the past five years, 3 of them have been great and one was a real disaster.

If you're interested you can read an article I wrote on my web site at: http://www.chefpatrick.com/htm/job.htm

Thanks,
Patrick Brown