How Hard Is It To Find A Job

[ChefBBaltzley]

Im going to be moving to NYC next month and i have sent at least 50 different resumes out. I have plenty of exp. and i am making time to interview an stage but i still cant get a response. Whats up with NYC????

[Headless Chicken]

The hardest part is getting your foot in the door, that can be pretty long. Networking usually helps shorten the "sending out 20 resumes/hour" stage or you could apply for a "bottom of the pit" position and work your way up. Plus in NYC, you're probrably competing with 5 to 50 other applicants so try doing something to make yourself stand out. I've been told to research places I apply for like knowing the chef's name, knowing items on the menu, essentially telling you're interviewer that you've choosen that place specifically.

Good luck with the job hunt.

[Suzanne]

What level are you looking for? It's probably really difficult to come in as an exec or chef de cuisine unless somebody knows you. Even as a sous, you might have to have some connection to somebody for a chef to really look closely at your resume.

Which brings me to: do you have any contacts in the industry here in NYC? This is most definitely a place where it helps to have someone who can put in a good word for you. So if you have a former instructor or colleague who knows anyone (chef or manager), now is the time to ask for a favor.

When I was still in restaurant kitchens, I very often got interviews and trails based on where I had done my externship, or because the chefs hiring knew the folks I'd worked for. Most of the people with more experience were hired because they were known quantities -- known by the chef or by somebody the chef knew.

[RAS1187]

the problem isnt finding a job... the tricky part is finding a good one

[cookaracho]

Originally Posted by ChefBBaltzley

Im going to be moving to NYC next month and i have sent at least 50 different resumes out. I have plenty of exp. and i am making time to interview an stage but i still cant get a response. Whats up with NYC????

Hi there,

i've been livin`in NYC for 2 years and since i came here i didn`t have any problem to find a job.

it`s a kind of hard to find what you really want work with inside the kitchen world over here in the Big Apple.

and remember that most restaurants consider NYC experience the only one that will give you a chef de cousine position.

To work as a chef of station is easer. Don`t expect interviews what happy is that they give you a trial day and if they like you you are hired.

Hope it help some how.

[ChefBBaltzley]

Yeah i have been exec. and chef de cuisine before but i have been looking for a sous chef job..I know an author that knows Doug Psaltis but i doubt ill get a job at country.. i thiunk no one is giving me the time of day cause i havent worked nyc.

[CRLevesque]

One thing I have learned to is it best to turn in a resume in person with a piece of paper. I have sent in email and paper resumes and almost always get a better response from dropping it off. Talking to others this seems to be the case. I think it tends to be easier to look through a stack of applications the claw through emails to find where the resumes are at.