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Advice needed/just ranting

post #1 of 27
9/1/09 at 7:14pm
Thread Starter 
I got fired today. Laid off really, but I'm not going back.

The restaurant didn't have enough money to support the amount of staff that we had, so instead of laying off the new guy that has two other jobs, they lay off the guy who had literally been there since before the beginning, put up with more BS then anyone should ever expect a cook to through, dealt with 80% of his paychecks bouncing, and still showed up to work every single day. It didn't matter if I was sick, if I was injured, if I hadn't gotten paid in 3 weeks, or if I had to borrow money to get to work.

You know what's sick? After getting told not to come in anymore, I still finished my shift and waited for my relief to get there.

Part of me wants the place to fail miserably, but a larger part wants it to do really well because the chef is still a close friend.

The worst part though is that this is the first time in my career (10 years) that I have ever been fired/laid off/asked to leave/whatever. I am not sure how to deal with it. Normally when I'm out of work I'm happy about it!

Also, I haven't had to make a resume/cover letter or look for jobs in about three years, and I've almost forgotten how to do it. Every job I've had recently has been on reference alone.

This is gonna be a long week...
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post #2 of 27
9/1/09 at 7:26pm
Dang, what a bummer!! Maybe you can find a better job. Your dedication to the job shows your character.

I was laid off towards the end of July, not from restaurant work but from heating and air conditioning work. I've found that monster.com and craigslist have way more job listings than the local newspaper. Monster has a tool for creating a resume. I'd say make your resume short and sweet, because potential employers won't read past the the first page, or maybe even half page. Especially now with the number of unemployed people, they are looking for a reason to throw a resume in the trash can. Put the important stuff at the top of the page!

Best of luck to you.
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post #3 of 27
9/1/09 at 7:36pm
Sorry to hear about your job loss. This is one of the worst recessions we've seen in a long time. In all my years of being in the workforce I had never heard of anyone getting laid off without the restaurant failing. Hours cut maybe, but never straight up handed a pink slip.
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post #4 of 27
9/1/09 at 7:52pm
In your profile, you say you run a catering company. Maybe you were laid off, rather than others, because you have another source of income and it was assumed you wouldn't be as bad off as the next person with no other income? Just a guess.
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post #5 of 27
9/1/09 at 11:17pm
Thread Starter 
catering company hasnt had a gig in almost 4 months. stupid recession... ill get through it. i always do. i mean, one of the reasons i become a cook is because anywhere in the world im needed in some capacity right?
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post #6 of 27
9/2/09 at 3:39am
I'm sorry to hear of your bad tidings. You are not alone, there are so many people struggling right now in this economy, even those of us who have jobs. Just remember that when one door closes another one opens. Not too long from now you'll be thinking back on this knowing that this was actually for the best. It's time to think about what kind of restaurant you really want to be working at and go for it hard! Best of luck and keep us updated!
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post #7 of 27
9/2/09 at 5:11am
Some people would have walked out the door right away, but look at your dedication. You stayed right to the end of your shift, you work wholeheartedly.
You bring alot to the plate .....
I always say, what goes around comes around. If you give that much of yourself out, it will come back to you.
I am so sorry you did lose your job. We are living in critical times hard to deal with.....
my husband lost his to not long ago. I hope something comes around really quick.
There are alot of formats on the web for making a resume, I think Microsoft even has one. If you cannot find one let me know. By the way, companies always look at the cover sheet, so make sure that paper has the most up to date info and is clear.
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post #8 of 27
9/2/09 at 8:06am
You know what's sick? After getting told not to come in anymore, I still finished my shift and waited for my relief to get there.

Part of me wants the place to fail miserably, but a larger part wants it to do really well because the chef is still a close friend. BRIAN J.

Don't worry about your CLOSE FRIEND the chef, he did not worry about you. He probably knew about it in advance and should have told you. Most owners will advise or consult with chef prior to any action taken re. kitchen.
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post #9 of 27
9/2/09 at 11:09am
Thread Starter 
He is a good guy, and he was as surprised as I was. The owner of this place has surprised him with things like this before. I talked to him today and he and the sous (another long-time friend) are both looking for other gigs. The fist thing he did was call a mutual friend and get me a stage.
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post #10 of 27
9/3/09 at 10:00am
Thread Starter 
Stage today for a Sous Chef position in Lincoln Park... Hope it goes well.
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post #11 of 27
9/3/09 at 10:04am
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

Willie
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post #12 of 27
9/3/09 at 10:10am
Wrong thread--sorry.
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post #13 of 27
9/3/09 at 12:13pm
Nobody ever really knows the "why" of a situation like you describe. But as a former manager, I've had to lay off/fire a couple of people from time to time.

From what/how you describe yourself, they might just figured you'd have the best chance of finding another job. A manager really hates to fire anyone, but sometimes, if you think one person won't be able to find work (the new guy doesn't have much of a resume for this particular job), versus another guy who's been there steady, always dependable, long history, no absences, those are the traits that get people hired.

Its just a thought, but ya never know, could be why it was you.

doc
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post #14 of 27
9/3/09 at 12:41pm
No offense to anybody, but I think deltadoc's potential "rationale" is the sorriest excuse in the book. If you're going to keep the new guy because you "Feel sorry" for them as opposed to keeping a superior employee then as the employee my opinion of said manager would go down the toilet.

How that is a remotely professional choice is beyond me and if the manager thought it was "time for me to stretch my wings" I would prefer to be allowed to make that decision rather than having them do it in a sort of passive-aggressive manner like getting fired. If the manager wants to earn the respect of your employees I certainly don't believe that is the way to go.

Honestly, I think it was simply a $$$ issue. The new hire was cheaper and would work fewer hours, you were too expensive to keep on in their short-sighted minds.
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post #15 of 27
9/3/09 at 1:41pm
I'm with you on all points, Blueicus.

When lay-offs are in the offing, the usual thought process is, "I have to cut payroll by X dollars. Easiest way to do that is to can the highest paid employees."

A case in point: My wife was laid off in December. At the time she was the highest-paid person in her department (not to mention the most productive). I'm sure the head of the department was given a mandate to cut her budget by X percent. So, rather than looking at the whole picture (that is, balancing pay rates with productivity), she took the simple way, and laid off from the top.

This is not unusual at all. In my experience, most managers in American business are living proof of the Peter principle. But I digress.

Ironically, because productivity went down, so did corporate income. Which meant they kept laying off more and more. Now they're down to only two people (in a department that was short-handed when they had 7), and those two haven't a clue because they lack time in grade.

But getting back to Byron's situation, the way he describes it this restaurant has been in trouble for quite some time. There's no question that the first time a paycheck of mine bounced there would not be a second opportunity for it to happen. I think getting laid off is the best thing that could have happened, because it will force him to find realistic employment in a professional environment.
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post #16 of 27
9/3/09 at 8:49pm
Thread Starter 
I can kinda see the points all three of you are making. In any case, it probably is for the best.

The stage ended up being a tasting/interview. The owner and I ended up having a connection. He was managing partner at a restaurant I worked at about a year ago, but he left right before I started.

For the tasting I did a seared whole trout resting on a bed of herbed sauteed spinach, drizzled with a lemon and caper buerre blanc. It was good enough that they're running it as a special tonight, so I guess that's a good sign. My actual stage is Saturday. There have been three other people, and the chef and owner said I blew them out of the water, so my only competition is the guy staging tomorrow night.

I'll keep you all updated.
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post #17 of 27
9/3/09 at 9:07pm
Right on, Bryan :D Best to you. What kind of trout was it, by the way? Maybe "trout" is a standard thing to the pros, but to me they aren't all the same.

Whatever kind it was, you've obviously impressed them.
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post #18 of 27
9/4/09 at 7:38pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the encouragement.

It was a small Lake Trout.
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post #19 of 27
9/5/09 at 11:15pm
Thread Starter 
Update: That was the most brutal kitchen I've ever worked in. Two cooks, one dishwasher who also does pantry. One six burner, a 2'x2' grill, and a 2'x2' flat top. 250 covers. Insane. I'll know on Tuesday if I got the job or not.
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post #20 of 27
9/5/09 at 11:33pm
Best to you, Bryan. I hope you get it if you want it.
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post #21 of 27
9/15/09 at 6:45pm
Thread Starter 
Well, I didn't get it.

This job market is brutal...
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post #22 of 27
9/15/09 at 7:01pm
Dangit.

I haven't gotten another job yet, either.
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post #23 of 27
9/17/09 at 12:34am
Thread Starter 
I just found out that my unemployment benefits are going to be about 80% of what I was making before. Granted, everyone's hours had been cut, so it wasn't what i was supposed to have been making, but still. Add that with the freelance journalism and video game/website beta testing work I've picked up and I'll be A-OK.
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post #24 of 27
10/17/09 at 2:19pm
ok, I`ve been there before,and it`s a real kick in the gut, but here`s how it works.
no matter the venue, (this happened to me at a country club) when a company is looking to cut labor cost, it makes sense to start with the highest paid employee( that was me, and sounds like you too). It has nothing to do with performance or depenability,it`s just all about the money.Trust me you`ll land on your feet, after you get over your disappointment.
My guess is they`ve al ready found a young kid willing to work for much less to take over, then in a few months they`ll have to close because the new kid couldn`t maintain your level of quality. They`ll have lost their business trying to trip over a dollar.
Let me know how things turn out, I bet you end up with a betterjob with a better salary.
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post #25 of 27
10/17/09 at 2:28pm
If the chef is a good friend why would he get rid of you?
I keep my guys on as long as I can.
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post #26 of 27
10/17/09 at 10:23pm
Unfortunately it's not always the chefs call.
Should be, but......
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post #27 of 27
10/18/09 at 12:03pm
Thread Starter 
Definitely not the chef's call. He's getting ready to leave a well because of this and other things. The sad part is that in the week after I left, two magazines and two newspapers here in the city published good reviews/articles about him and the restaurant, and now he wants to leave.
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