resume question

From 20XX to 20XX I staged at the following restaurants under these Chefs: 

<< list restaurants, in order of dates; include name of said Chef >> 

Quote:

Originally Posted by IceMan 

From 20XX to 20XX I staged at the following restaurants under these Chefs: 

 

<< list restaurants, in order of dates; include name of said Chef >> 

Absolutely

Keep entire resume short and to the point. Use key words like " Increased" or Saved or Instituted.  If you make it to long we do not read it.

     And most important  "Tell the Truth" Write only what can be backed up or proven.

Also have a cover letter telling them what you think you can do for them and why.

I never looked at what school someone went to, or how long they were in business,. I hired based on interview and then 90 day paid  trial (which they signed and agreed to). Then attitude and performance on job. Everything they were weak on we helped them with. 95% of time it worked out well for both of us 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cookers 

I stage at a few known restaurants under very well known chefs. The thing is, I'm not on a payroll. I don't officially work there as I am just a volunteer. I learn a lot from these chefs. Should I add them to my resume under some other section? 

You bet, add them. Why wouldn't you , it is part of your experience.

Petals.

id put something together as far as a few personal goals and maybe atleast one major accomplishment.   if i were you id also hone up on my personal appearance and interview attitude.   get your butt out there and meet people and talk about work.   a couple of interviews can be simple good practice.   ive noticed that corporations are trying to break people down with short goofy questions.   keep an ear open and really take some thought before you answer.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cookers 

 

Here's what I have

 

-Personal contact info

-Skills

-Professional experience

-Education

-Volunteer & community service

-3 references

 

It takes up two pages. Everything is short and to the point. I don't have a paragraph or anything stating what I'm out to do. Although I think I can maybe get rid of skills? It takes up 5 rows of space with 14 points like menu development, price structuring, guest relations, high volume operations. Would you chefs not care about that? 

Two pages is a little long.  Generally, the resume itself (not including a cover letter) should be as close to one full page as possible, do not spill over to second page.  The only time a resume should be longer is if you have some serious experience and are applying for a higher up position.  The top of the page should have your contact info (you can also use a header for your name) followed by your most recent/relevant experience.  So if you are fresh out of school with a degree in your field, put that first, but since you said you have more relevant work experience, put that first followed by education.  For the other categories, just go by relevancy.  You references can probably be on a separate page if they do not fit, but again, everything else should be one full page.  This is basically the standard recipe you will learn if you take any classes or seminars on resume building, then taylor it your specific needs.  You may also want to make slight adjustments if you are applying for different positions.  If you use a cover letter make sure that you make it specific to each place that you apply.  Also very important is for it to be free any spelling or grammar mistakes.  Check it over and have at least one other person check it as well.  Make it look professional.  Best of luck.

Are any of the skills that you have unique that would make you stand out?  Have you had any leadership experience when doing volunteer/community service, or during anything else?

I would ask the chefs for a letter of reference stating that you staged with them

that you could show to employers that you are interviewing with as well as placing them on your resume

I  might draft a letter of reference for each chef with the information that I would like to see. That way each chef has a choice to:

• sign your draft (takes seconds with little effort), or
• change your draft to reflect their thoughts (a little more time and effort), or
• write their own letter (when they have time to think about it), or
• decline the opportunity

Many years ago I learned that if you want someone to say something in writing, the odds of getting them to do so improve dramatically if you provide a draft of what you would like them to say, after all, who remembers most clearly:

• when you staged,
• what you did correctly,
• what you did incorrectly,
• and what you learned?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChefChrisM 

I would ask the chefs for a letter of reference stating that you staged with them

that you could show to employers that you are interviewing with as well as placing them on your resume