Always write a cover letter and use it to sell yourself. Think about what the company needs and tell them how you will help them. Quantify five fast facts about your current accomplishments, e.g.s 1) Created new latin-influenced menu 2) Reduced food inspection violations 3) Reduced overall food costs by 15% 4) Wine/food pairings increased beverage sales by 7% 5) Retained 20% more sous chefs.

Before you go to an interview beBefore you go

Don't Go in Blind

Don't ever go to an interview without looking at a company's web site for vital clues to that company's culture or personality. If your personality isn't a match, move on to another choice! (Peter Langlois - Hospitality Career Expert)

First, gather your artifacts. These might include e.g.s 1) Food articles you've written 2) Feature articles about you or your restaurant 3) Outstanding reviews/evaluations 4) Lectures/demonstrations you've given 5) Graphic representations of your impact (bar graph showing rising sales or increase in dessert orders.)

Second, show off your strengths. Organize the material to create a portrait of yourself. Want to teach; display your planning, mentoring, and organizational skills. Ready to be an executive chef; roadmap your budgeting, discipline, time-management, and team-building experience. Think you're management material; demonstrate your problem-solving, cost-cutting, and diplomatic capabilities.

Finally, use the portfolio to get a job. Present it as a visual aid while you recite your career history and achievements. Seeing is believing, and a well thought out portfolio will showcase you in ways words will not.

• Gather personal contact numbers or email addresses from your superiors and check them often.
• Maintain copies of and articles about menus you helped develop.
• Record facts about the restaurant e.g.s a) Type of cuisine b)Number of seats c)Average meals served daily d)Number of employees supervised.
• Create a list of statistics showing your impact e.g.s a)worker retention b)feedback from customers c)prep time reduction.
• Get permission from your references.
• Meet with potential references to discuss what to focus on and what to avoid.
Keep in touch with your references. Are they over or under-utilized? Will they continue to be a reference?
• Ask your references for quotes about your performance - or even a general letter of recommendation, and keep them on file.
• Give your references a heads up. Let them know who will call, when, and what the person might want to know.
• Follow up. Thank them for their assistance. Ask how you might make the process smoother next time.

"Taught-skills" are those you have learned through education or experience. Employers often consider these to be the hard skills required to fulfill the job requirements. These might include sugar-pulling, vendor management, or knowledge of wine/food pairings.

"Transferable-skills" are items you bring with you to any job. These soft skills can enhance your performance for the employer. Time-management, budgeting, and organizational skills fall into this category.

"Talent-skills" are traits which are unique to you. These are flexible talents that define why you are the perfect candidate. You might be goal-oriented, friendly, or creative.

When you have completed your inventory, you will be able to quickly select your most job specific skills and tailor your resume to meet an employer's needs. Your resume should always include several skills from each category. Also, when you know your most marketable skills, you will be more confident when presenting yourself during an interview.

Review your past job experiences and accomplishments. List the times when you most enjoyed work and when your duties created a feeling of fulfillment. Try to determine why these tasks were so satisfying.

Ask yourself these questions: Do you enjoy managing the flow of tasks or would you rather assist? What specific details of the position were most exciting? Which responsibilities would you most want to have again?

Separate your duties into like and dislike columns. If possible, categorize the tasks by job description. If you hate ordering, inventory, and cost-control, maybe Kitchen Manager is not your dream job. However, if you love problem-solving, diplomacy, and talking with customers, consider applying for Front-of-House management positions.

There is no specific right or wrong answer to the motivation question. The key is to understand which work environments and responsibilities are right for you. When you know which projects and tasks you enjoy and which you don't, you can make more informed choices about your future employment.