WHAT NEXT?? Major let down!!! Maybe Resume Advice?

[juicin8r]

Hey everyone this is my first post. I just joined and I'm in a really bad predicament at work. Here's the stretch, I've worked in several kitchens in the past 10 plus years as well as ran a few of my own. I love cuisine in any form and I especially love and respect the kitchen. My standards have been developing so much that it's making it very hard for me to work along side people who have less than these standards.

My current chef (I decided to take a job as a Sous Chef to see if I needed to learn more) is a moron, he lacks control, consistency, passion,skill and just overall ability to see things in a cognitive manner. I'm stressed to the nines every day I work in his kitchen. I feel like I do all his work, suggest and also try to implement systems, not just to bring functionalism to it but to create fail-safes that will encourage this consistency. There are several other issues I will not get into, they move on to inventory, FIFO etc etc.

I want to move forward but I have no idea how, I think I should get my Red Seal as I have signed up twice now for Apprenticeships under two Chefs and have worked a killer amount of hours, that I have learned so much from. Last summer in three months I put in close to 700 hours! I'm hard working, a great leader (as far as I know) and professional in my passion. My problem is maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.

Should I go corporate? Or continue to find bistros to work in? Or go to a hotel chain? Or go to catering which I have done? (I currently work in a pub... ya i know)

I think my main problem is that I need to get my Red Seal so that I can with out a doubt get the kitchen that I want and create my own staple quality from there.

Maybe I just want to know why there are so many @#$#ed up Chefs out there who are so good at faking it to owners and taking the free ride? Do they not have any pride or standards or even a slight bit of humility?

OK, I'm done with my rant. Seriously, if anyone wants to give me some advice on what to do next please do. Also, if anyone has some good tips on resume writing let me know!! (if you would like to read mine and critique I wouldn't mine either)

Cheers,

Thanks for listening

 

[pembroke]

Don't take this the wrong way, but my advice would be to spend 30 minutes alone every morning.

1. Spend 10 minutes listening to your ego tell you how great you are
2. Spend 10 minutes telling yourself how **** you are (mod edit: replace **** with "bad")
3. and then spend 10 minutes thinking about how you balance the two.

Hopefully this puts you on an even keel and gets you thinking straight.

You'll never progress if you can't work with others, either above or beneath you. You're not perfect, none of are and after 27 years in kitchens I'm still learning.

Park the ego and seek out the best opportunities!

Good luck/img/vbsmilies/smilies/thumb.gif

 

[fryguy]

I don't know if it's such a great idea baggin' on the chef on the internet ......you may be looking for a job sooner than you think.....if YOU just keep doing the right things the right people will notice who does what and reward you....whatever that is, and if they don't then move on....

 

[leeniek]

Pembroke and Fryguy have some good advice here.  I frequently post on this site about the KS who is a major league thorn in my side but I know he does not cruise culinary sites in his offtime and even if he did, I do not say anything here that I would not say to his face and I think you might want to keep that in mind. 

I do understand your frustration but you need to remember this... you are not the head in this kitchen and you do as he instructs whether or not you agree.... and you can within  your realm fix things and you can advise the chef that you have a ton of such and such leftover so you guys can do something with the stuff.

As sous you are there to support the chef not work against him.... after all you are his right hand so why are you dissing him?  If you cannot follow Pembroke's ego check and come out of it ok then you need to look to another line of work.

Sorry to be so hardline but well this is what it is.

 

[chefray]

 I'm on board with Pembroke, but I would switch the order.  Start out looking at areas of your skills that need improvement then move onto the areas that are great.  It will help you to improve without leaving you down all day.

 

[pembroke]

 I'm on board with Pembroke, but I would switch the order.  Start out looking at areas of your skills that need improvement then move onto the areas that are great.  It will help you to improve without leaving you down all day.

Good point Chef Ray, no wonder I've been feeling a little down in the mornings/img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.giflol

 

[chefray]

Good point Chef Ray, no wonder I've been feeling a little down in the mornings/img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.giflol

I only charge hourly for therapy sessions./img/vbsmilies/smilies/peace.gif

 

[coulis-o]

my resume looks like this:

Title.
Personal details - inc photo.
Objective - a short sentence or two on your aims and objectives.
Personal Statement - include a brief outline of your training, experience, abilities, qualities etc. also add your own personal statement about who you are, what you want to do and where you intend to take your career.
Work History - include dates, establishment names, and duties in brief.
Certifications.
Personal Interests/hobbies etc.
References.
Updated date.


the objective and personal statement is a very important part of your cv because it tells the employer a lot about who you are and your specific aims

 

[pembroke]

Don't take this the wrong way, but my advice would be to spend 30 minutes alone every morning.

1. Spend 10 minutes listening to your ego tell you how great you are
2. Spend 10 minutes telling yourself how **** you are (mod edit: replace **** with "bad")
3. and then spend 10 minutes thinking about how you balance the two.

Hopefully this puts you on an even keel and gets you thinking straight.

You'll never progress if you can't work with others, either above or beneath you. You're not perfect, none of are and after 27 years in kitchens I'm still learning.

Park the ego and seek out the best opportunities!

Good luck/img/vbsmilies/smilies/thumb.gif

Dear Mod,

I apologise for the use of a banned word, however if you must delete my choice of wording at least replace it with a suitable synonym./img/vbsmilies/smilies/thumb.gif

P.S. It would also be handy if the spell-check could recognise correctly spelled English words such as apologise!/img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif

 

[greg]

Dear Mod,

I apologise for the use of a banned word, however if you must delete my choice of wording at least replace it with a suitable synonym./img/vbsmilies/smilies/thumb.gif

P.S. It would also be handy if the spell-check could recognise correctly spelled English words such as apologise!/img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif

The old board would have merely replaced it with "****" and left it at that. I at least did more than that. How about expressing yourself in a more acceptable way and eliminating the problem before it's a problem? This goes for all member, by the way. You are not in the kitchen here.

 

[pembroke]

The old board would have merely replaced it with "****" and left it at that. I at least did more than that. How about expressing yourself in a more acceptable way and eliminating the problem before it's a problem? This goes for all member, by the way. You are not in the kitchen here.

 

Like I said, I apologised. Replacing a word with '********' is better, IMO, then replacing it with an alternative word, just seems a bit 'Big Brother'..../img/vbsmilies/smilies/crazy.gif  We're all adults here, aren't we? Did you find any examples of profanity in my previous 194 posts?

 

[fr33_mason]

Hey everyone this is my first post. I just joined and I'm in a really bad predicament at work. Here's the stretch, I've worked in several kitchens in the past 10 plus years as well as ran a few of my own. I love cuisine in any form and I especially love and respect the kitchen. My standards have been developing so much that it's making it very hard for me to work along side people who have less than these standards.

My current chef (I decided to take a job as a Sous Chef to see if I needed to learn more) is a moron, he lacks control, consistency, passion,skill and just overall ability to see things in a cognitive manner. I'm stressed to the nines every day I work in his kitchen. I feel like I do all his work, suggest and also try to implement systems, not just to bring functionalism to it but to create fail-safes that will encourage this consistency. There are several other issues I will not get into, they move on to inventory, FIFO etc etc.

I want to move forward but I have no idea how, I think I should get my Red Seal as I have signed up twice now for Apprenticeships under two Chefs and have worked a killer amount of hours, that I have learned so much from. Last summer in three months I put in close to 700 hours! I'm hard working, a great leader (as far as I know) and professional in my passion. My problem is maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.

Should I go corporate? Or continue to find bistros to work in? Or go to a hotel chain? Or go to catering which I have done? (I currently work in a pub... ya i know)

I think my main problem is that I need to get my Red Seal so that I can with out a doubt get the kitchen that I want and create my own staple quality from there.

Maybe I just want to know why there are so many @#$#ed up Chefs out there who are so good at faking it to owners and taking the free ride? Do they not have any pride or standards or even a slight bit of humility?

OK, I'm done with my rant. Seriously, if anyone wants to give me some advice on what to do next please do. Also, if anyone has some good tips on resume writing let me know!! (if you would like to read mine and critique I wouldn't mine either)

Cheers,

Thanks for listening
 

I have worked in a couple of resatraunts before so I decided i'll post for your problem.

  First off, I would suggest to enact on this quote:  Stoop to conquer.  Simply put, if the job pays well enough so that you can move forward even if it means that you have to work with people of lower standards, then you should do it so that you can rise above in the end.

 As far as your direction in your professional career is concerned, that is a decision only you can decide on. Time for some souls searching - What environment would really spark your passion?

  As far as your resume:  I have found that giving three custom key points at the top of your resume as per the perspective employer.
  For example:  Lets say you were going corporate. 
 key point #1:  I'm punctual and a good team player with the willingness to always improve.

 key point #2:  Proven leadership skills. (list key skills as per prospective employer)  

 Key point#3:  I am flexible in my skill set and I am able to take over positions that are not in my initial job description.  "Not my department" does not exist in my vernacular.

  Customize your "ammo" as per the intended "target".

 Hope this helps.