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Rantings of a Chef

I go out of my way to be a professional guy. I am a Chef first, a teacher, a mentor and a overall pretty decent guy. I try to do unto others as I wish they would do unto me. My mother taught me that.

I have worked for some of the best, and worst people in this business, and I can still say that I have the best job in the world! I am a professional Chef. I have been very fortunate in my career to have traveled the world. I have been to places that most people only see in movies or on the news. I started in my career as a busboy and dishwasher then quickly realized that the fun was in the kitchen. My grandparent owned a restaurant in their small rural town and that was my first look into the business, but I think I really didn’t know what kind of determination and passion was required for them to get up every day and open that little place. My jobs have taken me from small to very large operations. From fine dining to food factories. And throughout it all, I still say that I have the best job in the world!

Sometimes, I just must rant. I am a LinkedIn fan. I use the site for my benefit. I have just under 5000 connections, all professional…well mostly. When I need something, I just post and I receive responses. Sometimes a few, sometimes hundreds. I answer every one of them. 

Now, here comes a rant. This is aimed at everyone that posts a want or need that you are asking for a response: Be decent enough to answer. Be honest enough to tell someone that they just aren’t a good fit or are under qualified, over qualified, to pretty, to ugly, whatever. Just be decent enough to answer. It galls me to see people, mostly recruiters and HR people that say that they only will respond to short listed applicants. How ungrateful! Have some professional courtesy! It is not unreasonable to want a simple response. It’s the right thing to do!

This will elicit some angry responses from those of you that get hundreds of CV’s and requests a day. Well, sorry. So do I. I answer everyone. Yep, it takes a bit of time, but again, it’s the right thing to do. I’m a professional.

Now, for all of those people that are to lazy to do research on how to respond to a request: Please take some good advice…Never, NEVER respond to a posting by typing in the message box “Please look at my profile”. This is unprofessional. Take the time to find the contact information of the person that has posted and send a message to them. To those of you that are posting: Please tell these folks how to contact you in the body of your message. Again, it’s the professional thing to do. I know, some posters think that it is a test. To see if an applicant will take the time to look at their profile and get the contact information. The reality is that LinkedIn most time hides this information unless you are a connection. So if you want connections, ask for that. If you want people to respond via email, give them your address. It’s the professional thing to do. After all, these people are seeking employment. Some are desperate, they need a job to feed themselves and even their families, some just need a change or to better themselves. Please, do the right thing.

I have been on both sides of this. I am sometimes seeking new projects and opportunities as well as soliciting positions for projects of for connections. It is a passion of mine to try and educate people in our profession to better themselves as well as be more professional. 

Now a plug: I am a professional Culinary Consultant. I am a Certified Executive Chef and a very proud member of the hospitality industry. I welcome new connections and answer every communication. [email protected]. I am proud to be a professional!