Starting A New Career: From Restaurants to Software - Chapter 5

It's been almost a year since my last article... mostly because my journey continues!

So quick check-in on you... Have you read the first 4 pieces? If so, have you taken the first steps?

Got yourself a specialty in mind?

An Application?

An understanding of the business cases for that app?

Well alright... let's go!

Time to get a tech job

Writing a resume is a more complicated exercise than you may think, but, it is not complex. In fact, you should avoid complexity at all cost. There are three major rules when it comes to writing a resume.

1. Keep it short
2. Keep it cohesive
3. Use bold type and headlines to your advantage.

Keeping It Short:

I always recommend a 1-pager if possible. With the amount of applicants coming in for most entry-to-mid level tech roles, recruiters are forced to use simple methods to eliminate as many resumes as possible, as quickly as possible. That means anything you add to your resume that makes it "heavy" or difficult in any way, gives the recruiter a reason to drop your CV in the shredder.

Less is more... right?

Wrong.

We should be sure to include as much detail as possible when it comes to the cohesive story you are trying to tell with your CV, but be sure that story is value focused; more quality, less quantity.

Keep it cohesive

Leave out as much detail which taking away from the story as you can, without creating a gap in work times of more than 3 months. Otherwise, tell your story confidently. If you're from the kitchen, you should be strong and confident about your experience. Working your way up from dishwasher? You're a beast with a learners mindset. Went to culinary school and are going from management into tech? Great, you're organized, educated, confident, and ready to bring everything you learned in school to the new role. Stuck on the line for years and years? No problem, you've got work ethic and grit like no other... and you should still tell a story.

Use bold type and headlines

To ensure the recruiter sees the words they need to see, utilize the obvious tools.

In many cases, recruiters' jobs are to disqualify you (and everyone else, except for one), so your choice of bolded words should be carefully chosen. Words like "leadership", "creativity", "diligence", "organized", "work-ethic"... These are all likely more than just true. But also be sure to use numbers, "Increased reservations 20% YoY", "Improved Yelp Aggregate Score 30% From 3-4 Stars in 6 months".

You've got it. Be bold, be honest, and be confident. No one ever starts a new pursuit knowing exactly what to do. After all, we've all scrubbed floors, dishes, and unmentionables as cooks -- You'll never do that in tech... but you may need to feel some imposter syndrome to push into it!

Once your resume is written, use it to rehearse your story statement. You are selling yourself when you have the opportunity to interview... so be ready to SELL!

Rebuttals during interviews

"What about your lack of remote work experience?", "What about your lack of sales experience", "What about your lack of business savvy?"

... You've got ALL of this.

You did the hard thing and stood on your feet for 60+ hours/week. Remote work will allow you to redirect that energy into more important things...

Your business savvy is deep and brutal or came from culinary school, or ordering, estimating, budgeting, catering, helping your restaurant succeed daily... sales, marketing, and business is second nature to you. Rock and a hard place are the best place to learn business savvy,,,

Your sales experience was learned and mastered during all of the years selling yourself into the next station, all the way up the line....

And your perpetual exposure to new things, new dishes, new spices, flavors, combinations, etc... This all gives you a unique ability to handle people of any type, challenges of varying types, creativity at the highest level, and a learner's mind set which will always bring you further, making you a bigger asset as time goes on. Learning and starting again is something you must do... we've got to prove ourselves as cooks, over and over, its just a simple truth.

In any case...

With enough thought, effort, and rehearsal you will crush your interview, and soon enough, land your first job offer.

As long as you can afford the low pay, take it! That first job will soon become a promotion and things will move quickly because chances are high that your work ethic will outshine most of your peers in technology (sorry techies).

Well that's it for this one. The journey starts here!

Time to move--

Chef Matt

DISCLAIMER

This is not in any way to be construed as official job coaching or any sort of financial or professional advice, is a guarantee or a promise of results in any way, or may be construed as paid work. This is a free and informational resource. I will offer absolutely no coaching or consulting to anyone, under any circumstance. This article and any that may follow are simply curated stories, discoveries, and steps I have personally taken to transition my own career.