The culinary field offers a wide array of positions for aspiring and experienced chefs. While a quality education in a culinary institute can substitute for some levels of experience, generally beginning chefs work their way up through the ranks, gaining knowledge, confidence, and experience along the way. Fine dining venues may assign different titles or responsibilities to their chefs, but generally, the career path follows a clearly delineated hierarchy.

Commis Chef

Most chefs begin their careers as a humble apprentice, or commis chef, assisting the line cooks and chefs de partie by peeling vegetables, practicing knife skills, and learning the skills needed to succeed in the culinary world. This entry-level position offers a chance to experience the fast-paced restaurant business firsthand. Many well-known and respected chefs began their careers as lowly commis chefs.

Chef de Partie

The majority of chef jobs are found in this level of employment. Also referred to as station cooks or line cooks, chefs de partie are divided into a number of categories depending on their particular specialty. Not all restaurants staff each of these positions; often two or more jobs are incorporated into one individual’s responsibilities. The elements of a full brigade in the kitchen are:

• Tournant, or Swing Chef: Fills in as needed at any vacant station within the kitchen; this position requires a great deal of knowledge and flexibility.
• Boucher, or Butcher: These invaluable chefs prepare meat for cooking, butchering, breading, and handling all aspects of meat and poultry preparation.
• Garde Manger, or Pantry Chef: Cold items such as salads, chilled appetizers, and cold cuts are the responsibility of these chefs.
• Entremetier, or Vegetable Chef: Versatility is the key for these chefs, as they handle hot appetizers, vegetables, pastas, and side dishes to make the meal complete.
• Patissier, or Pastry Chef: Pastries, desserts, and breads are the responsibility of the pastry chef; this position is usually only available in larger restaurants and hotels.
• Potager, or Soup Chef: As the name suggests, the potager is responsible for all soups leaving the kitchen, hot or cold.
• Friturier, or Fry Chef: One of the most common positions throughout the restaurant industry, the friturier handles the frying of foods in the kitchen.
• Grillardin, or Grill Chef: The name is self-explanatory; the grill cook is responsible for grilling vegetables and meats for the meal.
• Rotisseur, or Roast Chef: These chefs roast and braise meats and create their accompanying sauces.
• Poissonier, or Fish Chef: Fish and seafood fall under the purview of these chefs, who handle the process completely from butchering to the finished dish.
• Saucier, or Saute Chef: These chefs are responsible for all sauteed dishes and their sauces; sauciers are considered the elite of the chefs de partie, and are accorded the highest respect among line chefs.

Sous Chef

By demonstrating competence and culinary skill as a chef de partie, a chef can achieve the status of sous chef, the second-in-command in the kitchen. The sous chef oversees the daily running of the kitchen, combining the skills of a manager, a teacher, and a quality control technician. Sous chefs are usually responsible for ordering the stock for the restaurant and ensuring that all foods are of the highest quality.

Head Chef

The pinnacle of any chef’s career is achieving the rank of head chef in a prestigious restaurant. The head chef assumes complete control and responsibility for the food produced in his or her kitchen, and designs the menu and the recipes used by the chefs de partie. This position is usually the culmination of years of experience and hard work, and offers rewards commensurate with the high level of responsibility.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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It’s now possible, if you use the best websites, to run a number of serperate searches on no fee government websites to find criminal records stored against US passport holders. The problem with this way of working is that you are forced to kick of searches on a multitude of separate web urls and online databases to recover the data records that you are trying to obtain. The records is very often saved differently for each state making data retrieval a laborious process. I’m pleased to tell you that there is now a better solution at a lower cost. A number of large central databases have been set-up by US private businesses that will let you search though all US criminal records on a single website. This results in it being much simpler and much quicker to retrieve the data files that you are trying to find. For a low yearly cost of $40 you can have access to criminal records for all states in the US. All the records are retrieval using a single website which makes the task very easy. 

The good news doesn’t end here. This same low fee also lets you have access to loads of different types of record that are held on the numerous US government databases. These include: criminal records, court data and proceedings, birth / death lists, marriage and divorce files, sex offenders records, inmate searches, parole searches, personal bankruptcy details, most wanted criminal files, jail details, missing persons records, DWI records, assault details, arrest searches and much more

It’s worth noting that someone does not have to have been imprisoned to have recoverable criminal records held against his name. 

Quite simply the best websites we have found is http://gov-criminal-records.com  This web page provides a extremely fast search facility and the ability to search through millions of US Government fiels all in one web site.

So what could we use this information for and can it be useful for yourself? There are many reasons why a small annual charge for this information is a must have. If you employ someone to help in your house, walk your dog, or help take care of your little ones, you will be able to fire off a quick search on the person’s name and discover if they have a shady background. You could be an employer and might need to fire off background checks on potential future employees. Again a simple search will provide all the information you are looking for to make sure you only employ the appropriate candidate. If somebody is over the age of 18 and is involved in criminal acts, they will have public records held against them that it will now be able to search for and save. 

Another practical use for this data is if you went on a date and want to check up on the man you have met. It’s far better to find out now than a few years down the road when it’s all too late.  Best of luck!

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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Sometimes you apply to that perfect job. A job that you saw online or on the newspaper and seems perfect for you and you perfect for it.  You have the desire, the expertise and the experience.You are really prepared. You tailor your resume for each job position and you change your letter of introduction to match the job opening.You send your resume applying to a great job and you are one hundred percent sure you will get the job.You now expect a call back and you never get it.  Nothing!  No calls, no emails, just nothing.

What is wrong?Have you ever asked yourself why don’t people call you back?  Is it you or is it them?It is not you.When I was hiring for several positions I remember getting not just 10 or 20 resumes but 100 or more of them.You need a lot of time just to read all resumes.Hiring managers get hundreds of resumes and they don’t have the time to call back or contact every single person.

How do hiring managers go through resumes?  Most likely they make 3 piles. In one pile you will have the trash resumes, in the other one you will see the plan B resumes and in the third pile you have the resumes of people who will get a phone interview.Why is this so significant to you? It is because human resource departments can take a few seconds to decide if you make the cut.Human Resource departments might take 5 to 10 seconds to look at your resume and determine if you go to the A, B, or C pile of resumes. 

You have to write your resume thinking that your first sale is to make it to the “Call back” pile, not to actually get the job.  After you make it to the “Call back” pile you have to sell an interview.It is when you interview where you are at the final stages of self promotion and you try to get the job. This is how you will start your self promotion strategy!

You also have to play the numbers game.Don’t even imagine that by sending one resume you’ll get one call back with a great job opportunity.Or to send ten resumes and get all calls back.The steps are easy, first your apply for a job and send your resume, after this you have to call in and check on your resume and try to get a face to face with the decision maker.

What are the steps to a good job hire?

-Call job placement agencies in your city

-Search the newspaper in your city

-Go to LinkedIn.com and get a free membership

Jorge Olson is the author of “The Unselfish Guide to Self Promotion” a new book that will teach you self promotion to get your dream job, a promotion and a raise.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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Although finding CV samples is not hard at all, you may find it quite a bit more challenging to find the right CV sample for you. This is because CV samples which are closely related to your chosen field are much more relevant than samples from a completely unrelated field. Knowing how to find a good cv sample is the key.

Conversely, a CV sample from your field will really help you in creating your own CV. On the web, there are several websites that cater to career seekers. The most obvious reason for frequenting these websites is because they offer listings of available jobs, but most of these websites also include useful information such as articles offering career advice and a database of CV samples you can adapt for your own needs. A few of these career websites only have a couple of CV samples available while other career websites dedicated a great deal of storage space to this subject.

You will have to take some time to explore these websites to learn which one is best for you. Centers catering to employment seekers are becoming more commonplace as more people than ever are out of work. A career center can be useful to anyone seeking a job in a few different ways. They may have computers available for those who are searching for a job, they may offer career counseling and they usually have sample CVs available.

However, most career centers do not just make CV samples available, they also have employees who can review your own CV. The Internet is another resource you can turn to when seeking CV samples. As we have already discussed, you can find samples on employment websites but there are also websites that focus solely on CV samples. These websites may be more useful to you because they usually have a larger number of samples available because this is the primary purpose of the website.

Click the links for more information on CV Sample and Resume Cover Letter

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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Be Aware of your Own Talents

This is the first thing you need. You should be self-aware. You should know what your plusses and minuses are. You could do this very well if you delved into your past experience and assessed what you enjoyed doing and what you didn’t. This could tell you where your special fortes lie and what you can do to succeed another important job hunting tip.

With this awareness set in your mind, you are ready to begin looking for gainful employmen! t. So where do you look? Look in the job classifieds in the newspapers first. Skip all the jobs that ask for educational qualifications you don’t have. Here’s a tip – if you see that a lot of jobs that interest you are speaking of a particular educational qualifications, get yourself that educational qualification. You may have to spend a year learning, but the benefits are that you will now have the confidence to approach the jobs that you like.

If you are meeting with failure in your job hunt repeatedly, a good thing that you can do is to enlist some professional help. Get in touch with a job recruitment agency. They will look through your experience and will look for a job for you that fits not just your qualifications but also your! talent and past experience. Also, they will help you to say the right things so that you practically have a guarantee that you get the job.

Experience always counts when you are looking for a job. Hence, highlight all the experience you have. A good idea would be to apply only for jobs where you have some experience. That can help you get more lucrative prospects.

Among other important job hunting tips, don’t forget to understand the importance of creating a unique CV for the job that you are applying for. Sending generic resumes is not a good idea as it shows lack of thought and application on your part. You need to create your CV in a way that it focuses on your skills (especially, those that are relevant to the job) and which also emphasizes your work experience.

You will also need to follow some tips for job hunting in today’s market because with the present downturn in the economy finding a good job has become a difficult task that can only be solved by doing things the right way.

Other important job hunting tips include adding a personal touch to your application, and being well prepared to get through the interview stage.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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From Forrest Gump’s Guide to Becoming a Gazillionaire, on OnMoneyMaking.com:

Who taught Elvis how to dance, received the Congressional Medal of Honor, got Nixon impeached, became the world ping-pong champion, built a national shrimping empire, and fathered Haley Joel Osment?

One man: Forrest Gump.

If I could choose one mentor in business, or in life in general, it would be Gump. I don’t care that he’s not real. The wisdom that he conveys is real, and I think we could all learn something from it.

This advice is so great, I’m going to tweak it for you so you can use it for medical sales (and still make a little money):

“And cause I was a gazillionaire, and I liked doin’ it so much, I cut that grass for free.”

If you’re in sales, you better like people and love sales. If you’re in medical sales, you better love the science and technology of it, too, so that keeping up with trends and development in the industry is a pleasure, not a chore. Be in the kind of medical sales that really interests you-there’s a lot to choose from: medical device sales, laboratory sales, pharmaceutical sales, hospital equipment sales, imaging sales, pathology sales, cellular or molecular products sales, surgical sales, clinical diagnostics sales, or biotechnology sales. (Find out about how to get into medical sales.) If you love it, you’ll be good at it, and if you’re good at it, the money will come.

“I’m not a smart man, but I know what love is.”

E.Q. is just as important as I.Q. Successful salespeople know that sales are a lot about building relationships-it’s not just about the product. Customers know if you’re really in it to help them, or to help you.

“Stupid is as stupid does.”

Make good decisions. All the time. Don’t get caught not being where you said you’d be (sometimes they’re tracking you), keep your commitments, follow through, and make your company look good.

“When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go… you know… I went.”

Take care of yourself. Keeping yourself in good physical condition by getting enough exercise, eating right, getting enough rest, and taking mental breaks from the job once in a while will keep you at the top of your game.

“Momma always had a way of explaining things so I could understand them.”

Find a mentor. Read books on sales. Read medical sales blogs. Come to the medical sales recruiter for custom consulting to help you be the best sales rep you can be and have the best job you can have.

“I gotta save Bubba!”

Loyalty matters.

“Jenny taught me how to climb. And I taught her how to dangle.”

If you had a mentor (or even if you didn’t), be one. Be a team player. Always be networking. You never know where your next lead is coming from, or whether you might need a job sometime in the future. Someone who has been willing to help others will almost always get that generosity rewarded in some way down the road.

“My Momma always said you’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on.”

Don’t dwell on a sale that didn’t close, or a job that went bad. Learn what you can from it, and move on.

“I’m sorry I had to fight in the middle of your Black Panther party.”

Learning the art of apologizing will serve you well. Using it even when you don’t think you’re wrong will (sometimes) serve you better.

“Now you wouldn’t believe me if I told you, but I can run like the wind blows.”

If you’re in sales, you better know how to brag. About your products when you’re selling, and about yourself when you’re job searching. One great tip is to keep a brag book. What do you keep in it? Letters from happy customers, “good job” letters from sales managers, sales and revenue numbers, data on improvements you’ve made, training you’ve completed, awards and accomplishments. Learning how to use it in interviews will give you an edge.

“My Momma always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’ ”

On medical sales: No kid ever said, “I want to grow up to be a medical supply sales rep!” Still, there’s satisfying reward, financially and otherwise, in educating customers and delivering a product that will benefit people. There’s a lot of ways to combine the loves of people, business and science in healthcare sales.

On job searching: Don’t be afraid to move on (and up) if you get the opportunity, and don’t be afraid to go after what you want. Be open-minded about relocating, because it could be the step that leads to really great things. One tool that can help you move up or get the job is the 30/60/90 day sales plan template

“That’s all I have to say about that.”

Just as important as knowing when to talk, and when to push for the close, is knowing when to shut up and wait.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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Cynthia Penfold shares many tips on using a CV sample at her How To Make A Resume Blog

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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We’ve received many emails from readers asking for advice on their resumes. While we are always happy to offer an objective view of a resume (e.g., wording, formatting, etc.), it is not enough if you are scratching your head trying to figure out why your job search isn’t working.

This article is one of five that will outline for you the steps to take to re-charge your job search and identify what has been holding you back from getting the job you want.

Step 1 – Self-Assessment (Know Thyself!)

By now, everyone has heard or received advice on how to conduct the perfect job search. Our readers here know that the jobs they’re looking for are not on CareerBuilder, Monster, or other job boards. Rather, the jobs they seek are hidden from public view and require a well-planned strategy to ferret them out. The strategy comprises five critical elements:

SELF-ASSESSMENT: Identify who you are—know and understand the unique strengths and knowledge you will bring to an employer.

RESUME ASSESSMENT: What does your resume say about YOU? Your skills, knowledge, and competencies? Is a chronological resume that simply lists the positions you’ve held? If your resume only cites what you’ve done, versus what you know and love, it’s time for a re-write!

JOB SEARCH ASSESSMENT: If you’ve been relying solely on job boards for your search, an overhaul of your search strategy is definitely in order.

RESEARCH: Identify the employers that need your expertise. Learn how to discover employers that look for the attributes you will uncover about yourself.

NETWORKING: Identify the people that might help you explore employment opportunities in your target companies. Using the many social networking outlets, such as LinkedIn or Facebook, as well as harnessing the power of a good Google search string, will help you find the people behind the opportunities.

Essentially, your action plan will follow this path: ASSESSMENT >> RESEARCH >> CONTACTS

1. SELF-ASSESSMENT

This is a crucial step that will help you determine the type of job or career you should be seeking. Most job seekers start out by assuming they will look for jobs in the same field or industry in which they’ve been working. While this assumption may have worked in the past, today’s job market requires out-of-the-box thinking and a process by which you can expand your job search outside of your typical comfort zone.

The Self-Assessment is a process by which you create an inventory of your personal and professional characteristics that can be transferred to multiple job types and industries. A prospective employer will expect you to apply what you know to help them solve a problem, which is why they’re looking to hire someone! In order for an interviewer to understand what you bring to the table, you need to be able to convey WHAT you know and HOW you will apply it on the job.

The items below came from The National School Boards Association website. While geared to educators, this list is an excellent compilation of self-assessment question that anyone can use.

Copy the following questions into a spreadsheet or other document. Title the first column ‘Questions.’ Add a second column called ‘Examples.’

Attributes

Do I view problems as opportunities?
Am I a priority setter?
Am I customer-focused?
Am I courageous?
Am I a critical and creative thinker?
What is my tolerance for ambiguity?
Am I positive attitude towards change?

If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these, provide an example of how you display these attributes.

Skills

Do I debate, clarify, and enunciate my values and beliefs?
Can I fuel, inspire, and guard the shared vision?
Can I communicate the strategic plan at all levels?
Do I ask the big picture questions and “what if”?
Can I support the staff through a change process?
Do I encourage dreaming and thinking the unthinkable?
Can I align the budget, planning, and policies with the company’s goals and vision?
Do I engage in goal setting?
Can I develop and implement action plans?
Do I transfer the strategic planning process to planning?

Not all of these may apply to you, but for the ones that do: How will you convey these skills on your resume–and to an interviewer?

Jobhunt.org also has some questions for you to think about:

In your past roles, what have you enjoyed the most?
Which skills gave you the most satisfaction?
Which skills did you like the least?
Which activities, when you do them, stress you out or depress you?
Do you prefer to use a few skill areas and be a specialist in one career option?
Do you like to use a broad variety of skills and be more of a generalist?

Once you’ve answered these questions (by providing examples), the next step will be to assess your resume in relation to what you’ve learned about yourself. Does your resume convey the attributes, skills, and knowledge that you’ve identified through the Self-Assessment process?

We would love to hear from you about how you may have changed your resume after completing this process!

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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One of the best and fastest ways to find the best man for the job is to avail of the services of an executive recruiter. They have the best complete and updated databases of every job hunter in the country who’s looking for a place to work but how do they get these people’s data or information? Firstly, most job hunters today will find it not easy to go from one employer to another in search of that “manna from heaven”, to have a good job. That’s when they turn to executive recruiters, leave their credentials there and hope someone like you will go to executive recruiters and hopefully, you will be interested in calling him for an interview or an exam. That means, it’s not only employers who are seeking and availing of the services of an executive recruiter but the job seekers as well and what are the advantages that you, as an employer, can get if you ask for help from an executive recruiter directory?

For a job seeker, they can save more time and money in looking for jobs. For a company, they will also save time and money in looking for the best man to do the job. They just need to go online, find a directory of executive recruiters and from there, they will be supplied with all the best applicants who’s credentials and educational background and work experience are in line with the nature of their business.

You are probably right in thinking that who would need to go through an executive recruiters directory when as a matter of fact, a lot of companies today are throwing out their employees because of financial problems. But don’t forget that there are other companies who needs more employees than ever before in spite of the recession. For some companies, a great number of employees who can work as a team for a common goal can accomplish good customer satisfaction therefore resulting in even bigger and better revenues.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
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Graduate schemes, also known as graduate training programs, offer new graduates many benefits. The uncertainty that post college or university life brings can be very consuming. This is why many fresh graduates grab the chance to get into graduate schemes. These training programs allow individuals to work with some of the UK’s top companies and gain hands-on experience in a career field with a decent salary. Graduate schemes usually take place over a year. This not only earns the individual enough experience in a specific career field, but also helps the graduate decide whether or not the profession is something he or she wants to do.

There are various graduate training programs that are available in the different industries and the UK public sector. In fact, these graduate training programs are available in the most lucrative companies in the UK that many college and university students are eyeing. Lucrative jobs attract people. It is the grandeur of being generously compensated as well as being given a world of perks and benefits while doing a job that they love to do that attracts them. There are a lot of lucrative graduate jobs in London, Manchester and other major UK cities that they can apply for. Some of these jobs are listed below in no particular order:

1. Accountancy and Actuarial – Finance is regarded as among the best paid career options, not only in the UK, but also around the world. Accountancy and actuarial, and other lucrative finance jobs bring large salaries and impressive benefits. In fact, accountancy and actuarial jobs are a great route towards self-employment. Starting out in the industry as an employee to gain the necessary experience and expertise can lead to private practice.
2. IT Web Design – It is no question that in today’s society, information technology is continuously advancing. Many people who have ventured out in different projects, no matter what the nature of their business is, have put up websites in order to attract customers and succeed, or survive. Because of this, there has been a surge in the demand of web designers in the UK. Most IT web designers today are self-employed and earning thousands of pounds per project.
3. Online Jobs – As mentioned above, information technology continues to advance. It has made the world smaller in so many ways. The employment system alone has changed enormously. For years now, jobs from first world countries are being outsourced to different parts of the world. Aside from web designing, other online jobs include Internet marketing, research and copywriting, to name a few.
4. Solicitors – The legal sector is a very popular career choice in the UK. Almost everyone needs lawyers! No one can deny that the world has gotten complicated during the recent years. Legal concerns seem to be inevitable. Facing legal problems are never easy. During these times, a reliable legal representation is necessary. Solicitors in the UK have the potential to earn up to £100,000 depending on the case and their experience.
5. Media – The media, without question, has played a very significant role in the society. It is actually considered to be the most influential tool in society in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. This is particularly true among the young. Arts, fashion and technology have evolved in so many ways. The media has melded into one great field with wide horizons. Some media jobs such as acting, modeling, journalism, broadcasting and public relations are very high profile. These professions are very lucrative for so many reasons – travel opportunities, VIP passes, communication gadgets and more.

There are plenty of lucrative graduate career opportunities in the United Kingdom that graduates can apply for. The soaring salaries and the perks and benefits, however, should not be the motivation that fresh graduates hold for pursuing such careers. The above mentioned professions require a lot of hard work and bring a load of responsibilities. It is very important that the candidate for these careers is equipped with education, proper training and experience, and a great deal of willpower.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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