Green Chef Deli

So here you are, a fresh-faced job seeker with a professionally written resume in hand (or on your hard drive, anyway). You are a mixture of emotions: anxious, a little excited, uncertain, maybe even a bit bitter about having to look for a new job in the first place. But most of all, you are hopeful.

You’ve heard about all these great online job posting sites where employers list job after job. You’ve heard that these sites are a buzz with hungry recruiters and hiring managers just waiting for good candidates. So of course you are hopeful. Who wouldn’t be?

It sounds so easy…and so quick.

But after a few frustrating weeks, you soon find out that it is anything but easy or quick. You’ve spent practically whole days combing the Internet, uploading your resume everywhere, replying to posting after posting…and what do you have to show for it? Probably very little.

Now you’re experiencing even more emotions, including anger. And you are ready to blame someone. You probably start with your resume writer because after all you spent good money to see results. And so far, you aren’t seeing results!

Before you clobber your resume writer, however, let me clue you in on a dirty, little secret: Online job posting sites are the most ineffective way to get a job!

Yes, it is true. And the bigger they are, the more ineffective they seem to be. Depending on which report you find, these sites have a less than 4% effectiveness rate. And when you ask most job seekers where they spend the bulk of their job-seeking time, they will tell you that they spend 85-90% of it on the Internet.

I know, I know. These sites are popping up everywhere. And why not? Job seekers are now convinced that they are the answer to their prayers.

It’s sad, really, because although the Internet is definitely a great research tool and has some great resources, it has really taken on a reputation that it cannot live up to, particularly when it comes to the job search.

Why don’t these sites work? The reasons are diverse, but essentially, many companies post for positions that they either end up filling internally or through other connections (referrals, recruiters, etc.). Employers are often bombarded with applications through these postings, and it can take them weeks to get through them all. In many cases, they may even give up looking through these applicants to pursue some other avenue for finding the best candidate.

Listen. At the end of the day, a job search is all about action. And although these sites keep you busy filling in online questionnaires and uploading files, more times than not, your info ends up in some black hole, never to see the light of day again. So all that time you spent equates to nothing more than busy work.

Does that mean I think you shouldn’t bother with these sites? Not necessarily. I think you need to be careful in the ones you choose to spend time with. Find ones that are more local to your area and specialize in your field. Don’t get waste time with too many, and instead use the Internet to research companies, hear about potential openings, link up with old colleagues, and find valuable resources like group job hunting forums.

Cuisine in the heart of Cajun country is an art form. It is really very little science to this type of cuisine that includes much more than mere lagniappe in the pantry or the spice cabinet. Cajun cooking is something that has often been imitated around the country and the world, but very rarely can be reproduced accurately. One of the fascinating things about Cajun cooking is the fact that there are very few exact recipes. Most if not all authentic Cajun cooking is done to taste rather than measurements. Even more surprising is that every day a person can do the same dish over and over again and it is likely to taste a little different each time it is made. The main reason is that besides being an art form in itself, Cajun food is often made even more tasty, or just the mysterious atmosphere that makes cooking. I’m sure many of you have seen as Emeril Lagasse makes some special blend and exclaims “Bam!” There is some good that when it comes to Cajun cooking. Something that goes far beyond the ingredients in the recipe and somewhere in the heart and soul of the kitchen in question. There is a reason that many southern cooked dishes are called soul food and not for one second forget that New Orleans is located in the south. The most difficult thing, perhaps when it comes to preparing good Cajun dishes outside the area of New Orleans is to find the right ingredients. It is almost impossible to find a new seasonings and spices that are essential for most outside the heart of Cajun cuisine Old South. Not only that, but fresh crawfish and andouille sausage are a little hard to find in the heart of a Michigan winter. If you decide to learn to make Cajun food of your account, you must first find ingredients. Specialty food stores or special requests that might be your best bet. There are some stores that carry a limited stock of Cajun seasonings on their international food aisles. Note that these sources are very limited. Once you have the ingredients, it is time to let a little jazz speak from your speakers to set the mood. Most of the best Cajun dishes require a lot of time for simmering and this should be taken into account. Cajun food is not pressed, as citizens of the Big Easy. The food will be ready on time and the cooking, you must learn to accept that about Cajun food. He has a way of knowing when it is ready that is almost mythical until you’ve experienced yourself. Cooking Cajun food try your patience, test their talent and sometimes zap your energy, because it tends to be an emotional process for many. At the other end however, Cajun food is one of the richest and most delicious dishes of the world. Mastering the ability to cook this wonderful food will make you a slave to its taste for years to come.

Hotel jobs are very stressful and can be extremely tiring as you will work long days preparing and making food for guests as well as catering for functions that the hotel might be hosting like a wedding, party or corporate event. Qualified chefs are in short supply leaving many jobs unfilled longer than hotels would like. Some of the chef hotel jobs are the chef de partie or the sous chef, the demi chef, hotel cook, head cook, pastry chef, kitchen manager, master chef, sommelier, or the director of food. You also get the food preparers and other kitchen staff as well as the hotel management checking in every so often or liaising with you about events that are happening.

The hotel cook is usually called the head chef, master chef, or executive chef. If you are the head chef in a hotel, you will be responsible for the running of the entire kitchen as well as the creation of the menu and recipes for the other chefs to prepare and make. You will oversee the reparation of the food, check the making of all the dishes that leave each chef station, help train the new apprentice chefs and assistant chefs, and you will also encourage and lead your team of chefs. The head chef will also manage the banqueting hall and other food related facilities in the hotel like the bars and cafes, the hotel restaurant and any other food areas. As the head chef it is your duty to produce stunning menus and make the recipes that are used each day, so that uniformity is maintained in the food service along with consistent high standards. You are also the kitchen manager in a hotel and you will also have the tasks of handling the monetary issues of the hotel kitchen, ordering supplies and ingredients, and providing estimated consumption cost to the hotel management.

The chef de partie is the second in command in the kitchen and also known as the sous chef. If you have this hotel chef job, you are very busy and are basically the middle man between the head chef and the rest of the kitchen chefs and staff. You will be responsible for the running of the kitchen, for the organization of the menu, kitchen staff and recipes, of the food preparation, and ensuring that the food is up to the correct standards, as well as maintaining the hygiene and health regulations in the hotel kitchen. The chef de partie must know everything about the food that is being made, and works very closely with the head chef. You must know how to make all the different types of dishes on the menu.

The demi chef is also known as the demi chef de partie. You will work directly under the chef de partie and your job is to ensure that all the food going out of the kitchen is of the highest standards for each section. You will have different sections to control such as meat, vegetables, pasta, etc, and it is your job to facilitate the smooth running of your particular section. The demi chef also needs to keep in mind minimum wastage, correct hygiene and cleanliness, adhere to safety regulations, and take stock counts.

The commis chef is the next hotel chef in line under the demi chef and your job is to help the demi chef prepare the mis en place and ensure minimum wastage at all times. The commis chef will provide an accurate inventory of the ingredients used and clean and prepare the stations for cooking each shift. The commis chef has to be efficient and organized.

One of the sections of the hotel kitchen will be reserved for the pastry chefs. If you are a pastry chef, you are on a slightly different level to the other chefs and will be solely responsible for making and creating the delicious pastries for desert. The pastry chef will also organize and oversee the preparation and making of all the pastries, desserts, and ice creams. The pastry chef is basically the master chef of the confectionary department. You must bake cakes, desserts, make pastry, icings, and sugar decorations, and convey your tips and methods to the other pastry workers in your team. You will have to help train new chefs in the pastry department and give tips and advice.

The sommelier has the hotel job that involves all the drinks ordered by the guests. You must ensure that they are all prepared and served perfectly. You are also responsible for the correct pouring of wine and other beverages and have intricate knowledge of wines and how they complement the food on the menu.