Not getting calls on your resume quicker than you expected?

Are you finding that recruiters tell you they’ll  call you right back only to never receive a call?

Don’t think there’s a blacklist floating around within the restaurant industry? Think Again!

Getting your resume blacklisted is easier than tying your shoes however getting removed is just the opposite. This can be devestating if you are hunting for restaurant jobs, and trying to build a management restaurant career. You have a better chance of having 8-track tapes coming back and becoming “cool” before getting back the respect you rightfully deserve. Will anyone divulge the names contained within this “so-called” blacklist and why? Of course not!  But remember that recruiters within the hospitality industry have feelings accompanied with big egos.

Believe it or not, restaurant recruiters stay connected in one way shape or form and talk more openly than Howard Stern at a wet t-shirt contest. I’ve been recruiting  for fifteen years and if you want to keep your name off of any blacklist, let me give you some advice on how to keep your name and reputation safely tucked away:

1. Never interview with a company to gain leverage on your current employer for a raise or counter offer. Accepting a counter offer from your current employer is the ultimate sin!
2. Never blow off an interview. If you’re not interested in the company, politely decline via voice or email 24 hours before your scheduled time.
3. Never accept a position with a new employer, determine a start date and fail to show up on your first day of work. Bottom line… you’ve wasted everyone’s time!
4. If you’ve left your current employer, never tell the recruiter that you’re still employed. Tell one lie you might as well tell ten more!
5. 95% of all employers do a background check. If your credit stinks- Be Honest! If you have a DUI- Be Honest! If your driver’s license is suspended- Be Honest! In many circumstances being forthcoming pays dividends.

Remember that job interviewing is a two way street. (This is especially true with restaurant jobs. Anyone building a restaurant career needs to pay attention to this advice.)  Simply put you receive a “Dear John” letter that you’re not a fit for the company  or you withdraw your name and accept a position that offers better opportunities. Bottom line if you’re “pretty” happy where you’re presently at, stay there and find a way to make it work! Interviewing is a serious business and should not be taken for granted. Take my word that recruiters NEVER forget a name and certainly never forgive….Period!

Downers Grove, Il- Gecko Hospitality is pleased to announce Victoria Epstein as the new Franchise Partner for Gecko Hospitality in the state of Minnesota. Victoria started in the restaurant business at the age of 14 and began managing private restaurants by the age of 21.

Victoria Spent 3 years in QSR opening several restaurants for Donatos Pizza and quickly climbed the ranks to General Manager. After that, she spent the next 5 years with Bertucci’s where she gained experience as a training General Manager and Managing Partner. She then spent time as a General Manager with Ruby Tuesday.

Victoria quickly discovered her ” entrepreneurial spirit” and began investing in real estate.

Victoria’s entrepreneurial spirit, go- getter mentality, along with her love and experience in the business are what make recruiting a perfect fit.

Victoria currently lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia with her husband, Adam, 13 year old daughter, Kayla and 6 year old son, Ryan.

In her spare time she enjoys year round scuba diving, playing golf, and spending time with her family. She also spends time volunteering all over the world in places such as Uganda Africa, Mexico, local needed areas, and teaching 5th and 6th grade girls at her local church.

Gecko Hospitality is very excited with the operations and recuiting experience Victoria brings to the organization and looks forward to several years of success.

Gecko Hospitality is the largest hospitality recruiter in the US. The firm partners with top restaurants, hotels and casinos to help them identify the best management personnel for their properties. Gecko has 37 regional offices and a team of more than 120 hospitality recruiters covering all 50 states and Canada.

Downers Grove, Il- Gecko Hospitality is pleased to announce Scott Radel as the new Franchise Partner for Gecko Hospitality in the state of Ohio. Scott is a native of Ohio and attended grade school thru College in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Shortly after graduation armed with a bachelor degree in Human Resources, Scott moved to Columbus, Ohio and started to work at McDonald’s Corporation. Over the course of the next twenty years, Scott worked in both Restaurant Operations and Human Resources in Ohio and at a National level.

A great opportunity presented itself to Scott at the end of 2002 to join a private high growth restaurant company to design and lead the human resources function. During the next two and half years, Claddagh Irish Pubs grow from 5 locations to 16 across the Midwest, including 6 in Ohio. Hiring over 100 managers during this period, Scott was became skilled at recruitment and worked with Gecko Hospitality as a primary supplement for hiring needs.

Before joining Gecko in 2010, Scott spent 5 years working for a national property management company as the Director of Human Resources for Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Indiana. Key to success over the years is the ability to work closely with operations partner to drive business success and reward team members for their efforts. Scott has always enjoyed the youth and spirit of the hospitality industry on the front lines. Excited to bring over thirty years of experience and hands on expertise to Gecko in the Buckeye state; matching needs of companies with career goals of candidates.

Gecko Hospitality is very excited with the operations and recuiting experience Scott brings to the organization and looks forward to several years of success.

About Gecko Hospitality

Gecko Hospitality is the largest hospitality recruiter in the US. The firm partners with top restaurants, hotels and casinos to help them identify the best management personnel for their properties. Gecko has 37 regional offices and a team of more than 120 hospitality recruiters covering all 50 states and Canada.

Here is the scenario; you are the restaurant manager on duty and in walks your District Manager and a guy from HR. They have a little small talk with some of the hourly staff and then ask to speak with you in the office.
They ask if you know the company policy about (sexual harassment, inventory control, cash handling) and then describe to you an incident where you are alleged to have violated company policy. There is a short discussion about the incident and then you are told you are being terminated for violation of company policy.

So you get your resume, contact the Gecko Hospitality recruiter and start your interviewing.

The toughest question is: Why are you no longer with your last company?

How you answer that question will determine how successful you will continue in the interview process.

What I usually hear is, there were differences between the District Manager and me, there was no room for upward growth, the company has gone through cultural changes that I wasn’t comfortable with and a bunch of other stories.

I usually listen to those and then ask, what really happened? This is the time when it is important to tell the truth.

I recently placed a manager who had been terminated for violation of company policy regarding fraternization. Of course, that wasn’t what the manager told me, he said “I just wasn’t happy there any more and it was time to move on”.

I got a list of references, and after the first call found out about his termination was for fraternization. I had already sent his resume to a recruiter for a national company, who I have a great working relationship with.

I called the recruiter and let him know what I found out. The recruiter really liked my candidate and decided to continue him in the process. He was then interviewed by a District Manager and was offered the new position.
The District Manager understood that sometimes mistakes happen and he saw a candidate with great potential who made a mistake.

The truth will set you free, be honest with your recruiter and explain your circumstances. We might be able to help you talk about your separation from your last job that still puts your skills in a positive light.

Marty Tarabar

When you receive a gift that was unintentional is it more special than if you expected it? I’ve always believed that answer to be true however as a businessman, when you receive a gift from a client that also pays your salary, how special is that?

They say that your employees are a true measure of the integrity of your organization and I’m a true believer that those core qualities start from the top on down. I’ll stop babbling right now and get to the heart of the story. For the past 7 years, Gecko Hospitality holds it’s franchise meetings in different cities throughout the United States every 6 months. In January, 2010, our meeting was held in Orlando, Florida. Right as the flight attendants were ready to signal to everyone to turn off your cell phones for takeoff, I just so happen see my light blinking that I’ve received a new e-mail.

As I disregard the flight attendants request, I opened the message and saw that it’s from the Director Of Recruiting from one of our clients. Susan (our client) got word that our meeting was  being held in Orlando and was inquiring who was taking care of our food and beverage needs for all of the attendees while our meeting was taking place. As I read further, the words “I INSIST” shot out of the email that I should call Susan immediately.

Miller’s Ale House has been a client for the longest time and regardless, it’s very unusual for a client to display such a gesture of generosity. However, I will soon learn that Miller’s Ale House would be different. As I contacted Susan after landing in Orlando, Susan in her energetic but girlish voice tells me that a call has already been made to the restaurant closest to your hotel and you just tell me how many people. I tell her in a very stand offish voice, “Susan, we have over 25 people and are you sure you want us taking those seats?” After all it was the BCS Championship Game that night!! Without hesitation, Susan says “consider it done and one of my managers will be there to take care of you.” I was truly blown away.

Needless to say, our entire group was blown away that a client would extent this much generosity on what would be a great revenue day for a restaurant with the BCS Championship Game on that night. Not only was the food, drink and service top notch, but a member of the executive team drove in to meet and greet us to make sure everything was okay. All I could think is if a company such as Miller’s Ale House treats its vendors this way then being an employee has to be incredible. After speaking to not just to the management team at the restaurant as well as several of the  hourly employees, they confirmed my notion that Miller’s Ale House is a class act and they treat everyone like they are part of the family!

I want to send out a big thank you to the staff of the Miller’s Ale House in Orlando Florida and especially Susan and Kim who oversee the management recruiting selection process for this growing organization. You are true ambassadors of your organization and to the word “HOSPITALITY”

Any candidate looking to join a company that treats their people like gold, do not hesitate because this company practices what it preaches.

One of the most important tools in a job seeker’s arsenal — and possibly the one that is treated most casually by the job seeker — is the resume. How well could a carpenter perform with a broken hammer, or a surgeon with a faulty instrument? Likewise, landing the job that’s right for you will be far more difficult without a powerful, accurately targeted marketing tool.

Crafting an effective resume requires stepping back, making objective assessments of oneself, being organized, and writing well.

Where to Start

Before sitting down to write your resume, it is best to have a clear plan. As a result, it will be helpful to consider the following:

Find your direction

As you would for any journey, decide where you want to go. The more specific you can make this decision, the better. If you have been a widget-maker all your life and you wish to continue in this field, the decision is simple; if you want to switch to making thingamajigs, you will need to dig a little deeper and possibly do some in-depth personal assessments.

Once you have decided upon a goal, you have a resume target. This will guide you in selecting the details that match (as closely as possible) the requirements of the type of position you seek.

Uncover your qualifications and accomplishments

Identify the information you will be using including work history, education and/or training, certifications, accomplishments, strengths, etc. Keep in mind that your accomplishments and strengths help ensure you stand out from other candidates with similar skills; therefore, it is essential to draw out those most relevant to the position you are targeting so that you may showcase them in your summary and work history.

Many people, surprisingly enough, have difficulty recognizing their strengths and completely overlook some of the best accomplishments they have to offer. The trick to uncovering these key points involves looking at what you do (and/or have done) from the employer’s point of view: How have your actions benefited the organization?

Everyone has accomplishments, yet often we are unaware of them. If you are particularly proud of something you have done, it is probably an accomplishment. Also, it can help to think in terms of challenge / action / result: What challenge existed? What action did you take? What was the result? If you can quantify the results — by using percentages, dollar amounts, or time frames, for instance — you will give your resume more authority and “punch” when an employer reviews it.

Consider the visual elements

Determine the design of your resume. If you generally submit a resume utilizing 8-point font and quarter-inch margins on all sides (a mistake often made by those who believe in the one-page myth), objectively assess the entire document. Will it stand out in a stack of resumes? Will your skills, strengths, and goals be quickly and easily identified?

White space can be used to your advantage. In fact, if you are at a mid-career level, a two-page resume is most common; and executives or those at highly experienced levels may find a two- or three-page resume is appropriate (depending upon your history and goals).

The idea is that you need not be concerned about keeping your resume to one page. It is more important that you present your most relevant qualifications and strengths in a clear and concise manner that maximizes the impact.

As You Craft…

Now that you have a plan, the next step involves crafting the resume; it is important to keep these fundamental strategies in mind:

The 15-second review

Employers are likely to spend only about 10-20 seconds on the initial pass. Your objective is to capture his/her attention while encouraging a more in-depth reading. This can be a valuable guide when deciding what to include in the summary and what to eliminate: Will it have enough impact to pass this rule?

The basic elements of an effective resume will include:

• A clean, visually appealing appearance that invites tired eyes to read.
• A dynamic and powerful summary of qualifications that targets the position requirements.
• Accomplishments emphasized in the initial summary and/or work history.
• Keywords and phrases appropriately placed throughout the document.
• A strong, well-written work history that highlights the last 10-15 years; earlier positions may be included in condensed fashion unless the skills are particularly relevant to your current goals.
• A section highlighting education, professional development (workshops, seminars, or other training that relates to your job goal), and other relevant certifications, publications, etc.
• Depending on your level, field, and goals, a table or list of specific technical skills may prove beneficial.

Summary of qualifications

Think of this as the “headline” to the “advertisement” that will “sell” you to the employer. Select your top skills, abilities, and strengths while ensuring they pertain directly to the type of job you are pursuing.

While it is critical to align your qualifications with the type of positions you are pursuing, quality of the writing is important, too. Write concisely, and write well. Keep in mind that while the language should be strong, sentence fragments are standard practice for resumes; however, cover letters need to be complete sentences (i.e., in first-person narrative form).

Work history

If you have a resume that details every job you have held beginning in high school, it will be a relief to know you may be able to eliminate them and free up a great deal of space for important information. You want to include information that demonstrates your strengths and illustrates your track record utilizing skills relevant to your job target. Positions you have held during the last 10-15 years are considered the most important unless you are a Senior Executive and you need to show a more complete career track. Sometimes earlier positions can be included in a block of additional experience.

It is important to be concise and pointed. Back up the statements made in the summary of qualifications with information that demonstrates how you used your skills and how they benefited your previous employers. Here, too, it is vital to remember your target, choosing and arranging information so that it will highlight your most relevant abilities and background.

Education and Training

An overview of your education is typically reserved for the end of the document; however, if it directly relates to your job target, you may place it early in the resume following the opening skill summary. This can be especially helpful if, for instance, you have a degree in widget making even though your work history has been largely in thingamajigs.

Give brief information that includes the level (e.g., associates, bachelors, etc.), kind (e.g., arts, science, etc.), and area (i.e. major and/or concentration) of degree(s) that you possess as well as the awarding institution and location.

If you have attended seminars include these. If you have obtained certifications in your chosen field, or ones that show you could easily secure any required certifications, list them either before or after the continuing-education portion of this block. The relative importance of the certifications will determine their position; for instance, a technical certification will be more important for a job involving information technology than one involving hospitality services.

Finally — A Resume that Gets Noticed!

You are just about done, and you should have a much stronger resume document. Just a few additional points to consider:

• Personal information — age, marital status, health, religion, and ethnicity should not be listed when seeking positions within the US. (When pursuing jobs in other countries — particularly with non-US employers — various personal data is often included, depending upon the country.)
• References are rarely included because they are submitted at a later stage in the process when mutual interest has been established between you and the employer.
• Often, particularly for a job you really want or need, there is no substitute for having a resume professionally prepared. Just knowing that writing specialists — who are highly trained and keep up with industry and job trends, and innovations in resume preparation — are preparing a powerful document for you can be a big boost of confidence, which allows you to wow interviewers. And you can’t put a price on that.

Either way you do it, think positive and be confident as you enter your job search!

Resume Strategies for New Graduates

Emphasize skills gained through experience and studies to fully develop a powerful, qualitative resume.

An effective resume captures an employer’s interest within the first 15 seconds. Typically, a new graduate’s most relevant skills are gained through academic study. However, unless a candidate’s education is in a highly sought after area, competing with more experienced candidates may prove challenging—especially if one does not have related work experience. Thus, a well-designed resume with a qualitative (versus quantitative) focus will immediately pique interest and maximize the marketing potential of your recent education, practicum, internships, etc.

Rarely will the title of a program or degree fully convey the full breadth of one’s skill set. A carefully designed resume—through strategic presentation of key program elements and your personal areas of focus—will quickly demonstrate to an employer the skills you bring to the table; this in turn allows you to stand out from other candidates. An Academic Skill Conversion™ resume leverages your hands-on classroom, project, lab, and internship activities as they pertain to your current career goals. And if you have related work and volunteer experience, it can be used to add further value to your overall presentation.

Also, it is not uncommon for new graduates to underestimate the strength of transferable skills gained through work that is unrelated to the degree. For example, you may have held service-oriented positions in the retail or hospitality industries. In these instances, it can be advantageous to show professional strengths that demonstrate aptitude in customer service, administration, or general operations. This is achieved by developing a well-targeted qualifications profile.

In addition to an effective qualifications profile, you can present specific details of projects in the experience section that follows your profile and education. If you have work, volunteer or internship experience, it would be listed here, in reverse chronological order. Ultimately, the key to a successful job search will be largely determined by the power of your presentation. You’ve worked hard to earn your degree, and now it is time to have your degree work for you.

Back in March of 2009 there was no question the U.S economy was in the tank. Many displaced restaurant managers asked the big question; where are all the jobs? With the hospitality and retail sector taking big financial hits, restaurateurs have been faced with downsizing their workforce in order to survive. For those managers who were spared the dreaded pink slip, they have had to endure pay cuts, lost bonuses, longer hours and a reduction of hourly staff. One could argue who received the better deal!

Within the past sixty days, those of us in the recruiting field have already seen the shift in hiring. Companies are beginning to hire in what has traditionally been the busiest time of the year and this summer serves to be no different. Or is it? Those managers who have been dealt the blow of sacrificing more hours at the workplace, along with a decrease in pay, are determining that now is the time to begin looking for a company who will not subject them to the hell they currently live in. One would not imagine looking for a new position three months ago while the uncertainty of the economy kept everyone at bay. What was once thought of being grateful for being employed will now turn into a mass exodus of epic proportion.

As company recruiters are vulnerable to widespread layoffs, those left behind have double the workload and two serious problems on their hands. The first will be to try and fill those needs as a result of attrition, but most importantly will be to fill those needs left by managers who feel that it is now safe to look elsewhere and find greener pasture.

In one month, the number of active resumes in hospitality has increased by 19% as reported by the major job boards. The levels of exhaustion amongst managers are at an all time high and they will be seeking better opportunities. As a company recruiter, my main focus would be retention and get those managers out there some help! Take my word, as one new manager is brought into training, three will be turning in their notice. As recruiting departments shrink, company recruiters must begin to put hiring plans in place today. Think about it, the average time to recruit, interview and hire a new manager is on average twenty one days. Take into account a two week notice, and you’re pushing almost thirty days.

The time is NOW to fill your pipeline of quality managers….and don’t procrastinate! The candidate you interview today was interviewed by a competitor of yours a week ago. A “recruiters market” is all but complete. The dawn of a “candidates market” is just right around the corner and when it begins and if history is any indicator, this will be a company recruiter’s worst nightmare for the next eighteen months.

Time is the biggest deal breaker…