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!

Hospitality Industry Leader Keeps People In Jobs Despite Economic Downturn

Downers Grove, IL – “We’ve placed thousands  of people in top management jobs in the last two years. There’s no recession at Gecko Hospitality.” Robert Krzak, president of North America’s premier hospitality industry recruiter, is proud of Gecko’s track record in getting people into work. While millions of Americans have lost their jobs in the two year economic downturn, Gecko Hospitality has bucked the trend. “We’ve worked extra hard to make sure that our candidates are paired with top class restaurants, hotels, resorts, clubs and casinos who have been eager to hire them,” says Robert. “It’s a huge achievement, especially with unemployment figures rising in every industry.”

Based in Downers Grove, Illinois, Gecko Hospitality offers the largest selection of hospitality, restaurant, hotel, resort and club management jobs online. “We work with more than 400 of the top employers in the industry,” says Robert, “and more than ever, during the recession, they have relied on us to find them the best, most honest candidates with the highest integrity to join their management teams.”

Finding the right candidate isn’t a problem, thanks to Gecko’s ten year track record in the business, extensive candidate database and team of top class recruiters. “Our candidates know that our contacts with hospitality industry decision makers will put their resumes in front of the right people,” says Robert. “Even better, most of our recruiters began their careers in the hospitality industry, which means we understand and care about what our customers want. Everyone’s happy.”

Robert attributes the company’s success to its unique attitude to the people it works with. “We’re not just another service provider or vendor,” he says. “We have a real passion for the hospitality industry. We partner with industry leading restaurants, hotels, resorts, clubs and casinos to provide them with the management staff they can’t get on their own. We handpick the best, most honest candidates with the highest integrity. We’ve been doing this for ten years, with great results – just ask our clients and candidates!”

To mark its tenth anniversary, Gecko Hospitality is relaunching its recruitment website in February 2010. The new site will feature an improved interface to help match candidates and clients even more successfully.

“With our new site, it will be easier than ever for us to connect hospitality industry leaders with the premium candidates they need,” said Robert Krzak, who founded Gecko Hospitality after running successful restaurant recruiting franchises. “We want to start the next ten years the same way we ended the last – by getting more people into hospitality industry jobs. That’s the reason why we are the largest and most respected hospitality recruiting firm in the US. ”

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 salaried management personnel for their properties. Gecko has 37 regional offices and a team of more than 60 hospitality recruiters covering all 50 states and Canada. For more information, please visit www.geckohospitality.com

In difficult times the employment market is extremely competitive; especially when you are trying to catch the attention of an executive recruiter. These tips will help you get the interview you are looking for regardless if you have been downsized;

• Relevant Experience – if your experience has varied but you have great exposure to what a specific job is looking for HIGHLIGHT that experience or more importantly move it to the first few bullets on your resume.

• Recent Successes – employers want high impact players that make a difference and your success needs to be clearly written on your resume. Briefly describe what you have accomplished and the impact it had on the business.

• Reasons for Changes – Often we see resumes with multiple jobs in a few years or some job seekers that have not been employed for a few months. This has become more common in this market. The assumption is always negative so take that out of the equation by letting potential employers know about those situations on your resume.

• Tailor your Career Highlights or Summary – If you have a Highlights or Summary section on your resume tailor it for the job you are applying for. I have seen people apply to a job and their highlights have little to do with the job that they applied for. This will not open many doors.

• Format – make sure that your resume is easy to read or easy to scan. The odds of your resume being read in its entirety are slim. When resumes are received they are visually scanned and people look for key words, titles and previous employers. People need to see a clear professional document. Resumes with bullet points are much easier to read that those written in paragraphs. Always make sure your font style and size is the consistent throughout.

• Spelling and Grammar – This is obvious but so important. Make sure you spell check your resume and always have someone else proofread your resume.

Remember the purpose of your resume is to get you in front of an executive recruiter and eventually an employer. Your resume does not (and should not) tell everything about you but it needs to tell them why you will be an asset. It should be a clear representation of who you are and what you bring to the table. It will open doors to executive recruiters and then it is up to you to sell yourself

                                                                                                                          Stay tuned to our Gecko Blog for great career tips!