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!

One of the most common mistakes that I come across is also one of the most missed opportunities in an interview. EVERY interviewer undoubtedly wraps up their questioning with this final question “Do you have any questions for me?”.

I ask this same question to every candidate that I speak to and the most replied response is “No, you’ve already answered all of my questions” or “I can’t think of any at this time”. 

In my debriefing of candidates after interviews, I always ask how they answered this question when asked. If they give me one of the above responses, I know the interview did not go as well as they may think. So now I always make sure to prepare candidates for this moment. It is EXTREMELY important that when asked, you have some well thought out questions to ask the interviewer. If not, it shows a lack of preparation for the interview, an apathy for the company or the position, and a general disinterest for the interviewer and the information they have to offer at this stage of the process.

A job interview is a two way street. It gives the company representative a chance to get to know you, but it also gives you a chance to get to know the company to see if it is going to meet your needs both culturally and monetarily. There is no way a person can impart all of the necessary information for making an intelligent decision without being asked questions.

Some of the better examples of good responses to this question that I have heard are “What drew you to this company in the first place?” or “What is it about this company that has kept you here so long and/or makes you happy?”. These questions turn the table onto the interviewer and forces them to open up to you about themselves, plus you gain valuable insight into the culture of the company. You should also ask questions about unit growth and advancement opportunities. These show your desire to be there for the long haul. Any questions that are probing and open ended and reflect your desire to gather important information are worth asking.

At a minimum, you should have at least three to four questions prepared in advance. And you should also be thinking of questions as you go through your interview to ask at the end also. Again make sure your questions are open-ended and well thought out. Remember this is an opportunity for you to gain valuable insight for making a decision further on in the process AND a chance for you to show your desire and enthusiasim towards the company and the position. I’ve seen bad interviews be turned around at this point just by asking the right questions.

So good luck and “Be Prepared”.

Gecko Hospitality is pleased to welcome Billy Gilson as its new Franchise Partner for the states of Oklahoma and New Mexico. 

 Billy joined Gecko Hospitality in April of 2010.  Billy started his career at the age of 14 bussing tables at a family owned establishment.  Throughout Billy’s professional career, he has worked up the ranks at well know restaurant organizations  such as Pappasitos, Texas Roadhouse, la Madeleine’s and most recently held the title of Senior Manager at The Grand Lux Café.  Billy has spent many years developing skills that have allowed him the ability to identify and develop candidates within his restaurant organizations.   Billy is excited about utilizing those human resources and recruiting skills to match the right candidate with the right client.

Gecko Hospitality is excited with the skills Billy Gilson brings to the table and the amount of enthusiasm and passion he has for the hospitality industry.

Billy is married to his wife Melanie who is a first grade teacher.   Billy has two daughters, Taylor and Kami and a son Zachary. Billy’s passions include spending time with his family, wood working, playing golf with his son and brother but most of all loves watching his beloved Dallas Mavericks and Cowboys.

After many years in the hsopitality recruiting business, I’ve learned that candidates often lack preparation when facing a career transition or job change.

Here are six simple steps to take before an interview to help you land the job.

1. Prepare Your Story
Throughout your hospitality career, you may pursue different directions. Be prepared to discuss the reasons for which you’re taking your career in a certain direction.

Organize talking points that help you tell your story. It’s important to touch on reasons why you may have left a company without bashing your former co–workers or supervisors. Explain with confidence the reason that you are making or have made a career change.

Remember that a lack of conversation reflects lack of interest. Be prepared to incorporate the storyline of your background into their organizational challenges.

2. Calculate Your Compensation
Know the difference between your needs, your value to the company, and market trends. Your financial needs are of no importance to the hiring manager or the hiring company. They care about your success, but they are not accountable for your financial responsibilities.

Investigate the market trends for the position for which you’re interviewing. The dollar amount is usually defined by what the market will bear for your position. This information can be collected from a variety of websites and market research. Keep in mind that this will also depend on the company’s size, revenues, headcount, geographic location, etc.

The value that you bring to the company is one that only you can define and present to your prospective employer. This will be based upon your demonstrated experience as determined by contributions you’ve made in previous roles. Capture and reflect revenues that you generated, incorporate costs and expenses that you managed, and/or numbers of people or clients that you have supported.

Understand acronyms such as OTE and MBO.

• OTE = On Target Earnings. This is what your total compensation package is, including annual base salary, bonuses etc.
• MBO = Management by Objective. This is typically used to identify a percentage of your annual base and may be paid quarterly or once a year.

3. Articulate Your Value
You need to be able to address the value that you bring to the company. Be prepared to share your skills and accomplishments and discuss how they benefit the company. Articulate these accomplishments in a problem–action–results sequence.

• Problem – This will reflect the specific problem, challenge, or situation that you are faced with. The way you would describe this is in the form of an overview or summary.
• Action – This represents the steps that you took to address the problem, challenge, or situation. Describe the methodology that you followed to drive results and deliverables.
• Results – This is where you define the success or accomplishment of your action. Use this as an opportunity to share how you evaluate the end result.

4. Determine Your Commute Threshold
Estimate how far are you willing to commute to get to work every day. Some candidates will use this threshold to represent miles and some will use it to measure total road time.

5. Determine Your Willingness to Travel
This will usually depend on the position for which you’re applying. Your previous experiences with work travel will be a true indicator to consider. You should also carefully consider the impact that this will have on your family and personal lifestyle.

6. Articulate Your Management Style
Be prepared to share and discuss the environment or culture where you can be the most productive. Are you most effective in a chaotic, fast–paced, high–stressed environment? Do you bring a calming influence in a chaotic setting? Are you detail oriented, driven by reports in a micro–managed structure? Be prepared to describe your typical activity in a normal work day.

If you do your homework well, you will be extraordinarily successful in your job interview. It will become easy for you to open new doors of opportunity toward landing the job of your dreams! Go get ‘em!

Spring’s here, We always talk about spring cleaning at the restaurant, dusting artifacts, redoing landscaping and exterior painting.

How does your restaurant resume look? Maybe it’s time to dust it off and make sure it is ready to send out to prospective employers.

Some of the details you might want to check;
Are dates of employment correct?
Do you have your current employment listed?
Phone number, address and e-mail all correct?

Do you have a current list of references? Often, when we ask for references we find there are incorrect phone numbers or e-mail addresses. Getting in touch with your references is very important for us. More and more we are asked to have reference checks completed along with submitting your resume.

What are your references going to say about you? When was the last time you spoke to your references? It would be great to give them a call and get back in touch. Having a recent discussion with a reference will help remind them what a great manager you were.

Why should you have your resume fresh and ready to go? In the past month I have had calls from 2 long tenured GM’s who found themselves suddenly out of work. One manager was placed quickly, he had his resume ready to go and had great references who spoke very highly of him.

So, dust off that resume, don’t post it or update it on Monster or Career Builder!! Mistakes can happen and your resume could suddenly appear on line without your knowledge.

Great video from “Howdini – get yourself a gru”

Website that provides a variety of information.

This video is by  Carolyn Bigda, Money Magazine check it out – How to prepare for a job interview

• Dress appropriately and conservatively. Suits are safe.

• Shake hands firmly.

• Make eye contact.

• Develop a sales pitch about yourself. Use specific examples of your work and mention key points that will appeal to your interviewer.

• Practice this sales pitch until it’s routine and easy to deliver calmly and with sincerity.

• If you were fired from your last job, be honest, but positive. No negative remarks about the former employer.

• Say you’re looking for the next opportunity, the place to take the next step in your career, or that you’re looking to apply your skills in a different way.

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.

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