What should I include on my resume?

[AStewart]

Hi e-gullet,

I'm Aaron, I live in Seattle, and I am a professional cook by trade, its come to that time where I'm looking to move up in the wonderful world of cooking from my current position at my current restaurant. a little background, it may not be super unusual in this country(or at least this part of the country) but I came in to semi-fine dining from working at Papa John's and another local variation there in, so aside from the place I currently work, my resume isn't super duper sparkling(yet). Obviously, I'm not exactly super stoked to have those two items on my resume, but it is what it is. The question pertains to dropping one of those off of my resume, and including my time at Cascadia, I was there roughly two weeks, and it was sold right as I was getting up to speed, should I include this? or should I leave it off, even though it's far more impressive looking that PJ's or the other Local Pizzeria?

[JeanneCake]

While you could learn a lot in two weeks, it's not going to really register as a place where you gained a significant amount of work experience - even if you picked up things that will serve you well in the future.

Consider presenting your resume with skills listed first. Ask your present employer what you're good at (speed? multitasking? organizing) or if that's too blatant (it looks like you're fishing for compliments!) be honest with yourself about what you do well at work and where you need to improve. Then go from there. Lead with your strengths. Many times a fast food operation by its very nature teaches you how to organize yourself and speed - as well as how to clean as you go and this kind of experience can be a good thing.

[AAQuesada]

I wouldn't list a place you were at for 2 weeks. You might mention it during the course of an interview, as a point of reference to the kinds of places you would like to work at. Of course that the restaurant closed down won't count against you.

Eventually the fast food places will fall off your resume of there own accord. It's important to try to take away something positive the experience and don't be ashamed of it. Please make sure that you are choosing restaurants that you can be at AT LEAST 1 year and preferably 2. Build your resume the right way. Try to progress through the stations as well as the seasons. Build diversity in your resume especially early on.

Personally I wouldn't list skills. List accomplishments. Were you promoted? Did you work through all the staions? Did you create any menu items or specials. Did you help prevent waste and how. How many languages can you say 'Yes Chef!" in? ;^)

Good Luck

[AStewart]

Thank you very much for the responses!

Wherever I work next I do intend to stay for at least a year, I have been at my current job just north of two years, which is part of the reason I want to move on, broaden my experience!

anyways, once again thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas.

Aaron

[lala]

With respect to the other posters on this topic, they may not be familiar with Cascadia. I live in Seattle and know that it was a popular, lauded fine dining restaurant. At this point, Aaron, I'd suggest that you put it on your resume. It's not your fault that the place was sold so soon after you started. What does matter in this instance is that your simply being hired at Cascadia gives you some some fine dining credibility that you are otherwise missing. They saw something in you that they liked. I'd definitely list it, and in your interview say something to the effect that you had hoped to be there for a long time to use your current skills (list them) and gain new ones - like you want to do at the interviewers restaurant.

[AAQuesada]

You would be taking a chance that the chef would take it as pretentious name dropping, especially if he was hired their at an entry level position. Culinary is a small town chances are he'll be applying with chefs who worked there before. I would still mention it in the interview, but not on paper.

Just my opinion.

Arturo

[Chris Amirault]

As someone who sat through a few interviews for both kitchen and FOH staff last spring, I would encourage you to note that you're a team player, a quick learner, and put the interests of the restaurant and customer above all else. The chef (at Cook & Brown Public House, in case you're interested) stressed these issues in his interviews and training, and he's put together a strong team that avoids petty BS and does amazing work in a tiny, hot kitchen night in and out.

[lala]

You would be taking a chance that the chef would take it as pretentious name dropping, especially if he was hired their at an entry level position. Culinary is a small town chances are he'll be applying with chefs who worked there before. I would still mention it in the interview, but not on paper.

Just my opinion.

Arturo

I have to say I disagree. Listing any good restaurant is not "pretentious name dropping", especially if the restaurant to which he's applying if of the same caliber. And of course, at that stage in his career, he was hired at an entry level. We all start somewhere, but not everyone gets into a really good restaurant.

The other problem is if it's not on the resume, but he brings it up in the conversation, any good manager would look at that resume more closely and ask why wasn't it on the resume? And wonder what else the candidate was hiding. Managers don't like surprises, and talking about a job that's not on the resume is a surprise.

Put the job on there and discuss it. Again, being hired at a good place like Cascadia gives you credibility.

[Fujito]

^Yes, name dropping is GOOD for the reason outlined above.

I find it good to include a mission statement that sums yourself up in one sentence. I never see this on any server or cook applications, but it's very common in the business world and in other careers.

[AAQuesada]

IME those are the resume's that get filed in the circular receptacle and don't get call backs. All they are going to see is two weeks, think bad thoughts, and if the restaurant is going through 40 resume's... It's not about reality, it's about the perception it creates.

YMMV, of course it is an individual decision.

[AStewart]

Well, I thought Id throw an update here, I DID land a new gig, at a better restaurant! I did include the cascadia experience, and in the end, that made the difference. Of course I nailed my tryout cooking for them too, but, I can happily report that advice was casually followed!

[AAQuesada]

LOL! So as I was saying.. great move

Congratulations on landing a good gig.