Dec
Are you a unemployed restaurant worker, or currently employed in a restaurant and looking for a change? One of the first things you’ll have to do is prepare or upgrade your resume. If you haven’t entered the job market and are unaccustomed to constructing a resume, or if you are searching for a new job and haven’t updated your resume for a while, the process might seem intimidating.
One of the most difficult aspects of the restaurant job application process is the chore of providing references. While some jobs you apply for may not ask for references, almost all do, and almost all will check them. You should always assume that references will be asked for and will be followed up on. So make sure your references are lined up and ready to go and that they are legitimate and easily contacted.
There are two basic types of references: personal and professional. Typically, your application should have a combination of the two. As a rule, try for at the very minimum references to accompany your application.
When drawing up your resume it is not uncommon and is perfectly acceptable to state, at the bottom, “References Available upon Request.” If you apply for a restaurant job you may not be asked for an interview, and references are a form of information that does not need to be given until the potential employer has committed to calling you in for an interview.
However, if you do book a job interview, make sure you’ve got your references beforehand and have them available when you arrive. Sometimes, because prospective references need to be asked by you for their approval, you might not have all of them ready when the interview day arrives. It is acceptable to assure the employer that your references are forthcoming, but don’t make them wait for more than a day or two. If you do, it will demonstrate that you don’t take the offered restaurant job seriously, or that you are irresponsible and disorganized.
How do you approach acquiring high quality references? As pointed out earlier, you make sure you have both professional and personal references to go with your job application. Professional references are people who can account for your employment in the jobs you list on your resume: former superiors, bosses, co-workers or members of human resources divisions of larger companies. Professional references are meant to provide proof of employment, not attest to your skills, personality or job performance. They should be able to provide the dates you began and left the former job, as well as the titles you held and the duties you performed.
Personal references are people who will provide insight into your abilities, your work ethic, and various details about you relevant to your value as a worker. They could also be former co-workers, or can be people you’ve worked with in other areas (such as volunteer work, community organizations such as arts or sports groups, and so on), or even friends who have valuable information that can shed light on your professional attributes.
When selecting personal references, try and select people who you know are trustworthy, articulate, and have some kind of professional status that will make them seem credible. Your old buddy from high school may know you better than anyone, but is he or she really the person you want making claims on your behalf if he or she has no sense of your work abilities? It’s best not to use family members as references either; they will be viewed as biased. If you’ve never held a job before, you obviously will not have any employment references, and can rely solely on personal references.
Before you pass names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of prospective references on to an interviewer, Don’t neglect to contact the references themselves and ask for their permission. It is disrespectful to use someone’s name as a reference if they don’t know in advance that they might be called upon. Also, if they know in advance, they can be ready with the necessary information when the call comes.
References are a major element of the restaurant job application process. Make sure you take the soliciting of your references seriously and have them with you for your interview. A great reference can make all the difference between you and another equally qualified candidate!