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I am currently underemployed in the Restaurant Industry, can anyone assist me in getting my Career back on Track?

Veteran

Christopher Byers Cumming, GA

I Lost my job in 2011 due to jobs recession and I've been delivering pizzas and trading FOREX since 2012. I've found that most of the job search portals simply repost the same job requisitions over and over again to the point to where they're just generating SPAM.

19 December 2018 10 replies Career Advancement

Answers

Advisor

Donna Stairs Greensburg, PA

Hi Christopher,

I have some suggestions for you to consider. First of all, how do your skills compare to the jobs that you want to apply for? If you are a match then make sure your resume is reflecting the appropriate key words. You may need to tailor your resume to the jobs you are applying to. Key words are essential to make it past the ATS in most cases. Just be sure you have the experience you are claiming to have.

I don't know what kind of position you are seeking but most often a good Linkedin profile is helpful. Don't be afraid to say in your summary that you want to get back to the work you are trained to do perform. Make sure your resume and profile are a close match. It is important to be consistent with dates. Connect on there to other professionals in your industry. Join groups relevant to the restaurant industry. Sometimes jobs are posted in groups before job boards. Also, follow companies/restaurants you want to work for.

If you see a job you want to apply for look on LinkedIn and find the hiring manager, human resources or recruiter who would most likely see your resume. Ask to connect with them but don't just send the request. You should personalize it to reflect why you want to connect.

If you see a job posted but think it may be an old posting then check the companies website or call them to see if there is an opening. You are correct that a lot of jobs are just reposted it has nothing to do with the company but more to do with the search engine.

Utilize your local VA services or the local careerlink services. Check with your local chamber of commerce to see what services maybe available. You can even try local temp agencies to see if they have the kind of position you are seeking.

You can also post your resume to the big job boards but make sure your resume is including all the keywords for the jobs you would be interested in performing.

Hope that helps. Best of luck! Donna

Advisor

June Webb Chevy Chase, MD

Hi Christopher,

Have you revised your resume? That ya the first thing. Next I would suggest creating a profile for two of the most highly recruited platforms. Linkedin and Zip recruiter. Your profile is a “marketing” tool to sell YOU. Then you resume is to follow as a record of you. Start networking and be proactive every day on Linkedin. This platform is where professionals, recruiters and companies are active on networking. The key here is to be proactive.
Btw... I connect and place people into job positions in DMV area.

MIND BODY LIFE SUCCESS
June Webb
www.healthuesuccess.com

Advisor

Emanuel Carpenter Alpharetta, GA

Christopher - Since you are in the Greater Atlanta area, I suggest you check out Vetlanta as they specialize in helping veterans finds local jobs. Here is a link: https://vetlanta.org/ .

Best of luck.

Advisor

Louis Schwarz Somerville, NJ

Hi Chris, my thought is to try the hotel industry. They need staff all over the country to staff front desks, admin positions, food service and all the support that goes with hotels. Also, the cruse ship industry or the resort industry. Your military experience can be applied to the hotel industry. Give it a try and go on an adventure. Good Luck and have fun..

Advisor

Joseph (Joe) Valicevic Mount Pleasant, MI

Christopher - Thanks so much for your service to our country.

My primary thoughts on your email are that you need to do a self-analysis and identify where your interests lie and if they can be parlayed into a career opportunity. When you identify areas of interest that appeal to you and can be pursued as a career, a prudent step is to determine if that career(s) matches up with your personal strengths and weaknesses (be sure to ask friends and associates who you trust and believe to be objective how they view your strengths and weaknesses also). If they align with your career interest, that is a very promising sign.

Prior to the start of my career, I was encouraged by my Father to consider accounting as a major in college. He believed it was the best background that anybody working for a business could possess. After going through the program at the university I graduated from I realized I did not want to work in an accounting job because I loved to sell. I did my self analysis and was able to combine accounting training with my passion to sell when I hired in at a Bank and started my career working in a Loan Officer Training Program with the target of becoming a successful Commercial Banker.

In your situation there may be a need for education. Consider employers that will pay for that training. There is much to be said about what next steps should be in your case but I believe the self analysis will get you off to a good start. I am always available to chat with if you would like to continue a dialog. Joe

Advisor

Claudio A Norwalk, CT

Hello Chris - I will likely come from a different angle here, but something to consider.

At first you should think about what employers value and specific skillsets. I come from a technology background so I see a lot in this area and I think you should consider a couple of these areas, and if they are interesting I would encourage you to get accredited so you can stand-out from the rest.
- Project Management -> look for PMP certification and look to get some entry level project management work. You'll see that in 1-2 years things will really start to unfold IMHO.
- Salesforce -> Most companies are using it and whether you're an admin or implementation specialist there are a ton of opportunities for folks that know how to use it. Look for training and I'm sure many places have entry level/junior roles to get things moving. The starting pay can be pretty decent and it only goes up from there!
- IT Security - IT security is becoming a very expensive problem for many companies and look to get a CISA/CISSP certification to branch out into auditing as well. If you do some basic research you'll find entry level roles here. I would also look to marry this will some hands-on tech experience, by doing an internship/volunteering some time to this to get good references and build up your resume.

Hope this helps!

Best of luck, and remember that you can do it! be strong and look at the big picture.

Claudio

Advisor

Roger Bhalla Houston, TX

Christopher,
I think you'll get more useful advice from the forum if you can add a bit of clarity on your situation. Just like you wouldn't shop for car parts in the grocery store to fix your dishwasher, you need to know about yourself and what you want in a job to be successful. If you can share your background (skills, experience, education), what you want from a career (type of work), and what you are able to accept from a job (salary expectations, location, schedule, travel, etc.), you'll get more targeted advice. Feel free to message me directly as well.

Best of luck,
Roger

Advisor

Rex Conger Gilbert, SC

My suggestion is for you is - to throughly analyze your military and work career experience so far. I further suggest that your identify the work experience that you enjoyed the most and those experiences that you would not like to repeat.

Following that analysis, I would hope that you could begin to see a potential career path that would provide you with satisfaction, stability and a comfortable income.

Then you need to identify the education/experience you need to acquire in order to pursue that career.

Organizations that will provide you with education/experience is again the military, others are many large companies who offer education for advancement for their workforce members.

I would be glad to help you if you are interested

REX

Advisor

Mikhail Relushchin Brooklyn, NY

Hi Christopher,

Thank you for your service! You may actually be eligible for ACP's Veteran Mentoring Program - this can be a great way to fine-tune your search for a career. A Mentor can be really helpful as you identify career goals: They can help you think through what kind of career you want, how to make yourself stand out, and ultimately stay accountable to your goals. Trying applying here:

https://www.acp-usa.org/mentoring-program/veteran-application

Let me know if you have any questions!

Best,
Mikhail

Advisor

Rob Gasperetti Locust Valley, NY

Hello Christopher,
Have you considered the Club industry? Feel free to reach out.
TY and Merry Christmas!
Best,
Rob

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