Career Flux - Career

Cooking in Texas: The Hardest Career You’ll Ever Love

Now, let me preface this by saying I’m a Texan. And I’m no suburbanite, either; I’m a truck-driving, two-stepping, queso-eating Austin local, and I’ve got a lot of pride for homegrown cuisine.

Austin food goes beyond that cheesy queso; it includes tender brisket at Lambert’s, bison tacos covered in spicy Doña salsa at Tacodeli, and sizzling cerveza fajitas at Polvo’s. Austin is a city that takes its dining seriously, and if you’re thinking about starting a cooking career in this town, you’ll need to be ready to for big flavor and hard work.

Starting from scratch in Austin’s culinary scene

Sure, culinary arts schools in Texas can get you started in a cooking career. You learn things you’ll need like knife skills, food safety, and how to make a killer béarnaise sauce. But if you think you can waltz from the graduation stage to an executive chef post at Vespaio, you’ve obviously been sampling too much of the cooking wine.

If you’re really ready to make a culinary career out of your love of food, you’ll have to combine your culinary training with some old fashioned experience. Take these tips to heart as you begin to think about training in the field:

Get a high school diploma if you don’t have one already. Not all cooking jobs require it, but most culinary programs do, and hiring managers are likely to prefer it.
If you’re in high school, focus on classes in art and science in addition to Home Ec — you’ll need creativity and precision in addition to basic cooking skills.
Work hard to gain experience. You might not be able to waltz into Hudson’s on the Bend and expect a job as a saucier, but you certainly can come in and work as a bus boy or line cook, particularly if you’re working for cheap and willing to pick up extra shifts.
Take on a mentor. It could be a teacher at culinary school or the pastry chef at Restaurant Jezebel, but a little unofficial guidance can only help you.

Above all, don’t forget why you want this job for life. Make up your own recipes; compete in chili cook-offs and save your tips to blow on sake-marinated salmon roe at Uchi. When you love working with food, the long days and late nights are all worth it for that transcendent moment on a plate.

About the Author:

Janis Beem writes about culinary schools in Texas and across the country from her home in Austin, TX. Her favorite foods are butternut squash soup and roasted kale chips.

Filed Under: Career Planning, Featured, Guest Experts Tagged With: Career, cooking career, culinary career, culinary training

5 Tips For Women Juggling A Family And Career Without Going Insane!

By Kristy Kravitsky 2 Comments

So you’ve been granted the “Most Productive Employee” plaque at your job…7 months in a row. Great, right? Not if burning the midnight oil meant having to neglect your family in the process. Yes, it’s awesome that your paycheck has been completely incredible over the past 7 months, but little Johnny has started calling the babysitter “mama” and your husband has considered searching for an alternate wife.

Before you go crazy, quit your job, and start searching Google for ‘Where to sell my diamond ring’ in order to produce some sort of income, take a deep breath. Relax. It’s time to prioritize- without going insane. There is a way to do so, and no, you don’t have to be Superwoman (although you may feel like her). Let’s take a look at 5 tips to help you juggle your lifestyle while maintaining your sanity, your paycheck, and most importantly- your family time.

1. Secure a position you’re comfortable with:

If you’re looking for a job, this beginning step is crucial. Interviews can sometimes tell a lot about a job- and sometimes can’t. Look for any and all signs; be a detective. Were you warmly greeted? Does the interviewer seem to be organized? Ask for a tour of the company, request to speak with an actual worker about the job, brainstorm any and all questions you may have about the available position. If the company has a website, read up on their “About” section; you can develop an overall feeling by reading how they started and what their goals are. From there, you should be able to make a decision on whether or not the company is a comfortable fit for your lifestyle.

2. Assess your abilities, goals, and family needs:

Society has molded women to think that they need to work twenty times harder in order to keep in pace with men. While that may not be necessarily true (women are actually becoming more dominant in certain fields), it can be stressful giving 110% when all that’s necessary is 100%. To put it plainly, many women have left the corporate zoo for a “lower” level position, which produces a better quality of life while still maintaining satisfaction within the position. This doesn’t mean to go and quit your $120,000 a year job for a $40,000; take the time to sit down and figure out your job goals and how they may conflict with your family goals. Don’t shortchange yourself, but don’t bite off more than you can chew. Backing off on a few projects here and there doesn’t make you weak; it will let you breathe more easily and remind you that you do have a life outside of work.

3. Talk it out with your spouse and family:

Communication is the key to any successful venture. If there’s room to move up in the company you’re at, are you willing to accept the overtime offered? Is your spouse available to help out with the kids on those nights? Take into consideration if your job may require a move in a few months or years. It may seem silly to discuss everything, but it’s really not. It’s better to be prepared and covered in all aspects, than to be taken by surprise when you least expect it.

4. Talk it out with your employer or supervisor:

Sometimes talking to your spouse and family isn’t enough. It will help to burn off some steam over things that are bothering you at work, but in order to change something, you’re going to need to express your concern to someone at work who is authorized to make those changes. Keep in mind that there is a HUGE difference in being assertive and being a bi**h. The latter is what we don’t want. Stand your ground, but do so in a way that is clear and well-thought out, not condescending. You don’t want to sound like a hot-headed idiot, after all. Write your concerns down and go over it point-by-point with your boss.

5. Don’t be afraid to explore other options:

If there simply isn’t enough wiggle room within your current job, get out there and find somewhere that can accommodate you. While income is certainly necessary in order to survive, your well-being and your family should come first. If the job isn’t a good fit, know that there are others out there where you can thrive- happily. No amount of negative stress is good, so work on finding a place that suits you; in the end, you’ll realize it was worth it.

Kristy Kravitsky is a writer and traveler who hopes to combine those together for a satisfying career.

Filed Under: At Workplace, Featured, General, Guest Experts Tagged With: business, Career, family, family and career, Jobs, women, women and career, women and family, women in business, Work

A Career in the Armed Forces – is it for me?

By Stephanie Staszko Leave a Comment

Joining the armed forces can be an incredibly rewarding and exciting career opportunity for those with a passion to serve the country. Joining the army, however, isn’t for everyone but how do you know if it’s for you? If you’ve hit a fork in the road regarding your decision to join the army then here are a few factors to consider before making the crucial decision.

Reasons to Join the Army

There are a lot of incentives in place to make joining the army more attractive to potential new recruits. If you’re looking to study to gain a qualification, you may receive financial bursaries and grants to help you gain your army-related qualification. This can be attractive to many young people with the current university tuition fees being relatively high. Army positions also boast more paid holidays than a typical civilian job, with a minimum of 38 days leave a year.

Many people join the armed forces to feel a sense of self-worth; protecting your country can fill you with pride and can be incredibly rewarding. Helping the most vulnerable people in the world can give you an overwhelming sense of achievement and selflessness.

Skill Requirement

In order to be a member of the armed forces you have to possess a certain skill-set. Army recruiters will look for certain personal qualities, achievements and, in some roles, technical skills.

Physical fitness – although you don’t need to be boasting a pristine physique, you need to be able to run on command and squeeze into awkward positions.

Ability to empathize – as a member of the armed forces you’ll have to work with people from some of the world’s most deprived countries so sensitivity is a necessity. If you’ve worked as a carer before or volunteered for a charity which helps vulnerable people then make sure it’s on your CV.

Be a team player – most jobs ask for this quality but it’s particularly important if you’re looking to start a military career. You have to be able to obey commands and work together with others.

Patriotism – an army recruiter will look for passion for serving the Queen and country in potential soldiers and officers.

A Career in the Armed Forces – is it for me-2

Inspection of Irish Army by Queen - Dublin

Assess Yourself

Although the army can be a fantastic career path it isn’t suitable for everyone. Leaving the army isn’t so easy; military law means your contract is legally binding. Simply going AWOL can land you with a criminal record at the very least so you need to be sure you want to do it before signing up. You can ask military solicitors for help but getting yourself into this situation in the first place isn’t a good idea! You can speak to a career adviser or request an information pack to find out more information and decide whether it’s the right career path for you.

This guest post was written by Stephanie Staszko.

Filed Under: Career Planning, Guest Experts Tagged With: Career, career exploration, Career Planning

A Career in Public Administration

By Marilyn Tate Leave a Comment

City Manager, City of Edmonton. Source: The City of Edmonton

Public Administration is a great career field to enter. The possibilities for employment are virtually endless and the pay for most positions is excellent. Choosing a career in the Public Administration sector allows you to make an impact in your community. Whether your education and experience is in managing money or preparing for disasters; you have the power to help others around you. Most jobs in public administration require a bachelor’s degree, but some will allow a lesser amount of education supplemented with prior on-the-job experience. Here are some of the roles you can play in Public Administration:

Mediator

A mediator is a negotiator who acts as a link between both, or all, parties involved. Being a mediator within the law or a law office is different from a normal lawyer because the mediator is not on any particular side. It is the mediator’s job to explain the process of mediation to the involved parties and to provide a supportive, non-confrontational setting for their negotiation.

It is also the responsibility of the mediator to help the parties analyze and understand the facts and issues at hand, keep the involved parties focused on these issues, help each party gain control of their dispute, and then help to come up with a creative and cost effective solution that both parties can agree upon.

The average salary of a mediator is about $69,000 per year. However, it can be as low as $51,000 and as high as $85,000 per year depending on what state you choose to live and work in. This would be something to look into further when you’re deciding where you want to live while working as a mediator.

Private Investigator

Sounds exciting, just like Sherlock Holmes! Unfortunately, it isn’t as mysterious as portrayed in the books. PIs are paid to gather information and facts. They usually work for businesses or private citizens. Some are self-employed and others work for agencies, such as security services, financial institutions, collection agencies, and corporations. The main job of a private investigator is to conduct thorough investigations.

A normal case could consist of doing background checks, surveillance, serving legal documents, finding a bail jumper, or maybe looking for a missing person. They use many forms of investigating, surveillance, interviewing witnesses, looking through public documents, and analyzing the information. The earning potential is very varied and depends on the job that needs to be performed.

City Manager

City managers play a vital role in planning and implementing changes that occur within a city. Their duties include managing staff members and hiring and firing employees as they see fit. A good city manager will have excellent interpersonal skills. City managers are responsible for many functions to keep a city running smoothly. They must have a genuine interest in the city and care to make it the best place possible for the citizens.

A very important duty that the manager must complete is the city budget. The city manager must prepare, monitor, and execute the budget. Every year they are required to create a proposed budget package with recommendations they would like to have considered and possibly approved by the council.

To become a city manager one should have completed a master’s degree in Public Administration. Some cities may allow a person with exemplary skills and experience to only need a bachelor’s degree. City managers usually have had ample experience in city roles and may have worked their way up the ladder. Some also begin by managing small cities and gradually move onto larger cities. City managers are well compensated for their effort and time. The average yearly salary in 2008 was approximately $95,000.

These are just a few of the many jobs and opportunities open to a person with a MPA. All these jobs involve helping communities and people. So not only are they nice paying jobs but rewarding jobs.

Marilyn Tate is a writer and city worker earning her Masters of Public Administration to further her career.

Filed Under: Career Planning, Guest Experts Tagged With: Career, Career Change, employment, Jobs, salary

Job Search – The Perfect Appearance

By Alex Stanton Leave a Comment

Clothing

When you are searching for a job, or even a potential career, the way you dress and present yourself is very important. It is always best to wear professional clothing; this shows that you are serious about the job opportunity and you are, more than likely, experienced in that job field. You should always wear office attire when you’re on the hunt for a new job.

For women, a pant suit is a great option. You should always wear a nice blouse that isn’t low cut or too tight, or small for you because it is crucial not to offend anyone by what you are wearing. If you plan to wear heels when meeting potential employers, the heel of the shoe should stay at or below 2.5 to 3 inches. It is also more professional to wear closed toe shoes, rather than open ones.

Men should also wear either a suit or trousers with a long sleeved buttoned down, collared shirt. A nice tie will bring the outfit together; however you should wear a plain tie rather than one with a crazy pattern or design. A pair of dark colored men’s dress shoes will complete the professional appearance needed to get the potential employer’s attention.

Everyone who meets potential employers should look clean and confident. You should be shaved, clean cut, have tattoos covered, and have your hair and makeup done appropriately.

Materials

There are certain materials that are essential to a successful job search. For example, you must always carry two pens with you. You need a pen for filling out applications, writing down your contact information, and so on. The second pen is just a backup in case the first one dries out. This may sound silly to some of us, however, having a pen with you shows that you are prepared and organized.

You should always bring your Identification Card or Driver’s License along with your resume. These days, many employers ask to take a copy of your I.D. or Driver’s License, which is why you should always carry it with you. After filling out an application, it is best to hand in your resume with it. This allows the potential employer to see your extra skills and credentials that the application didn’t ask for.

Bringing your resume is also important because with the current technology existing in the world now, many applications are accepted online only. Therefore if you stop at a business that only allows you to complete it online, you can ask them to keep your resume on file to be attached to the application. This shows that you are very much prepared and serious about working with that company.

Information & Follow Up

Before leaving each company’s office, it is extremely crucial to get the manager’s or personnel manager’s information. Whether that means taking a business card, or asking them for it, you need to get their information. It is best to get the company name, the manager’s name, phone number, and email address, if possible. You will need this information so that you can follow up with the companies that you apply at.

Follow up is very important when you are searching for a job because it shows that you are serious, persistent, and want the job badly. It is best to follow up by phone 5 to 7 days after first applying. You don’t want to follow up too early; you have to remember that they are busy managing a company. Once you have called and asked about the status of your application, you can then follow up in-person after another week or so. Following up shows that you are committed, but you don’t want to bother the potential employer to the point of being a nuisance.

If you are on a job search, these tips will help you to have the perfect appearance and the best chances of getting an interview, or even getting the job.

Alex Stanton is an intern comparing different online mba degree programs to find the right one for him.