Job Hunting: December 2009 Archives

If you have a passion for food and want to get a well-paid and successful food job, your options aren't just limited to becoming a chef or professional cook. In fact, you need no cooking skills at all to get ahead in this fast-paced and exciting industry. This is because there are a number of processes and factors involved in the production, retail and distribution of food in the UK, and you could be making a valuable contribution to this industry in more ways than you might think.

Here a just a few examples of the types of food jobs on offer, and the different areas in the industry you can work in:

• Sales and marketing - Marketing campaigns are the first step in the food sales process. They are responsible for everything from labels, branding and packaging to undertaking market and consumer trend analysis. The sales team will then take over to complete the process.

• Finance - For someone with a finance or accountancy qualification, this type of food job could be perfect. The focus here is more on managing the finances of a food retailer, manufacturer or distributer, but it is still a vital part of the food industry, and you may get to work for some fairly prominent and influential companies.

• Health and Safety - This is an essential part of the food industry, and underpins every practise and process involved. Those working with food need to adhere to strict health and safety standards, and without official officers to ensure these are upheld, the industry would be in chaos.

• Human Resources - Like every other industry, employees in food jobs need support and management. If you are organised and good with people, apply for a HR food job today.

If you've just spotted your dream food job, you will want to ensure that your application is the best it can possibly be.

You might have the right qualifications and the appropriate experiences, but without a fantastic CV and covering letter, you may be selling yourself short.

If the food jobs you are applying for are particularly competitive, there is an even stronger need to make your CV and covering letter stand out because it is likely that the employer will be receiving hundreds of applications and he or she will need to be ruthless with narrowing down the candidates.

The trick is to not give the employer any excuse to put your application into the 'no pile'. And the way to do this is by concentrating on the covering letter first.

Begin your covering letter by addressing it to the correct person by name. Then tell them which job you are applying for and where you saw it advertised.

You then need to look at the food job advert and, in your letter, write how you answer the person specification by referring to your previous experiences and interests.

Keep your covering letter concise and ensure that you cover all the points in the person specification. That way, you won't be giving the employer any excuse to put you into the 'no pile'.

Leaving school or university is an extremely daunting time. You can feel completely overwhelmed by the decisions you have to make.

Choosing the career that you want to follow for the rest of your life may seem like huge decision, but you will already have something in mind; some interests and talents that have become apparent over the last few years. So the best thing to do is follow your instincts and start applying for jobs relevant to these interests and talents.

The food industry is one which is bursting at the seams with opportunities and there are plenty of ways in which to develop your career once you have made it into the industry.
But with so many opportunities out there, it is important to get a clear idea of where you want to be before you start applying for anything and everything which comes along.

Look at some of the food jobs advertised and see where your skills would be most relevant to try and narrow down the jobs that you apply for. Get a clear idea of what kind of food job you would suit, whether it is in marketing, packaging or food production.

Stay focussed when you are applying for your chosen roles and only apply if you are suitable for the food job advertised.

We've all had that dream where we are the official taster for a chocolate factory. Imagine munching your way through all that chocolate all day, every day. Heaven.

Well, it doesn't have to be a dream. In fact, if you bag yourself a job as a product developer for a food manufacturer, this is likely to be one of your tasks. You will spend all day tasting products and researching and deciding on how they can be improved. It's the ideal food job.

As you will know, just the smallest change to a recipe can make all the difference to the success of a product. Just a touch more butter or a different type of sugar can mean the difference between a product which sells like hot cakes (literally) and one which sits on the shelves, completely ignored.

And that is why the role of a product developer is absolutely essential; particularly to the supermarkets that are constantly fighting off stiff competition from each other.

As a product developer, you will be involved in each product every step of the way; from the recipe to the packaging. So if you have a passion for food and you're looking for your ideal food job, perhaps look into the role of the product developer and make that dream come true.

If you've been applying for endless food jobs and you have not had any feedback from any of them, then it's time to give your CV a makeover.

Remember, your CV is designed to sell you as an employee and it needs to make a good impression. The first thing to consider is whether it looks good. For example, is it typed? Is it clear and simple to read? Has it got all the relevant information on it? Are there any spelling or grammatical errors?

These things are the first aspects that a potential employer will look at, so they need to be right. Some employers may even completely disregard your CV if it contains errors or it looks like it's an effort to read.

The next thing to remember is that you need to tailor your CV to each specific job that you are applying for. Don't simply type out a CV and send the same one off for each food job.

The job description will tell you what the employer is looking for. So it is your task to ensure that you answer all these criteria in your CV and ensure that everything on there is relevant. Only include information which demonstrates that you are suitable for the food job and take anything out which doesn't demonstrate your strengths for that particular food job.

Give your CV a makeover and soon the phone may be ringing off the hook with people offering you your dream food jobs.