The interviewer hopes that YOU are the right person for the job. They are under pressure to fill the position so that they can get back to their own work. Therefore you are in a greater position of strength than you think. Concentrate on what you have to offer in the way of qualifications and experience instead of feeling intimidated.

An interviewer has 3 aims:

1) To learn if you are the right person for the job
2) To assess your potential for promotion
3) To decide whether you will fit into the company environment

The key to a successful interview is in preparation

Be prepared: For the types of questions you will be asked
Be prepared: To ask questions yourself
Be prepared: To research the company
Be prepared: To look the part
Be prepared: To turn up on time

Questions you may be asked
Example question: How would you describe yourself?
Your answer: Should describe attributes that will enhance your suitability for the position. Have some ready in advance.
Example question: What are your long-term goals?
Your answer: Should be career orientated. Make sure you have goals to discuss.
Example question: Why did you leave your last job?
Your answer: Could be more responsibility; better opportunity; increased income. Do not be detrimental to your previous employer. He could be the interviewer's golfing partner.
Example question: Why do you want this job?
Your answer: Your answer should be: more responsibility or better opportunity or similar. Not: because it is closer to home or the gym.
Example question: What are your strengths?
Your answer: Should highlight accomplishments and experiences that relate to the position for which you are applying. Also give examples of situations where your strengths have been demonstrated.
Example question: What are your weaknesses?
Your answer: Should not be a list of deficiencies. Don't mention anything that could make the interviewer question your ability to do the job, for example "I am always late for everything." Instead, discuss a weakness that could also be a strength such as "I am a workaholic!"

More Examples of Interview Questions
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Describe your current / most recent position.
What made you want to make this change?
What do you most enjoy doing in your current /most recent position?
Describe your future ambitions.
How would you describe yourself?

Questions for you to ask
Asking questions at interview has a number of positive effects:
It helps you find out more about the company and the position.
It can be used to divert the interviewer away from a subject you may wish to avoid.
It can help build a rapport with the interviewer.
It demonstrates an interest in the job and the company.
The questions must be about the position and the company.
Avoid questions about salary, benefits and facilities until after you have been offered the job. You should already have researched the company and it's products and services. Your questions should demonstrate knowledge of the company's history, successes and problems. If the interviewer is a representative of the personnel department the questions should relate to the company and be general. Specific questions relating to the position should be kept for the line manager who will have a more detailed knowledge.

Example questions relating to the position
What are the main responsibilities of the job?
What are the most difficult aspects of the job?
How did the vacancy arise?
What is the career path relating to this position?
How will my work be assessed?

Example questions relating to the company
What is the company hoping to achieve in the next 12 months?
What new products are the company planning to introduce in the future?
Are any major changes planned for the department/company?
Who are your biggest competitors?

Where to find company information
Information relating to companies, financial data, industries and business trends is available in business magazines which often publish on the World Wide Web and allow you to order
Annual Reports relating to specific companies.
Companies often have their own web site.
Newspapers - search on-line press reports including archived articles.
Local library

Presentation Tips
Obviously you should be clean and smart in appearance but you should also dress appropriately for the position, for example: a student placement that is more expensively dressed than the Managing Director may have a negative impact.
Clothes should be on the conservative side, which is more acceptable to people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds. After all, you are asking to be accepted into the company. Therefore always avoid extremes in hair, clothes, make-up and jewellery. Taking trouble over your appearance shows the employer that the job is important to you.

Travel tips
Arrive 15 minutes early.
Make sure you have the correct address and know how you will get there:
Parking? Public transport access?
Do a dummy run if you are not sure.
Make sure you have a mobile phone and a telephone number so that you can ring ahead if circumstances beyond your control are making you late.
Be polite to everyone you speak to, it could be the Managing Director's cousin!
Have a copy of your CV with you.

Summary
You should show interest in all aspects of the job and the company especially if shown around the premises.
Do your homework on the company and the nature of its business. Take care in how you dress for the interview. First impressions still count!

Some of the main influences on the interviewer are:
Your experience in other employment or life situations Your personal presentation.
How your personality comes across in the interview
Your background and references
Your enthusiasm for both the job and the organisation.
Relevant qualifications for the position.

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A perfect CV layout has 2 objectives:
To illustrate your strengths and maximize your chances of getting through to interview and to put factual information, such as dates, places, names together in a presentable and readable form.

Focal Point
It is claimed that the human eyes are naturally drawn to a focal point one third down from the top of the page. Therefore, put your most useful information in this area. It might be your Profile, Key Skills, Professional Qualifications or details of your most recent employment. You can choose whichever you think is most important and relevant to your application. Always get a second opinion when you have put your CV together. It is difficult to be objective about oneself.

Presentation
It is often thought that a good CV should be fitted on to one side of A4 and a professional CV over two. This can be difficult if you are a mature applicant with a long employment history. If you need to go on to a second page make sure that the CV is spread out over 2 whole pages, not one and a half pages as this looks messy.
As a 'rule of thumb' there should be more white than black on a page to make it easier to read.
Always write a rough draft first. It can be as long as you like as you will edit it later. Always start with your Career History as this will highlight your Key Skills and help you write your Profile.

Once you have compiled your draft copy you must edit it
1. Take out anything that will not help you get where you want to be
2. Write in the 'third' person as much as possible keeping 'I' to a minimum
3. Never use the past tense e.g. use "supporting senior management" rather than "supported senior management"
4. Use short sharp sentences cutting out any waffle and jargon

Headings
Name
Print your name in bold type at the centre top of your CV. If there is any doubt as to which is your surname, e.g. James Martin, indicate by using capitals or underlining.
Address
Top left of CV. Full address including post code.
Telephone
Top Right of CV. Full dialing code and daytime and evening numbers if possible.
Date of birth
Put in full such as 13th December 1962. Do not put your age. Bearing in mind that you will be close to the Focal Point now, this might need to go at the end of the CV under 'Personal' along with other details such as marital status and children.
Marital status
You do not have to include this at all. If you choose to, make sure you use only "married" or "single". Do not use divorced or co-habiting. Put at the end of the CV under 'Personal'.
Children
Its up to you whether you include this information or not but if you include it put it at the end of the CV under
'Personal' Profile
This is an introductory statement about who you are and what you have to offer. You should complete this last although it is positioned prominently in the CV, possibly in the Focal Point. It should be no more than two sentences and include the most important facts about yourself. You can include skills, achievements, responsibility or personal qualities.

e.g. Highly motivated Account Manager with successful direct and telesales experience in hardware and software industries.
Key Skills
Several Key skills should be highlighted after you have analysed and edited your employment history.
Pick out no more than six.
Make sure they are relevant.
Do not include dates. A key skill can come from an earlier job or an outside interest.
If you are short on direct experience and qualifications you may have skills arising from your personality, i.e. Interpersonal skills, e.g. "the ability to relate and communicate with others". Some examples of descriptive words to use in key skills are:
Administering
Implementing
Budgeting
Leading
Reorganizing
Forecasting
Advising

Employment History
Always start with your most recent employment. Break down your job functions as much as possible. The job description on your contract might provide a starting point or, consider how your employer might advertise your job. You should have more to say about your most recent, and therefore most relevant, employment. Include successes and achievements especially if it saved the company money. Don't have any employment gaps. If these occur explain them briefly.

Qualifications
If you are a mature applicant you can leave these out as career history is more important. Put the highest qualification first with year achieved. If you have a degree you can leave out the lower qualifications altogether or include the basic information. Do not include poor grades or failures. Professional qualifications Only include those that are still current. Training Only include training that is relevant to the position for which you are applying.

Interests
Only include interests that are unusual or which indicate transferable skills, achievements or responsibilities. Reasons For Applying This finishes the CV off with a concluding statement and puts the application into context. Don't imply you are out to gain advantage to yourself such as "I would like to join the company to gain additional experience". Instead, concentrate on what you have to offer, "my experience at......would be useful to the company because............."

Finally
Your CV should be available soft copy or on good quality plain white A4 paper. Do not use double sides. Only fold once and enclose an SAE.

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Want to join the food industry? Why not know your employment prospects before you finalize your decision to study in culinary schools.

Where do you want to go? The world of Culinary Arts is one of the fastest growing fields in the United States and beyond. Where you go is up to you and how hard you are prepared to work. The same applies to how much you earn. If you decide to stay in the local area you are likely to earn between $8-$14. On the other hand, a line cook in San Francisco earns $10 to $22 per hour. A chef in fine dining restaurant or hotel can earn in excess of $100,000 per year. (Please understand it takes many years of hard work and dedication to reach this kind of salary.)

You may choose to work in any of the following types of establishments:

Nursing homes, hospitals, hotels, catering companies, casinos, cruise ships, trains, country clubs, private clubs, restaurants, research and development labs, resorts (ranging from a summer resort to one of the Disney properties), and wineries to name but a few. You may decide to travel and look for opportunities abroad. Whatever you decide to do, the education you will receive in Culinary Schools will help take you to the future of your choice.

The employment prospects for graduates of this program are positive. Future employment growth is above average and it is expected that new graduates will experience little difficulty finding work in the food and beverage industry. These are considered to be active recruitment occupations.

The restaurant industry employs 11 million people, making it the nation's largest employer outside of the government. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the restaurant industry's growth will be 30 per cent over the next two years. Industry professionals and owners indicate that the biggest challenge facing the industry is finding educated, competent, and well-trained management personnel to handle this growth.

In the next decade, the travel and food industry will be a leader in creating new jobs, in generating more revenue, in paying out more salaries and wages, and in offering great professional opportunities.

What are your interests? Owning your own restaurant? Chef? Food Buyer? Restaurant Manager? No matter what your interests are, a career in the food industry offers challenges and variety.

Many different segments of jobs exist in the food service industry. Excellent opportunities exist for individuals at all job levels in department store food service; airline in-flight food service, school, college, and university food service; hospitals and nursing homes; city and country clubs; business and industry; parks and recreation; and the military services which employ civilians to manage clubs and other food and lodging facilities. Food Service is the single largest segment in the industry.

Because the food industry serves the needs of the public, the majority of people working in this industry are in constant contact with customers. Its a people-oriented profession. Individuals preparing for careers in the Food Industry must understand that their responsibilities are likely to include daily interaction with customers. Social skills and the ability to communicate effectively with others are important assets for anyone planning such a career. An interest in meeting guests’ needs and solving their problems is a primarily requisite for success in this field along with reliability, dedication, and willingness to work hard.

Career opportunities are bright for the food industry. Since this is one of the fastest growing industries, trained and knowledgeable managers are in demand. For the person who is dedicated, outgoing, and willing to work odd hours, promotions come easily. We invite you to share the bright picture of the future of Food Service as it continues to grow, expand, and create tremendous new opportunities throughout the nation. There has never been a better time than now for people to enter the Food Service Industry.

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I sometimes wonder why many people have the love for culinary arts. It seems everybody loves food and want to carve a career out of their love. Is it easy? Well, the answer is tough.

A couple of months back I met a friend who is a software developer. He was bored with his job and wanted a career change. When asked he told me he was looking for a good culinary arts school to study culinary arts - he wanted to be a culinary artist. What amazed me was that this friend of mine is over 35 years of age.

For most people a career in culinary is very glamorous, high paying and no work job. Its WRONG!!! These are some of the reasons why many men and women are willing to change their careers even if they are at a middle of one. That farther explains why we see many older people attending classes at culinary arts schools.

Are they right? First there isn't any glamour in a chef's life. Ask him and he will reply the same. Second they are one of the busiest professionals in the world. However there is one thing to contend with, they are paid well and have quite a good lifestyle.

So if you are food lover, and love to cook - and are ready to work 8-10 hours a day, hospitality keeps you satisfied and ambience of hotels/restaurants is what you want - head for a good culinary arts school - you should consider becoming a chef.

Wait - there is more. Restaurant-industry employment will reach 13.3 million by 2012. At present the restaurant industry is the nation's largest employer outside of the government. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the restaurant industry's growth will be 30 per cent over the next two years.

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Forensics is not just one field of study but encompasses several different disciplines. You first decision is to determine which area most interests you.

If you would like to work in a crime lab doing analysis of DNA or drug testing, you need a bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology or closely related field.

If your interest is in crime scene investigation, a bachelor's degree in law enforcement is required.

A general science degree is acceptable if you want to test firearms or examine documents.

Whether you choose science or law enforcement as your career path to forensic you need to analytical and organized. Forensics require the ability to work hands-on with physical materials such as wood, plant and tools and to communicate effectively in writing so others will understand your conclusions. Sound judgment, good work ethic and an interest in the application of science to criminal and civil law are requirements.

The opportunities for employment include work with crime scene units of various police departments, private and public crime labs, private investigators and federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and homeland security.

Communicate effectively in writing so others will understand your conclusions. Sound judgment, good work ethic and an interest in the application of science to criminal and civil law are requirements.

The opportunities for employment include work with crime scene units of various
police departments, private and public crime labs, private investigators and federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and homeland security.

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