Post Shift Podcast Shot #72 - Fever-Tree Canada Seminars - Online Strategies for the Job Hunt
I was asked to present a few seminars for the Fever-Tree Canada Seminar Series online, this is the first of a couple in the coming weeks. Chatting about the use of and strategy for each individual platform and how to leverage them for the future after the lockdown is over.
With Covid-19 beginning to wane and as restaurants and bar start rolling out reopens; the hospitality industry and job market for the foreseeable future are going to be quite different. Here is an inside outlook of what is going to happen in the next few months, on a macro level. As you may know, I do content creation for several platforms: YouTube, Instagram, Podcast, Medium and so forth; and I think the application of this content and influence can apply to the job search.
Since March, 1.2 million people have been laid off in Canada, 800 thousand of those in the hospitality and tourism industry. About 10% or 9750 of all restaurants have already closed for good across the country with about 35-60% of the remainders not reopening at all. The rest of the restaurants will reopen in the next month or, but there is another statistic to consider in this equation for the job search, it’s estimated that it will take about 6 to 12 months for consumers to regain confidence. The legislation is being created that obliges restaurants to comply with certain measures to protect against a flare-up of COVID-19, such as fewer seats and distances in restaurant space. What is the job market going to look like going forward?
Job Pool Is Going to Be Huge
Why is this important to understand?
With the statistics of the closures being so high and broad, the vacuum that will create will leave many without a venue is huge. Normalcy for owners, staff and guests is going to be a long road, with that in mind, being realistic about how the job pool will look like as a job seeker is important. The pool is going to large and deep; experience, knowledge and skill are going to play a part more than ever before.
Owners will be looking for order makers, not order takers, maximizing any revenue from any guest coming through the door using their staff’s wisdom, skills and personality; to help the business maximize revenue to stay open and keep staff employed, paid and making tips. It is going to be a puzzle piece for a lot of owners, between the right staff, getting guests and adapting to the ever-changing climate; there will be lots of pieces to make up the big picture.
The Changing Landscape
Traditionally, the job hunt was done with resume dropping, print out a stack of resumes and go knocking door to door (hopefully outside service hour); don’t get me wrong, I personally like the resume drop, personal touch and first impression. But times are changing; ten years ago, nobody would get in the car of a stranger, and today, nobody can survive without an UBER. And that applies to restaurants too. How to get a face to face, without going to the restaurant, currently?
Facebook is your one-stop-shop for everything you need in your everyday life including job hunting. The option for many venues to advertise jobs on Facebook has become the new normal, we communicate via social media and that applies to professional relationships too. And being online and accepting those new tools is huge for the job hunters, but also for the restaurants.
Which Platform for What?
This is the future is already here, the acceptance of online video conferencing like Zoom has shown the quick adaption of technology that was not talked about before the pandemic. There will always be mass acceptance and mass rejection, when the new normal for restaurants starts again, those who have adapted will continue to excel. The evolution of technology always comes with romancing the past, radio over TV, written word over SMS, but this speed up and acceptance of new technology is here to stay and will continue to evolve and become everyday life.
When it comes to job searches, these are the top 5 platforms, that you can use to your advantage.
As I said, is everything to everybody. On Facebook, you can play games, talk to people, buy things, search for jobs and so much more. You can put out that you are looking for a job and, operators can post their jobs offers. Undoubtedly, it is the best platform for networking, if you know how to use it but at the same time, there is a lot of white noise there. There are billions of people on the platform, so figuring out early on how to stand out for the job search is important and can be hugely effective. Have an updated Facebook page, make use of the groups, and pay attention to the photos and content that you publish. Because all restaurants and business owners will check out your page before they decide to hire you.
Is usually seen as over professional for the hospitality industry especially bartenders and servers, but you can get a lot more exposure to hirers. The great thing is that you can upload your resume, your education and search jobs according to relevant keywords, it is your virtual resume. You can publish and like articles, which means you can really connect with the audience and hirers that are looking for people like yourself. Does not really matter what position you currently hold; you can show your value: knowledge, training, and education. LinkedIn is your professional Facebook.
What I advise you to do is check your profile once a day and keep your page active. Enable job notifications by relevant keywords. Also, if you sign up for a premium account, you will be able to track the people that saw your profile and find better offers.
Is the one platform where you not only can build your visual resume but also, you can build a voice in the industry. As a bartender, or hospitality people, we are creative, so Instagram is an incredible tool for us. This is a place to build your online persona, a lot of bartenders, chefs, somms use Instagram to project their passions and bolster their careers. This can be used to give you a presence, it can also be used to message venues that you want to work in the future. Using the platform as a style of a cold call and your profile being a visual resume can get your foot in the door for stages and more. It is a huge tool for creative expression. Use all the features like videos, IGTV, DM people that you inspire to meet and venues that you want to work at.
· Online job websites
I honestly feel bad for those websites as Facebook and LinkedIn have built out similar tools for job seekers. The good ones are great and have kept up with the changes that the above platforms have leant into. If you are a job seeker, you can upload your resume, put some relevant keywords and every day you will receive some job postings related to those keywords. According to my experience, the best platform is indeed.com. It is the one that is the most interactive and intuitive. I believe it works for the job seeker and for the hirer; in my opinion, it is the site that gives me better resumes when I am hiring.
· Emails
Imagine operators when the rolling openings begin, how many emails are you going to receive in the next 2-3 weeks from job seekers? It will be significant, as a possible staff member, you will need to stand out from the crowd. It will be through your Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram page, everything is connected, and all these platforms are important in their own way. Like you, many other employees will be sending their resumes, so be prepared to receive many no's; if you are just one more bartender, but if you manage to stand out on those platforms, you may be seen in the myriad of others.
Taking Advantage of Training Resources
This time has given everyone the same opportunity, time to become a better hospitality person through online training; a lot of which is free right now. If you really want to go back to your old job or you want to apply for another restaurant, you must stand out. How are you going to bring value to the operator? If other bartenders and servers have taken advantage of the online training, you are going to be competing on a much grander scale.
It is true that a lot of operators just going to rehire the old crew, but a lot of them are going to enjoy this opportunity to refresh the team with the best staff that are out there. Are you a part of this group? Are you between those who are the best in the market?
Strike while the iron is hot, there are lots of websites and platforms with free or cheap courses and pieces of training. Take advantage of this free education to maximize your skills especially if you are bored at home, with nothing to do. Use that time to be the best version of yourself for you personally and for the venue, you are going back to work for.
Which websites are the best tools for you? BarSmarts, Ananas Australia, Jerry Singapore, Class Central. You need to look for education. Google free courses! Keep yourself learning and improving your skills. What did you do to better yourself? This is going to be one of the questions in your next interviews. “Come out of this better than you went in”, this is the motto of quarantine, let it inspire you.
Now, if you never liked being a bartender or server, this is the opportunity to find out what makes you happy. In fact, this applies to any industry. You may not have another opportunity like this one. If you always wanted to do something else, but you never had the time or money to do it, take this chance to invest in something new. Learn something new, start your own business, just do something that brings you happiness and starts from there. Leverage these platforms for you to get what you want out of your career now and in the future, the possibilities are endless and abundant.