Kinsa Group Blog

More and more, food & beverage organizations are using real-time technology such as Skype to screen candidates and conduct initial interviews.  Online interviews deliver several benefits, allowing interviewers to “meet” candidates without incurring substantial travel expenses.

For many food & beverage job seekers, an online interview is a convenient and less stressful way to interview – but preparation is essential.  Use this list of tips to correctly set-up for and ace your next online interview:

1. Download required software. If you will be using Skype, go to www.skype.com and download it to the computer you will be using.  Use smartphones with caution – sound quality, picture quality and network speed may present potential issues.
2. Make sure you have a webcam. If your computer doesn’t have a built-in webcam, you can purchase one inexpensively from an office supply or computer technology store.
3. Set the stage. Carefully choose the location for your online interview.  A home office is best, but any room with relatively plain walls will suffice.  Make sure there is nothing in the background that the interviewer could see which might reflect negatively on you (e.g., garbage, dirty clothing or personal items in plain view).
4. Plan your wardrobe. Dress as you would for any professional interview outside your home.  Although you may be tempted to stay in your slippers, don’t do it!  Should you need to stand up or go into another room during the interview, you want the interviewer to see you in a polished outfit from head to toe.
5. Test all your equipment. Ask a friend to help you test everything.  Dress in the outfit you plan to wear and start by adjusting the webcam so that you are in the middle of the screen.  Zoom to an appropriate level so that the interviewer can see your head and upper torso, and make sure your outfit looks okay on camera (sometimes white and/or patterned clothes can be distracting on video).  Next, adjust the volume level for your speakers or headphones.  Finally, adjust the lighting.  If you’re in a room with open blinds and glare is an issue, try closing them and positioning an additional lamp behind the webcam.
6. Change your computer settings. Make sure to adjust your screensaver and automatic hibernation settings.  Turn off scheduled scans (so your computer doesn’t lag) and close instant messaging, chat windows, etc. to head-off potential interruptions or technical problems.
7. Practice using the webcam. Unless you’re a broadcast journalist, you’re probably not used to looking into a camera.  Eye contact is important, so practice answering a few interview questions while looking directly into the webcam, as opposed to the screen (where the interviewer’s image will be).  Remember, too, that you may experience audio delays, so be sure to wait an extra second before speaking – otherwise, you may wind up continually interrupting your interviewer.  Finally, although you don’t want to look like a statue, keep large, quick movements to a minimum, as video images can appear a bit jumpy.
8. Eliminate distractions. Outside noises will distract both you and the interviewer, so do what you can to keep them to a minimum.  Keep your pets and family members outside the room.  Turn your cell phone, TV and radio off.  Close your windows, so street noise and barking dogs will not disturb you.
9. Remember, it’s still an interview. While you’re likely to feel more relaxed since you’re at home, you still need to prepare as though you’re going into a formal interview.  Review your résumé and memorize important dates and figures listed, so that you’re not tempted to read your answers from a sheet of paper.

As you can see, a little preparation goes a long way.  Use the tips listed above in your next online interview and you’ll be one step closer to landing your dream job – without ever leaving the comfort of your own home.

Jump start your food & beverage job search by contacting Kinsa today.

Should you stay or should you go?

In a time when good jobs are harder to find, you may be tempted to just “stay put” – even if your current food & beverage position lacks the potential you desire.  But if you look at your career from a strategic point of view, there are several strategic reasons why it makes sense to change jobs every few years:

Find your career passion. Career passion is an essential component in long-term success.  How passionate are you about your current role?  Does your work take advantage of your biggest strengths?  If not, you may want to explore career opportunities that will spark more engagement and key into your natural talents.

Broaden your experience and skills. Every food & beverage job, from food science to executive management, has an initial learning curve during which you acquire invaluable knowledge, skills and experience.  After a few years, however, you become competent in your current role.  Learning diminishes, as does your professional development.

Increase your earning power. When you strategically seek out opportunities with greater responsibility, you accelerate both your promotion cycle and salary increases.  Be careful, however, not to make a strategic change based solely on salary.  Keep your work/life balance, career passion and long-term development in mind as well.

Considering a Job Change?

If you are thinking about making a strategic change within the food and beverage industry, keep these important steps in mind:

Create a plan. Develop a focused, strategic vision of where you want to go – and what you want to do – in your new role.  Write it down and use it to guide you as you make important career decisions.

Test the waters. Find out what food & beverage job opportunities are currently available.  Kinsa Group’s Job Board and HOT Jobs make it easy to learn about potential opportunities nationwide.

Get advice and help if you need it. With an exclusive focus on the food & beverage industry, Kinsa’s employment experts can help you:

• Critically analyze your experience, strengths and goals, to map out a strategy for your long-term career success.
• Confidentially explore career opportunities while you’re working.
• Access unadvertised positions that may promote your career development.
• Conduct a more efficient job search, by bringing the right job opportunities directly to you via e-mail and phone.  This way, you don’t have to “troll” the Internet and sift through countless job listings that aren’t the right fit for you.

Ready to make a strategic job change for the better?  Contact a Kinsa Recruiter today.

It’s tough out there.

If you’re not seeing much progress with your job search in the food & beverage industry, here are a few key ways a Kinsa Group recruiting specialist can help you get an edge over your competitors:

• Industry expertise. At Kinsa, food & beverage industry recruiting is all we do.  From operations & plant production management to supply chain and R & D, we understand the ins and outs of your industry.
• Access to unadvertised opportunities. Our recruiters have extensive networks within the food & beverage industry.  We know who is hiring, restructuring and firing.  And in many cases, great career opportunities are available exclusively through our recruiting firm.
• Résumé and interview skill feedback. As employment experts, our recruiting professionals can help you polish your résumé and build your interviewing confidence.  Additionally, they can give you the inside track – providing valuable information on interviewers’ personalities and interviewing styles, further preparing you to perform at your best.
• Keep your morale up. Being out of work can take a toll on you – emotionally and financially.  A recruiter can potentially provide interim contract employment opportunities to help you:
  - Earn money while you search for direct employment;
  - Keep your schedule flexible so you can continue your job search;
  - Network with new co-workers to uncover additional employment leads;
  - Keep your job skills sharp and up-to-date;
  - Avoid gaps on your résumé;
  - Stay positive and productive.

You’re More Than Just an “Applicant”
At Kinsa, you’re more than just a résumé, a degree, or a set of skills.  You’re a critical component of our success.  We want to help you achieve your career goals, by matching you with an opportunity that suits your skills, needs and interests.  Contact us today to learn more about executive and management career opportunities in the food & beverage industry.

Right now you may be asking yourself, “Why would I need to go on an informational interview?”

As an experienced food & beverage industry professional, you may think that an informational interview would be a waste of your time.  Because typically, informational interviews are associated with job seekers who are new to the employment market, or have no clear direction for their careers.

But conducted properly, even a seasoned professional can benefit from an informational interview:

• Expand your professional network
• Set yourself apart from the crowd in a competitive job market
• Gain valuable insider feedback on potential future job openings
• Sharpen interview skills that may have become a bit “rusty” from disuse
• Practice selling yourself and your personal brand

In short, this type of interview can provide you with invaluable visibility, information and practice – all in a low-stress setting.

Tips for Successful Informational Interviews

• Do your homework. It goes without saying that you’ll get out of the informational interview process what you put into it.  So read industry journals and annual reports, and study operating principals, product and financial information for any company in which you’re interested – before making phone calls.
• Use your networks. Leveraging these contacts will distinguish you from entry-level job candidates, get you in front of key decision makers more quickly and make potential employers take you seriously.
• Find out how your skills will translate. If you already know how your experience will benefit a potential employer, now is the time to say so.  But if you’re unsure where you might fit into a different sector of the food and beverage industry, the informational interview provides a perfect opportunity to find out.
• Be honest. Since you’re not interviewing for an available opening, be candid about your professional strengths and weaknesses, as well as career goals.  If your skills, desires and priorities are not a match for a particular organization, it’s always better to find out up front.  In this case, the interviewee may be able to connect you with potential employers that are more in-sync with your needs.
• Ask about next steps. If you’re intrigued by the prospects with a potential employer, take the initiative and find out the next step in being considered for an available or upcoming position.  And if the connection is not there, ask if the interviewee knows anyone else with whom you should speak.  But be sure to do so tactfully, so that you leave behind a positive and professional impression.

A Final Thought
Informational interviews can happen anywhere and anytime – not just in the board room.  So keep an open mind and seize potential opportunities whenever they present themselves, because you never know who might be helpful in your career search.

Jump Start Your Career Search with The Kinsa Group

If you’re in the market for a new job, or are just curious about what kind of professional food and beverage jobs are available right now, please call us today.  As national recruiters specializing in the food & beverage industry, Kinsa Group offers a variety of excellent career opportunities.

What would you do to get the job you want?

These days, I’m seeing more and more news stories about the lengths people are going to in order to get hired.  Here are just a few:

• Walking the city streets while wearing a sandwich board that lists your professional credentials;
• Renting billboard space to promote yourself;
• “Selling” yourself on eBay.

While these extreme job search tactics have certainly helped individuals stand out in a crowded job market, they’re more like “stunts” than strategies.  As a result, they’ll quickly lose their novelty and ultimately their effectiveness.

Here are a few fresh ideas for getting noticed by employers, which may prove more practical for your professional job search needs:

• Create a business card that serves as a résumé.  They’re much easier to carry around and pass out than a full-sized résumé, especially at a networking or professional association event.  On the card, you can provide the URLs for your LinkedIn page, professional website and/or online portfolio, so recipients can find out more about you.
• Start a professional blog.  If you’re a strong writer, and if you’re disciplined enough to make frequent updates, a blog can greatly enhance your job search efforts.  You can use your blog to showcase your in-depth professional knowledge, and demonstrate that you stay on-top of trends and news impacting the food & beverage industry.  A blog is also a great way to share what you do with potential employers and develop a strong personal brand.
• Create a video résumé.  While not a substitute for a traditional résumé, a video résumé can be beneficial to food & beverage professionals seeking jobs that require sales, training or other presentations.  If you perform well in front of a camera, and if you have access to good production facilities (believe me, you don’t want to use your webcam for this one), your video résumé can showcase your communication, articulation and presentation skills.

Unconventional tactics not your style?

Then try a proven job search strategy that’s worked for savvy food & beverage professionals for over 25 years – contact the Kinsa Group today or search professional and executive food & beverage industry positions nationwide.

Keeping your résumé current is important to your continued career development.  But unless you’re actively looking for a job, the daily demands of life, home and work can easily push this updating process down on your priority list.  If you haven’t reviewed your résumé in over a year, here are just a few good reasons why you should take a fresh look at it:

• Even if you’re currently employed, you never know when an attractive job opening may present itself.  A current résumé can help you capitalize on an unexpected opportunity – before someone else has the chance.
• Over time, your important achievements and contributions may be forgotten.  Regular updating ensures that critical, measurable accomplishments are accurately recorded.
• In many cases, your résumé creates a first and lasting impression on a potential employer.  Make sure it’s a good one.  By periodically reviewing and honing your résumé, you can create a more powerful marketing tool that accurately and favorably represents you as a professional.

Use these tips to make your résumé update simple and comprehensive:

1. Review personal information (address, e-mail, LinkedIn URL, etc.) to ensure everything is up-to-date.
2. Review your oldest job.  If it’s no longer relevant, and you have at least 10 years of documented work history without it, remove it.
3. Update your responsibilities and accomplishments.  Consider the following:  special projects; new expertise developed or job responsibilities awarded; knowledge or skills enhancement from special training or professional development; awards or other recognition; challenges you faced and solutions developed; measurable results you helped achieved (e.g., eliminating process inefficiencies, increasing productivity or sales, improving staffing or operational performance, etc.).
4. Revist your objective statement.  If it is not in line with your current career aspirations, rewrite it.  The statement can be general, but should show some direction toward the field in which you want to work.
5. Reevaluate your references.  Verify that these individuals still work where you have noted and that contact information for each is correct.  If you have developed new contacts who can attest to your recent achievements or heightened responsibility, consider replacing them with outdated references.
6. Update your résumé format.  Check online sample résumés to see if yours looks outdated and revise accordingly.  Additionally, you should create an electronic version of your résumé if you don’t already have one.
7. Proofread everything.  Sloppy spelling, grammar and punctuation may take you out of the running immediately.  If you’re not proficient in proofreading, ask a trusted friend or associate to help.

Looking for a better career opportunity in the food & beverage industry?  Give us a call.  The Kinsa Group has a wide variety of food & beverage industry career opportunities – from food science to plant operations to executive management.