Kinsa Group Blog

Like most things in life, you’ll get out of your job search what you put into it.  Those who work harder, have a positive attitude, persevere and go the extra mile are more likely to get what they want – period.

If you have the commitment to work hard, but need direction for your efforts, here are seven things you can do to take charge of your job search today:

1.  Treat your job search like a job. If you are not currently employed, you have a great advantage – time.  Make finding a food & beverage job your full-time job.  Get up in the morning and get dressed, review your goals, create a to-do list when you settle into your office and try to maintain your diligent work habits.

2.  Clarify your self-knowledge and your goals. Do you know exactly what you have to offer an employer?  Do you know exactly what type of career opportunity you want?  Take the time to write down your specific skills, strengths, accomplishments and career goals.  If you know what you want, and what you bring to the table, it’s infinitely easier to focus your efforts, identify potential employers and find the job you want.

3.  Conduct informational interviews. Informational interviews can provide you with invaluable visibility, information and job interview practice.  Conducted properly they can help you:

• expand your professional network;
• set yourself apart from the crowd in a competitive job market;
• gain insider feedback on potential hiring opportunities.

4.  Develop your network. Often in a job search, it’s not just what you know, it’s who you know.  Be proactive in developing relationships (both in-person and via social media) with people who are doing the kind of work that you want to do.  Identify individuals in food & beverage companies, industry organizations and professional associations who can provide insight into their employment needs.  Identify faculty, friends, business associates and relatives who can assist you with your job search.  Tell everyone you know that you’re looking for a job and ask them to refer you to potential employers.

5.  Get more organized. Place all of your job search materials, including: research on potential employers; listings of job postings to which you’ve responded; resume versions and cover letters; recruiters with whom you’re working; network lists, etc.  Use this binder to track your progress, plan follow-up, develop daily to-do lists or record other important information.

6.  Find a mentor. If you don’t have a trusted advisor who can help guide your job search efforts, you should get one.  To select a mentor, choose someone you know who:  has earned your respect; is successful in his or her career; will provide honest and effective feedback; will take an interest in your professional development; will support you in your career progression.  Meet with this person regularly to solicit advice, share your ups and downs, and get the feedback and support you need to keep going.

7.  Work with leading food & beverage executive recruiters. The Kinsa Group matches professionals and executives like you with top food & beverage employers nationwide.  We are pleased to offer a new FREE job seeker resource called Kinsa CareerEdge.  Whether you are involved in a current food & beverage job search, looking to advance in your career, or transitioning into a new career, Kinsa CareerEdge provides amazing tools and resources to guide and support you through the entire process:

• FREE Assessment Tools
• Access to over 1,000 Job Boards on ONE site
• A FREE Resume Builder and Career Advisor
• Information on Educational Opportunities
• FREE Weekly Teleconference Calls on “Hot Topics”
• A Resource Library filled with Audios, Videos and Articles
• Access to 100 FREE Resume Cards for Networking

Our goal is to make your job search more efficient and productive.  Register now and see the benefits of Kinsa CareerEdge yourself!

If you are looking for a job in the food & beverage industry, then you know that using technology in your search process can be both complex and somewhat intimidating.  But while it is only a piece of the whole process of finding a job today, savvy job seekers like you should try to leverage technology’s benefits.  Why?  Doing so can make your job search shorter and more successful.

As a nationwide food & beverage industry recruiter with over 25 years of experience, we at Kinsa Group provide a full complement of technology tools and resources to facilitate your job search.  Here are some of the best:

• Twitter. Looking for a Business Development Manager opportunity?  Searching for the latest VP Plant Operations positions?  Be the first to know about new job postings by following Kinsa on Twitter.
• Facebook. If you’re on Facebook, Search Kinsa Group and Like our Fan Page.  We post select positions on our Wall, which will show up automatically on your Home Page.
• LinkedIn. Connect with our recruiters by becoming part of Kinsa Group’s LinkedIn network.
• Website. Kinsa Group’s website contains a full complement of technology tools to facilitate your job search.  You can learn about our services for food & beverage job seekers, upload your résumé, search open food & beverage jobs.  Once you’re registered with us, you can update your profile and track your interview schedule right from our website.
• Blog. Kinsa’s blog is updated weekly and contains valuable career advice, job search tips and trends impacting the food & beverage industry.
• Kinsa CareerEdge.  Kinsa CareerEdge™, powered by Kinsa Group, is our FREE online career resource that enables you to: access over 1,000 Job Boards on one site; prepare a résumé or receive a résumé critique; participate in weekly webinars covering job seeker “hot topics,” receive job search advice, and more.
• iHobnob. iHobnob, a niche job board for the food and beverage industry elite, provides an objective medium for you to establish relationships, grow professionally, manage and enhance your career.
• National database. As a Kinsa candidate, our Recruiters across the nation have instant access to your profile.  We actively maintain our database to rapidly match your skills, experience and career interests with potential employment opportunities from coast to coast.

At Kinsa Group, we’re dedicated to making your food & beverage job search search faster, easier and more effective than ever.

Let’s be honest – finding the right food & beverage management or executive opportunity is hard work.

Today’s food & beverage job hunt is about more than just posting résumés and calling a few professional contacts.  Finding the right opportunity involves a combination of online brand building, working closely with specialized professional recruiters, networking with second and third generation decision makers, and good old-fashioned hard work.

But like most things in life, the more time and effort you put into your job search, the greater your chances of success.  So as you start the New Year, get organized, get down to business and make finding a job a full-time job:

• Determine what type of job you really need to continue your career development and set some short- and long-term goals to get you where you want to be.  Let these goals drive a prioritized to-do list, broken into manageable, productive job-search tasks.  You’ll be much less vulnerable to distractions if you stick to this list and track goal attainment.
• Devote time to job-search activities in proportion to their importance.  Blanketing food & beverage companies with digital résumés rarely produces results proportionate to the effort expended – so manage time spent on this activity carefully.  While it may be easier than interviewing with a food & beverage recruiter, or face-to-face networking, it’s not the most productive use of your time.
• Establish a daily routine that simulates a work day.  Get up early, exercise (if that’s your routine), shower and get dressed.  You don’t need to don a suit, but dress nicely enough to make yourself feel both positive and productive.  Take a look at your prioritized to-do list, establish a game plan for the day and tackle your highest priority tasks first.  Before you end your job-hunting day, plan out the next.
• Schedule informational interviews.  While they may not lead to immediate job offers, this low-stress form of networking can be a high-yield career networking tool. 
• Work with the Kinsa Group, national food and beverage industry recruiting specialists.  When you work with Kinsa, you have access to opportunities with leading food & beverage employers nationwide – many of which are not advertised elsewhere.  If you haven’t already registered with us, you can get started right now.  And if you are currently registered, remember these quick tips to maximize the value we provide:

Send your updated résumé to Kinsa.  Have you gained new skills, experience or responsibilities since you first sent us your résumé?  If so, please let us know so that we can update your profile and consider you for additional opportunities.

Check out our HOT Jobs.  These are open food and beverage jobs for which Kinsa Group is actively seeking qualified candidates to interview right now.

Search all of Kinsa’s open jobs periodically.  Set-up a regular reminder in Outlook, on your Blackberry, or in any other scheduling software you use.  We receive new openings daily and update our job board frequently.

Make sure you’re receiving Kinsa Group’s e-mail alerts.  To be sure you receive timely alerts about suitable positions, make sure that our e-mails aren’t going to your Spam folder.

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.