Passion, Knack and Significance: What Your Dream Job Consists Of

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This famous quote by Confucius, “Find a job you enjoy, and you’ll never work a day in your life” has always been in the forefront of my mind for any job that I have ever applied for or company I’ve wanted to work with. Some people know from a very young age what they want to be when they grow up. Others are still trying to figure that out. Individuals like myself have tried different paths and then tried something completely different. Your dream job is a culmination of things. This Venn diagram shows exactly how to achieve your dream job. It is the perfect balance of doing what you love, what you are good at and what will pay you well. You will be happy, fulfilled and paid accordingly.

 Dream-Job-300x285

Pic. 1 (Pennyson)

 

Nowadays, many people no longer work for the same company for twenty plus years. In many industries, it is not considered an asset to have one job for a substantial amount of time. People should always consider diverse options for careers. I want to be able to say I love my job, I am my job, and it fulfills me and makes me a better individual. At any point in life, an individual should not settle just for a paycheck but should truly try to find something that fulfills them and helps to achieve a great work and life balance while doing some good for society. Working in almost every industry there is from retail at Best Buy as a sales supervisor to a messenger for a delivery company to a banker for Bank of America, I can honestly say that the best job that I’ve had is working at Best Buy. Retail is one of the worst industries; the hours are long, the pay is not adequate and there is never enough recognition for hard work. What I loved about Best Buy is how I was able to participate in different projects that let me help the community.

The first step in attaining your dream job is deciding what you want to do with your life. I’ve always known that I want to help people whether it’s by working in a soup kitchen serving food to the disadvantaged or cleaning up parks so children can have somewhere to play. Service has always been a part of my life. There are so many directions to take in the Hospitality Industry. Overall, I have always been an entrepreneur and would like to own my own establishment. Whether it is a hotel, restaurant or bakery, I want to own and work in it.

The position that I investigated was a General Manager position in a hotel. The General Manager is responsible for the successful operation and administration of all hotel departments. There has to be a continuous balance of all departments while focusing on providing an exceptional experience to every guest. The key to being a successful and profitable General Manager is to maximize profitability, maintain positive relationships with guests, employees and owners. The standards of a hotel must always be met with the highest level of service. While reading a listing for the General Manager position with the Hyatt, their ideal candidate is someone who “will thrive in an environment of autonomy where they will run the hotel as if it is their own business”. The only way to be successful in an operation as such is to treat it as if it were your own. One thing I noticed with the La Quinta group is “in the event a guest complaint is received, the General Manager will personally respond to the guest to resolve the issue.” I think this is the highest and most personable way to be able to continue to meet the high standards of a brand. Personally, if I ever have a problem with an establishment, I want to know that there is a good faith effort made to resolve the issue as well as some sort of accountability being held by someone that is going to take ownership of the problem and find a solution for it.

Depending on the property, different hotels want different levels of experience. For example, the Hyatt requires a minimum of 10 years supervisory experience as well as only having this experience at a Hilton, Hyatt, or Marriot full-service hotel. The minimum education requirement is a Bachelor’s degree. A listing for La Quinta requires the General Manager to have a valid driver’s license and have access to a personal vehicle. Some perks are a competitive salary, a bonus that is up to 40% of salary that is payable twice a year. One thing that I did not know is that CPR and First aid certification is required. As far as salary, many properties do not list even a range; they just state that it is highly competitive, negotiable or dependent upon experience. Some of the listings that did list compensation were the Courtyard in Utah, which was $65,000 – $75,000 and a unique ranch resort in Texas for $80,000+.

According to Nelson (2013), there is a formula that will help you determine if you are heading down the right path toward your dream job. The formula “calculates a confidence factor that is based on ten variables that represent fundamental aspects of doing just about any kind of paid work. Each variable is weighted based on its importance to your overall career decision with the understanding that not all aspects of a job are created equal and that life is full of tradeoffs”. This is the formula: “CF = .2x(Compensation) + .15x(Satisfaction) + .15x(Opportunity) + .1x(Commitment) + .1x(Culture) + .1x(Health) + .05x(Location) + .05x(Teamwork) + .05x(Number of hats) + .05x(Business or retail)”. The higher of a percentage for the confidence factor, the better that career is suited for an individual. Each variable is assessed a percentage from 0% to 100% based on the individual and their feelings on each category. Although this formula is not an absolute science to figuring out what your dream job is exactly, it will push you in the right direction.

From this investigation I have learned that your dream job will not come to you overnight. You have to work hard towards it, put in the time, dedication and a lot of sacrifice to achieve it. I have also learned that every job may not be what it seems. You may see someone doing the job you think you want and be happy doing it but when you are the actual person in the role you end up feeling completely different about it. Every person is different and every situation is different. You may want to job shadow with someone or tryout some internships to see if you are a good fit for the position. The best advice anyone can receive is that education is extremely important regardless of the field of study chosen. Experience gets you so far; you definitely need education to back up your passion and expertise of a specific job. Take new and different classes to broaden your understanding of the world and of yourself. You may not know how great you are at something that you never even thought about. Experimenting can only help further your career.

References

 

Cibolo Creek Ranch, Marfa, TX.

www.cibolocreekranch.com

http://www.hospitalityonline.com/jobs/463809-general-manager

 

Courtyard Marriot, Aberdeen, MD.

www.marriot.com

http://www.hospitalityonline.com/jobs/415508-general-manager

 

Hyatt at Villa Christina, Atlanta, GA.

http://www.hospitalityonline.com/jobs/445025-general-manager

 

La Quinta Inns & Suites, Ventura, CA.

www.laquinta.com

http://www.hospitalityonline.com/jobs/464453-general-manager

 

Nelson, Brett. (2013). How To Find Your Dream Job. Forbes.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brettnelson/2013/02/28/how-to-find-your-dream-job/

 

Pennyson. (2012). What is your Dream Job? The Penniless Son’s Business Web Magazine.

http://ringgoldatienza.com/blog/what-is-your-dream-job/

Industry Profile: Mario Batali is All About Business, People and the Environment

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The Hospitality Industry is ranked as the largest employer in the world that offers an expansive variety of jobs and careers in countless diverse sectors. It is a high stress field with long hours and sometimes not enough compensation to go with it. However, individuals who pursue these types of careers are not in it for the monetary gain; They simply enjoy being able to leave a lasting positive impression on another person. This is precisely why I want to be apart of this industry.

The individual that I most highly admire in this industry is Mario Batali. One reason for this is because of his persona and attitude towards his employees. According to a New York Times article, Batali does not allow yelling or screaming in any of his kitchens. Bryant (2012), “I have worked with a lot of yellers … yelling is a result of the dismay you feel when you realize you have not done your own job”. I completely agree with this because once someone yells or screams at another person, it is hard to continue doing the task at hand and being able to concentrate without feeling like a failure. This type of leadership is essential in the industry. The culture of screaming and yelling appears to be celebrated in some restaurant kitchens but Batali is trying to shy away from that stigma. He feels that it is the job of the chef “to prepare the staff for what will inevitably come” (Bryant, 2012). He is referring to peak times and rush periods of the restaurant business.

Secondly, Batali knows what type of people he should take on and what it takes to make it in this field. One leadership lesson that Batali believes in is that in this industry you have to realize that you are not the most intelligent person in the room at all times. Being humble is basically a requirement in this field. You have to be able to empathize, recognize and communicate under stress in order to help solve a problem instead of becoming a part of it. “The first day that a chef believes that [they] know everything is the first day for the rest of their life that they will be a jerk because you can’t know everything about our field” (Ruhlman, 2007). His hiring practices are amazing. “I look them in the eye and can tell after a minute whether they’re going to work out. I look at their résumé and if they have experience in places I envy or where I know people, I will call because that’s the quickest path to understanding somebody. I look for a gentle, smiling eye and a happiness but also if you’re driven and whether you pay very careful attention to what I’m doing” (Bryant 2012). Batali also does not hire managers. He believes that people should move up the ranks once he has seen them work. The highest position that he will hire for is a line cook. I agree with this and will implement this when I own my own restaurant. I believe it gives someone a chance while also grooming that person to be the next manager or owner. The only way to be an effective manager or owner is to know how to do every job while not being afraid to get your own hands dirty and work in the trenches with your employees. This will show an employee that if the manager or owner can do the same job, there is no excuse to not be able to do the same.

Just like Mario, “midway through college [I] had already decided to become a chef” (Avery 2010). His role within the industry inspires me everyday to continue school and pursue my dreams. He co-owns/owns at least 16 restaurants and shops around the world in places such as New York, Hong Kong and Singapore. Like Batali, I want to own my own restaurants, write popular cookbooks, have a cookware line and possibly also be on television. Over the years, I have compiled all my favorite recipes, the changes that I’ve made to some as well as creating my own to put into my first cookbook. Ruhlman (2007) states that one sign that shows how far the industry has come is that “… from the days when a chef earned [their] income by cooking and doing that in one kitchen … endorsement deals and book and television contracts are the symbol of success for a few dozen chefs that have been able to market their names and images”.

Lastly Batali, along with other industry professionals, are extremely concerned with proposed hydrofracking and what it will do to the environment specifically here in New York. Hydrofracking is a controversial way that natural gas is extracted from underground. Batali believes that it could do severe damage to businesses that rely on safe and locally sourced food as well as the agricultural industry. To him, it is not just about the jobs that fracking may or may not create or the environment. It is about the “real economic risks that “…local agriculture, food and beverage production, restaurants and tourism industries” will face due to their vitality and “interdependent economic engines that rely on New York’s famously pristine water and farmland” (Batali and Telepan, 2013). The risks do not merit the supposed economic benefits that come with fracking.

Overall, Mario Batali is one if not the best in the industry today. The way in which he treats his staff is more than admirable; to me it is highly regarded and that is why I am excited to start my career with him. His approaches to business are confident and savvy. He takes into consideration the environment and what we as a culture do to procure our ingredients as well as our customers’ loyalty to us.

 References

Avery, Laura. (2010). Newsmakers 2010 Cumulation. Detroit: Gale, 2010. 28-30.

Gale Virtual Reference Library.

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX2320600015&v=2.1&u=cuny_nytc&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w&asid=603ea9b8c785fd4f7da408dfde41924e

 

Batali, Mario and Telepan, Bill. (2013). Fracking versus food: New York’s choice.

New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/fracking-food-n-y-s-choice-article-1.1357913

 

Bryant, Adam. (2012). In Mario Batali’s Kitchen You’ll Refrain From Shouting.

New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/business/in-mario-batalis-kitchen-please-refrain-from-shouting.html?ref=mariobatali&_r=0

 

Ruhlman, Michael. (2007). Follow the Money All the Way to the Kitchen. New York Times. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/24/dining/24chef.html?ref=mariobatali

 

Welcome!

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This is the first post on your Learning Blog. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

The ePortfolio is both a Learning Blog and an Academic Career Portfolio. Use the Learning Blog to document your learning experiences and class assignments each semester. As time goes by, add content to the Academics and Career sections to show your department, graduate institutions, or future employers how well prepared you are for your chosen career.

NOTE: Remember to add appropriate Categories and Tags to your posts. This will help your professors and other visitors find the content they are looking for. The Categories “Coursework” and “Field Trips” and the Tags “OpenLab” and “City Tech” have already been applied to this post. Feel free to make changes!