I just received a call from a young lady seeking some advice on how to "break" into the restuarant business as a manager...although she possesses no restaurant management experience. This is not the type of call that we field often at Martin and Associates PeopleSource...since we work with seasoned restaurant management professionals. But it got me thinking and I thought I'd share my "sage wisdom" as a restuarant management recruiter with others who might thinking about "breaking" into their career of choice.

I will start by saying I admire this young lady, whom I shall hereto refer to as "Ms. Smith", because she is on the verge of completing her degree in business management and has a strong desire to move into restuarant management. While I don't personally feel that a college degree counts for as much these days as it did when I was in college, I have strong admiration for anyone, young or old, who pursues and finishes college... moreso with Ms. Smith since her desire is to become part of a very competative industry like restaurant management. Ms. Smith called Martin and Associates People Source because we are restaurant management recruiters, so at least in seeking advice, she started with the right source. In discovering how to move forward in your career, "start with those in the know" in that field.

A simple phone call, although it may not yield the answers you want, will always lead you to more thought and often will result in excellent advice. My first suggestion to Ms. Smith was to determine her "passions" behind her desire to be a restaurant manager...or for that matter, what one's passion is behind any career decision. In doing so, "homework Thyself"....make notes on who you are and what your passions are. If you do not know "why" you want to enter a certain field, then how can you explain that to someone else. And critical to any obtaining any position is knowing how to tie your passions into who they are.

That bringing me to my second suggestion...since she already has a friend who is a restaurant manager, I suggest that she go speak to him and explain her "passions" to him. In other words...use your connections! Knowing that she has had previous experience as a server in the restaurant industry, I suggest that she be willing to take a position as a server. Many companies have in place a mentoring program through which they will develop their own managers. Ms. Smith, be willing (and realistic) to start with a positon a little closer to the bottom than the top. But, since you know your passions and how to explain them, share those passions with your upline and express your desire to find a good mentor. Suggestion number three...be willing to learn all positions from the bottom up. In searching for restaurant managers for my clients as a restaurant management recruiter, I always look closer at those who have been agressive in their "grabbing the brass ring" of their career. So do my clients that hire me to do their restaurant management recruiting. Companies today do not want non-motivated "wall flowers" but rather motivated "mighty oaks"! So show your enthusiasm and willingness to learn Ms. Smith.

Fourth... attach yourself to a successful mentor who is as excited about teaching as you are about learning. And who is equally as willing to teach. Once you find that person become a sponge and absorb all the information, knowledge and technique that you can. This may take time, so be willing to go the extra mile when it comes to building your career. The shorter corporate ladder may not always get you to the top faster!

At this point, think of it as going to college agian. Enjoy the party, but go there to learn! At the end of that time, instead of graduating with a "sheepskin", the "diploma" will be the "entire sheep...skin, wool and meat"...in the form of that management position you crave.