1.9: Finding an internship and mentors

Why, oh, why do I have to do internships?

More than anything, exposure. We want everyone going through this program to find ‘their’ niche. To know what they like and what they do not like. Not everyone is going to like a production kitchen and not everyone is going to like working the line. The whole point of these internship requirements is for you to find where ‘you’ want to be and someone who will get you there – a different perspective to help you ‘critically think’ about everything that you have learned from classes so far. That is why these internships are structured the way they are. Your first one is an overall culinary internship to get you in a kitchen if you have not had experience there to see how things work.

Your second internship is a little more specific, you have had time to hone your skills, and possibly worked a couple jobs and know what direction you are heading, (and at the senior level, possibly looking for job offers after graduation). So, that is how you should walk into your internship, not judging or grading but evaluating: how do you like the feel/atmosphere? What are the qualities you appreciate in management? What kind of food are you cooking? What kind of creativity is there? Could you see yourself staying there long-term with the current staff?

Mentorship

Mentorship is a relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. The mentor may be older or younger than the person being mentored, but he or she must have a certain area of expertise. It is a learning and development partnership between someone with vast experience and someone who wants to learn.

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.”

John C. Crosby, American politician

The focus of mentoring is to develop the whole person and so the techniques are broad and require wisdom in order to be used appropriately. A 1995 study of mentoring techniques most commonly used in business found that the five most commonly used techniques among mentors were:

1. Accompanying: making a commitment in a caring way, which involves taking part in the learning process side-by-side with the learner.
2. Sowing: mentors are often confronted with the difficulty of preparing the learner before he or she is ready to change. Sowing is necessary when you know that what you say may not be understood or even acceptable to learners at first but will make sense and have value to the mentee when the situation requires it.
3. Catalyzing: when change reaches a critical level of pressure, learning can escalate. Here the mentor chooses to plunge the learner right into change, provoking a different way of thinking, a change in identity or a re-ordering of values.
4. Showing: this is making something understandable, or using your own example to demonstrate a skill or activity. You show what you are talking about, you show by your own behavior.
5. Harvesting: here the mentor focuses on "picking the ripe fruit": it is usually used to create awareness of what was learned by experience and to draw conclusions. The key questions here are: "What have you learned?", "How useful is it?".

Different techniques may be used by mentors according to the situation and the mindset of the mentee. The techniques used in modern organizations can be found in ancient education systems, from the Socratic technique of harvesting to the accompaniment method of learning used in the apprenticeship of itinerant cathedral builders during the Middle Ages. Mentors look for "teachable moments" in order to "expand or realize the potentialities of the people in the organizations they lead" and underline that personal credibility is as essential to quality mentoring as skill.

Can I have more than one mentor?

Multiple mentors: A new and upcoming trend is having multiple mentors. This can be helpful because we can all learn from each other. Having more than one mentor will widen the knowledge of the person being mentored. There are different mentors who may have different strengths.

Profession or trade mentor: This is someone who is currently in the trade/profession you are entering. They know the trends, important changes and new practices that you should know to stay at the top of your career. A mentor like this would be someone you can discuss ideas regarding the field, and also be introduced to key and important people that you should know.

Industry mentor: This is someone who doesn't just focus on the profession. This mentor will be able to give insight on the industry as a whole. Whether it be research, development or key changes in the industry, you need to know.

Organization mentor: Politics in the organizations are constantly changing. It is important to be knowledgeable about the values, strategies and products that are within your company, but also when these things are changing. An organization mentor can clarify missions and strategies, and give clarity when needed.

Work process mentor: This mentor can speed quickly over the bumps, and cut through the unnecessary work. This mentor can explain the 'ins and outs' of projects, day-to-day tasks, and eliminate unnecessary things that may be currently going on in your work day. This mentor can help to get things done quickly and efficiently.

Technology mentor: This is an up-and-coming, incredibly important position. Technology has been rapidly improving, and becoming more a part of day-to-day transactions within companies. In order to perform your best, you must know how to get things done on the newest technology. A technology mentor will help with technical breakdowns, advice on systems that may work better than what you are currently using, and coach you through new technology and how to best use it.

The importance of finding a mentor

Along with the internship, you are also searching for mentors that you respect, that you appreciate, and that you want to work with, and under their direction. You appreciate their expertise, the things they do - and how they do it. There will be people who you think are your mentor, but until you truly consider following them from restaurant to restaurant, wanting to be right at their elbows, keep looking. Look for that chef that you want to follow on social media to see what their up too. You want to support them in their endeavors, and you want to mirror their philosophy. There will be chefs that you jive with right away and there will also be some that you fail to connect with in terms of ‘direction’. We have all been there. It’s also about the place, if it’s the right person but not the right place that could have an impact. Find the kind of food you want to be making, find the food that you are passionate about and are ready to cook when you walk into work.

Finding the Internship

Do your research

Do your homework. Think about what you would like to do in the culinary and hospitality field after you graduate, and set up internships that will allow you to experience first-hand the kind of career path in which you are interested.

What do you mean by ‘research’?

You should research the restaurant thoroughly before you set up an interview, or a trail/stage. Study (REALLY STUDY) the menu(s) at the place(s) in which you are interested. If the menu does not interest you, why would you like to work there?

• Research the chef.
• Find as much as you can about him/her.
• Does his/her philosophy in culinary excite you?
• Does his menu show integrity and creativity?
• Do you respect him or her?
• Do you feel that the executive chef and his staff can help grow your resume in quality experience towards your end goal for post-graduated work?
• What do you know about the sous chefs there and their experience? Nine times out of ten the sous chefs will be managing you---not the executive chef.

Sophomore. Your sophomore internship will need to be in a food production kitchen (restaurant, hotel, bakery, etc.) regardless of your concentration. Remember, the sophomore internship is part of the associate’s degree, which is why it is important that it be in a kitchen because, at this point in the culinary curriculum, students are taking kitchen labs designed for an overall culinary degree. For example, if you were in the pastry concentration, it would behoove you to select an operation that offers some kind of pastry experience.

After I have a short list of sites, what do I do?

First, make sure you have an updated/current resume to give to the management at the perspective internship sites. Your resume should be professional, concise, and free of spelling, grammar, and styling errors. Visit the Nicholls Office of Career Services to obtain professional advice on your resume. It is important that you get a copy of the appropriate internship agreement from Mrs. Joanne (in the culinary office) to give to the chef or manager at the place to which you apply. The internship agreement gives your internship site the information as to what is expected from you as an intern, them as internship site, and CJFCI as an institute of higher learning.

Dress professionally for your interview:

• CJFCI chefs work coat
• Work pants/black and white checks (black pants when advised by instructor)
• Neckerchief
• Approved non-skid shoes, with a black polished surface
• Socks, white or black
• Undergarments, such as another shirt, are not allowed to extend beyond the length (collar, cuff and waist) of the uniform. No logos or printing may be visible through the chef’s coat from the student’s undergarments. Only solid white shirts may be worn under the chef’s coat.

Executive chefs typically get Sundays and Mondays as their days off, so I have always had the best success showing up to a restaurant to discuss employment on Tuesdays, Wednesday, or Thursday between 2 pm and 4 pm. Not only is this generally the slowest days of service during the week, it is also between the lunch and dinner shifts at most restaurants. A face-to-face meeting with a chef will greatly increase your chances of landing an internship.

If you have done adequate research on the restaurant AND the chef (and his staff), and the menus, you should have some questions to ask the chef and/or his staff. Be aware that you are interviewing them as well as they are interviewing you. It is not a one-way street.

Finally, before you leave the interview site, make sure to get some assurances about follow-up. Try to set up a stage or trail opportunity. If they are too busy to set up a stage or interview that day, then coordinate a time in the near future. Always know where you stand with a site. “If I don’t hear from them by this date, it is time for me to move on to another possible site.” You cannot risk everything on one endeavor.

What is a stage or a trail? What should I expect that day in the kitchen?

A stage or a trail is when the chef or owner of the restaurant allows you to observe and/or work an unpaid shift in the kitchen to get to know whether you will be a good fit for their needs, while you get to know if it is a good site for you to do your internship. When you are setting up a date and time for your state, it is also a good time to ask a few questions:

• Do you want me here in my school uniform?
• What time should I report to you (or the kitchen)?
• Will I be simply observing, or do you want me to prep or work a station for a while?
• Should I bring my knife kit?
• Are there any other details you recommend to help me prepare for the stage?

How do I make a good impression during my stage?

“I don’t want to see a resume`, or references. I want the individual to come to my restaurant and prep something, cook something, and clean something. I need to detect passion in all three areas - and their ability to work with my team. If I see commitment, I can work with that person.”
Charley Trotter, Chicago

Keep this in mind when you go: A successful chef has worked long and hard to perfect their craft and build a team around him or her that believes in the same ideals. You have to fit into that belief – or you do not fit period. You may not at that point in time match the skill level – it is OK they will teach you. You absolutely cannot fail to match their level of passion. They cannot teach you that, and they will not want to work with you. ‘No passion’ represents everything they have worked so hard to avoid.

• Show up at least 15 minutes early.
• Be positive and pleasant.
• Not the time to be chatty due to nervousness.
• You have two ears and one mouth – so listen twice as much as you talk.
• Be dressed, appropriately groomed and present a professional image.
• Stand up straight---no leaning or have your hands in your pocket.
• You can move quickly but do not appear to be rushed.
• Do not sit down unless everyone is sitting.
• Make eye contact when people are talking to you, or when you are talking to them.
• Keep your replies to questions on topic and avoid rambling on and on.
• Show them what you know, not what you do not know.
• Be excited about the opportunity to be staging.
• Take notes.
• Ask questions when it is appropriate – not when people are extremely busy.
• Question the chef (or kitchen manager) regarding what kind of work will you be doing if hired.
• If you are offered an internship after the stage, inquire if your internship will be paid and if so, what is your pay rate.

At this point, it would be wise to “sleep on it” and get to them as soon as possible with an answer. Be honest if you have other stages set up. This will allow you to have some time to make a pro/con list and get back to them in a timely fashion. If possible, avoid dragging out the process by scheduling all of your stages in one week. Always be professional, as they will perhaps consider hiring you down the road in the event you change your mind or if there are other issues.

I found my internship. Now What Should I Do?

• Have your internship employer fill out the internship agreement and return it to Mrs. Joanne in the culinary office - have her scan it and email you a copy.
• Make sure the contact information on the form is correct, i.e. list the person who will be responsible for doing your evaluation so that it is submitted in a timely fashion.
• Finalize your travel and housing plans.
• Be prepared when the semester begins and read all the important documents on Moodle.
• Complete all assignments on Moodle as scheduled in the course schedule. Always read each week’s assignment BEFORE the week begins.

Enjoy your internship and make us PROUD