What could be better than a service that features job opportunities from employers who specifically want your skills? How about a service that you have free access to as a CIA student and as a graduate!
It’s called Culinary Connect, and it’s only an Internet connection away.
Find an internship
Most CIA students first encounter Culinary Connect when searching for their internship. The database has 3,200+ of these opportunities, which focus primarily on back-of-the-house culinary and pastry positions, as well as hospitality positions. But Culinary Connect has so much more to offer than lists of approved internship sites.
Make some extra cash
Students who could use some extra money but don’t want to commit to a full- or part-time job can check out the “Search for Temporary Jobs” filter. Individuals post cooking/serving/catering opportunities for private events on Culinary Connect; so, for example, students who are on campus during Thanksgiving break can make good money cooking a family’s holiday dinner. In addition, catering companies and clubs regularly post on Culinary Connect looking for event staff.
Get a job after graduating
Soon-to-be grads and alumni can see opportunities targeted to a wide range of experience levels for post-graduate employment. These are jobs that fit only our degree program majors, and they are from employers who specifically want to hire CIA students and grads. Even after we filter out the jobs and employers who don’t match our industry, there are 200+ new job postings in Culinary Connect every week.
Gather employer intel
Beyond its value when actively applying for a new job, Culinary Connect is also a useful research tool. Those 3,200+ internship listings are with companies who have a relationship with the CIA. Even when students are not looking for an internship, they can leverage this relationship by using the contact information to prospect that employer.
Plan your career
Similarly, Culinary Connect can also be a career planning asset. What skills, abilities, and levels of education are employers looking for when hiring chefs, managers, product developers, salespeople, etc.? By looking through the listings, students can find commonalities that will help them shape their current application materials and provide direction as they move towards their career goals.
The tool’s Documents Library includes rosters (and contact information) from previous Career Fairs, as well as a digital version of our Career Guide: Tools for Success. Students and alumni can upload their résumé to Culinary Connect and never have to worry about losing it if their hard drive goes belly-up or their flash drive disappears.
More than just a job board, Culinary Connect is a robust career management tool that’s part of the professional toolkit of CIA students and alumni alike.
To find out more about Culinary Connect, contact the Center for Career and Academic Advising at careers@culinary.edu or 845-451-1275.
by Ronald Hayes ’02, MFA is associate director of Career Services and an adjunct faculty member teaching Literature and Composition. He is the author of Creating Your Culinary Career.