Good Food Jobs is a gastro-job search tool, designed to link people looking for meaningful food work with the businesses that need their energy, enthusiasm, and intellect. We post opportunities with farmers and food artisans, policy makers and purveyors, retailers and restaurateurs, economists, ecologists, and more.
the gastrognomes is a blog for food lovers who want to put their passions to work. We profile the most interesting, engaging, and unlikely food professionals that we find, and we publish them here to inspire you.
NICE THINGS PEOPLE SAY
Your work is so needed, inspiring people to follow their heart & make a difference, even if the future looks unsure.
- Maeve, GFJ Fan
I am so pleased with the responses I have received so far. Top notch.
- Patricia, Job Poster
I subscribe to your site and love checking out the GFJ world that's literally sprouting all over.
- Ellen, GFJ Fan
We're so glad to be of service.
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LET'S GET STARTED
Though we've been out of school longer than we care to calculate, we can't help but feel the tingling of anticipation every time September rolls around. In the Northeast, where we live, it's not just the back-to-school season, but the weather - shorter days and cooler nights - that signals to us that it's time to hunker down and transition from outdoor activities, like gardening, hiking, and swimming, to indoor pursuits, like knitting, reading, and cooking.
This could not be more true for the job seeker. We can let our efforts be distracted by the warm sunshine (who needs to be at a desk right now anyway?) but the Fall signals an urgency to resume the search.
And in light of that urgency, we urge you to start your search afresh with a few stories, tips, and reminders.
What will get you ahead these days? Capability, tenacity, and creativity.
FOLLOW UP
We've spoken to several people in the past few weeks who had valid questions regarding their search. Most were focused around 'how to get in' . . . not necessarily how to get the job, but how to get in front of people to prove that they are capable candidates.
Far too often we hear of folks that apply over and over and over again, only to hear nothing at all. We've all sat on the lonely end of the computer, stuck between our desire to land that perfect job and the fear of annoying or bothering our potential employer.
It's our turn to remind you that it's your job, as a job seeker, to follow up. Many of the companies that post on Good Food Jobs are small and they are posting expressly becuse they need help. It's our goal to improve hiring etiquette (i.e. encouraging businesses to, at the very least, alert you that they've recived your application), and it's your duty to make sure they know who you are and what a great addition you would be to their team.
This does not mean that you should incessantly bombard someone with emails every two days. But you should include dates in your initial correspondence - for example, 'I understand how busy your thriving business is these days and I look forward to following up with you if I haven't heard from you before [insert date one week from now].'
In addition, think of ways to supplement your application so that you are not contacting an employer via the same tired channel. Try to find them in person . . . go to their shop, visit the famers market where they sell, or attend an event that they will be a part of.
It's not your job to find a job, but to figure out a way that you can make an employer's life easier and better. This is not always best translated through the traditional routes of a resume and cover letter, but with face-to-face meetings, meaningful conversations, and relationship-building that sparks ideas and connections.
GET CREATIVE
We always say: don't search for a job, search for opportunites that inspire you. This can include unpaid or volunteer opportunities - many of which only last for a few hours - where you can meet people and make connections that will serve your job search well.
We remember what it was like searching for work . . . there were times when we eschewed family gatherings or decided to stay at home just so that we didn't have to answer the dreaded question, So what are you doing these days?
But ironically the times when we most want to hide are the times that warrant getting out there the most. We have to work past the vulnerability that we feel and push ourselves out of our comfort zone in order to get what we want: a meaningful job.
We heard a great story recently - one that we hope people will emulate. One woman, rather than conducting an official job search (i.e. searching online for opportunities and sending out countless resumes and cover letters) decided that she would give herself 3 months before she started searching. She decided that every day of those 3 months she would go to lunch with a different person. She set up dates for the first week, and for each person she met that week she learned of a few others that she set up dates with as well. By the end of three months she had conducted almost a hundred informational interviews, learned countless lessons, made meaningful connections, helped to connect others, and learned about various ways to make a living. And at the end of that three months? No job search necessary . . . the experience yielded many opportunities, one of which she gladly took. The moral is: it's time to redefine the process of searching for jobs.
We hope you'll see that there is no one set path to success. There are shortcuts and detours and new roads being built every day. We're here every step of the way to listen to your questions, and to spread news about your successes when you share them with us.
Taylor & Dorothy
Co-Founders, Good Food Jobs
THE GASTRO.GNOMES BLOG
Marcy Coburn
Director
Food Craft Institute
Spend some time browsing the course descriptions at the Food Craft Institute, and you'll find yourself drooling. Read their answer to the question 'What is food craft?' and your motivation to find a good food job will be renewed. At the helm of it, Marcy reminds us that flexibility is an unassuming hero when it comes to navigating a career in food. Read More
GOOD FOOD JOB HIGHLIGHTS
and over 500 other active jobs, too . . . see the full website for the latest.
MANAGING EDITOR
Wilder Quarterly
Anywhere
We cannot think of a better way to spend our time than immersing oursevles in a publication that covers the bounty of the natural world . . .
GARDEN PROFESSIONAL
Love & Carrots, LLC
Washington, DC
. . . unless it's having your hands in the Earth, helping people craft their own gardens.
MARKETING & GARDEN INTERN
Love & Carrots, LLC
Washington, DC
And in case you want the aforementioned jobs, but aren't sure you have the experience yet, check out this opportunity.
see more good food jobs at goodfoodjobs.com
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