Political and Catering Jobs: It's All About Being Local
by Kirk Bangstad
kirk.bangstad@chefschoolreview.com
Chef School Review Columnist
If you want to work in the catering business, you’re going to need to establish your name/brand before the catering jobs start rolling in. Like politics, if people already know you and your family in the community, your chances of success rise dramatically.
Catering School Adds Credibility
With or without local recognition, those who have attended catering school can start out with some credibility. Although graduating from catering school won’t give you the same reputation as word-of-mouth buzz, it may help you land a couple catering jobs to get that buzz started.
The Best of Both Worlds
Carey William, a caterer in Chicago, has the best of both worlds. She grew up in the same neighborhood where she currently works, and also earned a degree from a reputable catering school. She was recently written up in her local newspaper, where she published one of her secret recipes. It’s quite possible that Carey received this free advertising because the local paper wanted to run a feel-good story about someone in the community. She is a good example of how tying in education and community relationships can help starting caterers spread the word and land more catering jobs.
So if you have dreams of running your own successful catering business, remember that the hometown kid with a good catering education has two legs up on the competition, and probably won’t have to work as hard at getting free advertising.
Source
About the Author
Kirk Bangstad is a singer living in Chicago, IL. Having received his B.A. in Government at Harvard, Kirk previously worked as a management consultant.
Posted on December 12, 2006 at 11:00 AM
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