Career Advice in the Wine Industry

Last One: Where in the Wine World is WineTalent

2009-11-13T13:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, back home, but thought this would be an easy one. Where am I? And what type of wine is made here? Almost time for a little nouveau wine?

Where in the Wine World is WineTalent

2009-11-07T02:28:00.000-08:00

Voila, got in two days ago--visited some great names and had some excellent food and wine. Any thoughts about where I am.

Where in the Wine World is WineTalent

2009-11-02T10:38:00.001-08:00

Enjoying the fall colors here south of Basque country. The hills are so picturesque. The phrase of the day, "This would make a nice picture". Had excellent visits today. Where am I?

Where in the Wine World is WineTalent

2009-10-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

Had excellent visits in the last couple of days--but could hardly handle the drive to get to some of these places. Steep drop offs, lots of local grape varieties--some are aged a few years, other for a long time. The river at the bottom of the terrain helps get the wines out to port. Where am I.

Where in the Wine World is WineTalent

2009-10-27T01:52:00.000-07:00

Just got up to a foggy morning in the Duoro Valley--staying at a beautiful hotel near Sabroso, Portugal. Yesterday I was in the Alentejo area of Spain. The area has gentle rolling hills with lots of olive and oak trees. Ferdinand the Bull looks quite content under a beautiful oak tree here smelling the flowers. Looking for a little closure here--where am I? Or more precisely, what am I standing next to? This is something for the cork board back at home.

Where in the Wine World is WineTalent

2009-10-23T03:27:00.001-07:00

Just catching up after some recent wine tours. Where am I in this photo?

Workaholic goes on Vacation

2009-10-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

Off to Europe for work. I'll be traveling to France, Spain and Portugal, with a weekend in Morocco. I'm meeting up with several of my clients while I'm over there, and am looking forward to a good education on European winemaking and get to understand the terroir better. I'll post updates while I'm traveling--Where in the Wine World is WineTalent! Look forward to a working vacation.

Cranky Recruiter: Resume.doc

2009-09-18T15:03:00.001-07:00

Been reviewing a lot of resumes today. Late in the day....and the cranky recruiter rears her ugly advice again. When writing your resume, save it as you. What I mean is, put your name on the file when you save it. I often get several candidates whom I am talking to, and when I go to pull up their resume from my files, I can't find it based on the title. 50% of the resumes I review are titled resume.doc. Ah, fun. I save them in my database by name, but I'm thinking about your well being here. If you send your resume to a hiring manager, do they take the time to put your resume in their database--or do they have a whole file full of resume.doc files?

I'm keeping it short and sweet. Save your resume as First Name Last Name. AmyGardner.doc is much easier to find than Resume2recruiter.doc, etc.

Have a great weekend. I should be less cranky come Monday.

Cranky Recruiter: Don't Take it out on Me

2009-09-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

I am just getting back in the swing of things after taking a few days off to recuperate. This summer has been very busy for WineTalent. Now that most of my positions have been filled, I had to take a bit of time to just relax. Well, now that's over. Back to work.

First of all, let me apologize to anyone that I owe a call to. I do keep track of all my voicemails, and will get back to you one way or another. Sometimes I can't return all the calls during business hours, and will send you an email. Yes, I know if you've left me a couple of voicemails, and will touch bases soon.

Second, my inbox often comes first. This might be sad to say, but I do try to get through all my emails first. This may be a function of our new electronic society--or just how I work. I do receive 10 times the amount of emails than I receive of voicemail, and have to start somewhere.

Third, I do keep your resume in my database and always look there first when a new opening comes up. I always encourage you to check in with me from time to time. You don't know how often that pays off for people. Check out this related post: Where do I find Candidates.

Okay, now why I'm cranky. I have been working in recruitment for a long time. Recently, I have been getting more angry candidates. This could be because I am working on a wider array of positions. Or maybe because by being in business for many years, I know a lot more people, some of which are grumpy. But I think I know what the situation is: the job market. With so many people laid off and the job hunt being tough, I may be a convenient whipping boy when someone doesn't get called for a job, or isn't getting hired as quickly as they would like.

Job hunting is never fun, I know. And if your hunt is stretching on longer than you envisioned, it may be psychologically and financially unnerving when you don't get called about a job. But lashing out at your friends, your family, and yes, even your recruiter isn't the solution. Get up and get back in the hunt. Start at square one. What job do you want. Then, what job can you get, and what job are you willing to take. If you have steered away from lower level jobs, time to get your name in there. If you haven't let some of your old colleagues know you are looking, call them. If you aren't looking at many different sources for jobs, broaden your search. If you are showing up for interviews in business casual attire, take that suit to the dry cleaners, shine your shoes and iron that dress shirt. Kick it up a notch.

And turn that frown upside down! A positive outlook and sunny demeanor help tremendously when you are interacting with colleagues, friends, recruiters, and interviewers. A smile and firm handshake go a long way in the business world--so stand tall, be proud, smile and tell them you want the job. You always want the company and hiring manager to know that you want the job and to work with them. We all want to be wanted, so make sure you express your interest in any job opportunity you hear about.

Okay, back to the inbox, and yes, the voicemails.

The money question - RecruitingBlogs.com

2009-08-19T09:46:00.001-07:00

Just read this article on RecruitingBlogs.com, and thought it was definitely good advice when it comes to talking money during an interview.
The money question - RecruitingBlogs.com

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How to be a Smart Protege, WSJ article

2009-08-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in the Wall Street Journal they had a great article about how to be a smart protege. The article addressed how people go about finding and learning from industry experts. I think having a good mentor network is invaluable in your career, and agree with the authors that you have to go out and find mentors and work to make the relationship thrive. I have written previously about my mentor/protege relationships, and encourage everyone to think about who can be a mentor, or a protege, and make the connection.

Resumes and Wine Labels

2009-08-11T11:38:00.001-07:00

I've been helping a few of my readers with their resumes recently, and have been pondering the relationship between wine labels and resumes. To the average recruiter, these would be two completely different things, but when someone is often working with job seekers who also have a small wine label on the side, it makes a bit more sense.

I am an average consumer with a taste for wine. I, like the vast majority of wine drinkers, peruse the wine aisles and pick up interesting bottles here and there. What draws me to the wine? Yes, some of my wines choices are to show loyalty to clients and placements. It is fun to drink a bottle of wine when you know the history behind the team there, and I feel a connection to the product. But there are plenty of times I just pick up a wine that looks interesting. Marketing groups spend hours trying to figure out what a shopper will find intriguing--and often I am their guinea pig. Cute labels, something a little different, and occasionally a really "rich" looking bottle will be my choice.

Knowing the time and money that people put into wine labels, I am always surprised when they don't put the same attention into their resume. Many of the same ideas apply between the two mediums. Here are a few examples:

Required Information: A wine label is required to have certain things on it by law. So should a resume. Examples of required information are; name, phone number, contact information, experience and education. Without these basics, you aren't telling the reader much about you.
Theme: While I don't want cute little Australian critters on your resume, I do like to have a well presented resume. The theme so to speak can be bold headings with bulleted sections. Another example of a theme would be to consistently run your wine and food knowledge throughout the resume. Think about your experience and interests and weave it into the text of your resume.
Consistency: This is such a simple item, but one that over half of the resumes I read lack. Whether it is verb tense, sentence structure or typeface, having a consistent look and style to your resume presents you in a positive light. All too often I will get a decent looking resume with one portion "tacked on" at the top or bottom. This tells me that the author had an old resume that they put new information on. It isn't hard to make everything look and read the same. Review your resume, including your text, and edit, edit, edit. Another function I do all the time in MS Word is to hit Ctrl-A, and then put the entire document in the same typeface and font size. This little quick trick saves figuring out formating changes in the body of the resume.
Appearance: Look at your resume and see what it says about you. If a wine label had a pretty flower on the label, you might think the wine was floral and light. If you put your resume in the comic sans typeface, I might think you are silly and overused. Just kidding! But really, how your resume looks reflects on you. Put your resume in an easy-to-read typeface such as Arial or Calibri. Also, show some mercy on the reader and put it in a font of 11 points or higher. I'm getting older and my eyes are weary--help me out. Bolding important sections is also a good idea, letting the reader know what you think is important about yourself.
Length: Maybe it is lucky that wine labels are only so big. Unfortunately, resumes can be as long as you want them to be. I recommend keeping them to 1-2 pages in length. If you have a longer resume, take a look at some of the information you have on there and see if you could reformat it to fit better on fewer pages.

Thinking about the design and overall look of your resume will help make you look professional on paper. Just like that bottle of wine I picked up, now it's time to see what the true character of the resume's subject by talking to you in person.

Cranky Recruiter: Adobe Acrobat

2009-07-31T09:32:00.000-07:00

When I am preparing my candidate dossiers for my clients, I do a lot of work on each resume. I reformat them, add information that may be missing and standardize the layout for easy reading. When any candidate sends in a resume, I save it to my database. And here's where the Cranky Recruiter shows her ugly face. I hate Adobe Acrobat resumes. I am not a technical writer or publisher, and I don't use Adobe Writer. When I get a .pdf resume, I have to save it as text to my database, and then reformat it when I prep the dossier. What came in looking great in .pdf looks awful as text, and then I have to recreate it. If anyone has some suggestions out there for saving it, please let me know. In the meantime, I encourage every job seeker out there to have a .doc format resume. If you want to do a .pdf one, send them both. It will help me out when I'm pushing to get a resume to a client.

Also, when I'm searching for resumes, .doc resumes come up first since I'm running MS Office. Text resumes come up when I'm doing a complete database search. So to get included in the first pass, give me a .doc resume.

Where in the Wine World is WineTalent

2009-07-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

Made a run out to Sonoma this week, and stopped in at a great pinot and syrah producer in a Santa Rosa business park. They are one of my favorite wineries--one of their brands even shares its name with my oldest nephew, which is quite unusual. I recommend trying them out--now where was I?

Getting Framed: Ask for Timeframes.

2009-07-16T11:09:00.001-07:00

Currently in the throes of a busy recruitment. I've posted the position on Winejobs.com and now am slogging through my inbox and voicemail. Also putting out all those feelers to people I know who might be interested in the position--or know someone who is.

The last couple of days I have been discussing the position with several people. I am learning about their backgrounds and interest in the job I'm working on. This allows me to make a "short list" of potential candidates. Determining who the best candidates for any job is always a learning process, and does take some time. This is where I encourage the job seekers to stay on top of their application.

When you are looking for a new job you can send your resume to black holes and never hear anything back. While I have given advice previously on how to manage this, it happens to the best of us. If you are fortunate enough to hear from a prospective employer, it indicates real interest and possibly a job down the line. Now is the time to take advantage of that contact. When you are on the phone or in an interview, ask the interviewer what the time frame is on this recruitment. Some time frames that would interest you are how long they have been looking to fill this position, when they are scheduling interviews, and when they want the position filled. This shows you how the process will unfold.

In addition to the time frame of the hiring process, try to get some time frames for YOUR process. Ask when your resume will be submitted to the hiring manager, when interviews will be going on, and when you can expect to hear back. If you hear that they are scheduling interviews next week, you know to be on top of your schedule and ready to book the meeting when that call comes. If they are waiting to finish publishing the position on the company's website before scheduling interviews--things might drag on awhile. I try to let candidates know what the timing will be on recruitments, and when they should expect to hear from me. I often let them know to contact me in case the window of time passes without hearing from me.

Here's a little secret. I get a lot of people interested in the jobs I am recruiting on. A lot of them are very viable candidates for the position. While I'm recruiting, there are a lot of people I interact with. If I haven't heard from someone in awhile, they may drop off my radar. If you are one of the people I'm considering--you should make yourself visible. A polite follow up call in a week let's me know you are thinking about the job, and interested in continuing the process. The person I don't hear from may have taken another position and is no longer in contention. Those follow-up calls keep me on my toes, and thinking about you for the job. This is what you want.

Eating and Interviewing

2009-06-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

As a recruiter, I often meet candidates at coffee shops, restaurants and bars. Having done this for years, it comes as second nature for me to eat, talk and interview. But recently I was recruiting for a scientific position, and realized that interviewing and dining is a learned skill.

With home offices and telecommuting becoming the norm, more people are getting together over food to conduct business. Thinking back, when I first did this it seemed very awkward. How can you look intelligent while you have a mouth full of food. What if spinach gets caught between your teeth. And what if, horror of horrors, you spill your pasta all over your lap. Well here are some tips to make it a little less intimidating

Be on time: This goes without saying for any interview. By being on time you can meet your host in the lobby of the restaurant, allowing you both to be seated at the same time. If you are early, you may even be able to scan the menu and know what you are having, giving you more time to interact with your interviewer.
Let people know you are there: If you arrive before your host, let the staff know you are waiting for someone, and give them your name. This way when the other person gets there they may be introduced to you by the restaurant staff.
Follow the other person's lead: Once you meet your contact, defer to them about where they would like to sit, and what type of food they are having. When the waiter asks what you would like to have, you can always let your host go first. This gives you some time to plan your meal, and make sure you are ordering a similar or smaller size meal. You don't want to order a five course dinner if your interviewer was just having an appetizer.
Hold off on the liquor: Yes, we are wine industry professionals, but many companies frown on their staff drinking during business meetings. While your interviewer may order a drink, it is safest to stick with a nonalcoholic one. Evening meals are a bit different, as are meetings in bars. Err on the side of caution, but if the interviewer orders a bottle of wine and offers you a glass, it may make more sense to have a drink. Just watch yourself and don't overdo.
Think logistically: In recruiting we are always meeting people for lunch and dinner interviews. A former competitor of mine would require their staff to only order food they could eat with utensils--no burgers, no sandwiches, etc. This is a good idea, but can limit your food choices at a diner. And even though clam linguini requires a fork and knife, dealing with those clam shells can be quite a feat. Think about what's involved with the food you are ordering, and go on the safe side. This isn't your chance to try oysters on the half shell, it is an opportunity to spend time with a potential employer.
Don't be a glutton: Think back to any and all manner instruction you have had in your life. Listen to what your mother said and don't slurp your soup. If you realize you haven't heard a thing the interviewer has said, maybe it's because you are so focused on the food that you aren't paying attention. Again, this isn't about the food, it is about the meeting. Do eat the meal in front of you, just pace yourself and stay professional.
Eat: I know I say that the interview is more important, but this meeting may be held during a mealtime because it was the only time your host could carve out time to eat and meet with you. No one likes to eat alone, and if you are not even touching your food, it could be awkward. Take the plunge and eat.
Don't talk with your mouth full: Again, listen to your mother. If the interviewer asks you a question just as you have taken a bite of food, they will understand if you need to take a minute to respond. Planning can limit this. Take a bite of food after you have completed a comment, and eat while the other person is describing the job or outlining the company's policies.
Don't clean your plate: While your mother may have forced you to clean your plate growing up, don't worry about it here. If you have been eating throughout the interview, it won't seem odd if you don't eat everything. I also recommend not taking your leftovers home. While you may always do that when you dine out, this is a business meeting. It is somewhat awkward to have to get your food boxed up, and can be even more unweildy to have a to-go box in your hand while you are trying to shake the person's hand at the end.
Who pays: While I would recommend bringing along enough money to pay your way, if you were invited to the meal by your host, it is customary for that person to pay. Do not worry about this. As I tell my interviewees, the restaurant is my other office, and I am happy to pay.
Thank your host: At this point hopefully your interviewer has picked up the check. Once they have paid, thank them. It is always polite to do this, and is something that the person will expect. The worst thing would be to forget to thank them.
Thank your waiter: Be gracious with the wait staff. By showing good manners and being appreciative to them you will show your good manners for future coworkers and colleagues. A thank you when you get your water filled can show that you appreciate everyone who is part of the team. This graciousness will be very important when you work at the company you just interviewed with.

Bon Appetit!

Beware the True Black Hole, the Spam Folder

2009-06-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

I am getting to the end of a recruitment, and luckily I searched through my spam folder to make sure nothing got caught in there. To my surprise, there were several resumes of highly qualified candidates in there. After reclassifying them as "not spam" I have been talking to several of them, with promising interest by my winery client.

Job seekers always complain about not getting any feedback after submitting a resume to a general delivery mailbox. While contacting people directly is often recommended, even if you email it directly to the hiring manager it can be received as a suspicious email. Hiring managers are busy, and most likely don't check their spam folder unless specifically searching for a missing email.

So how can you prevent the blackhole of the spam folder? It can be tough. Some companies have pretty stringent filters on their email accounts. Also, if you are sending your email from another country, the country code in the email can signal spam filters. I know this because often non-US emails get caught in mine. I am sure I too have sent plenty of brilliant communiques to clients who would have used my services in a heartbeat--but my solicitation was caught in the filter.

My recommendation is the same as for any serious job search. First, find out who is hiring for a position. Then send your resume directly to that person. Then follow-up with them to make sure they received your email. I frequently get these calls, and do check to make sure the message came through. It doesn't always, and that call allows the message to be resent and successfully received by me. I don't mind calls--I do have trouble getting back to all calls during a busy recruitment, but strive to as best I can.

I know that it isn't always possible to find out who is the hiring manager on a position. If you can't get that information, follow up after you send your resume to a general delivery mailbox with another email in 1-2 weeks. Persistance has a way of paying off. Be courteous and professional.

Good Luck

Where do I Find Candidates

2009-06-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

I have worked in recruiting for 15 years now, and have always told every candidate who submits their resume or contacts me that I will keep them in mind for current and future positions. I think this is easy to say, good to hear, but not always believable. Having amassed a lot of resumes, referrals and contacts over the last five years for WineTalent, I was recently thinking about how I have found my recent hires. Here's what I have found.

In the last two years, about half of the candidates that I present to my clients come from ads I run and the other half are from a variety of sources. These sources include my professional networks, referrals from colleagues, job fairs and my database.

The candidates who ended up being hired were sourced many different ways. Several were from contacts I made over the years and finally the right position came up for them. Others were people I had talked to over many months or years, and then they saw an ad for a position I was recruiting on that they wanted to be considered for. Some hires were people who have submitted their resume in the past from an ad I posted, continued to check in with me over the years and ended up getting a different job through WineTalent. Additionally I have hired people that were referred to me by other qualified applicants. I have also placed people who years ago I met at a job fair.

As a recruiter I know that everyday I need to talk to people and find out who is looking for what position. I also continuously talk to my clients to find out what openings are coming down the line. I am checking in with people at various levels and keeping my ear out for any changes that may affect my clients or job seekers. By doing this, my database of great candidates has become a great tool for placing employees. It also allows me to say with certainty that I do keep all resumes under consideration, and perhaps one day the resume that came in my inbox will end up being the resume of the candidate who gets the job.

As a job hunter I think this is great information for your job hunt. While people always think that it is who you know, it is also what you do with what you have. If you are looking for a job, keep the hunt alive. If you are working with a recruiter, let them know you are still interested in being considered for other openings. Check in with your contacts from time to time to let them know you want to hear about any openings that might be out there. And look at all opportunities to meet recruiters and hiring managers--whether it be by responding to an ad, meeting at a job fair or doing an informational interview with a company. These options could lead to the job you get.

Is the Wine Industry a Growing One?

2009-05-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

Back in 2004 I started up WineTalent after years of dreaming about it. I had always enjoyed working with winery professionals. I also believe that great talent is needed to continue to push the industry forward.

One of my first WineTalent meetings was with an industry veteran. He asked me why I was focusing solely on the wine industry, and didn't I think there wasn't much future in the industry. I started sweating bullets. What? I was thinking it was a growing industry. I wanted to focus on the wine industry because I believe a focused approach in business is the best. I also thought there was enough business to sustain a recruiting company for the unforseeable future. I stuck to my guns and expressed those thoughts to him. Luckily, he was only playing devil's advocate, and agreed that the industry was seeing a lot of growth, that there were a lot of changes coming to the industry, and that dedicated, personalized service is a very good approach in the wine industry.

Fast forward to 2009. The US and world economy is reeling from the meltdown of 2008. Wine companies are feeling the squeeze from people not eating out as often, and from people trading down to lower priced wine. But the bright spot is that wine consumption is up. For decades the US consumed more beer than other alcoholic beverages, and only about three years ago did wine consumption eclipse that of other alcoholic beverages. Wine has also been embraced by the millenial generation--those coming of adulthood in 2000 or later. The Millenials are a large generation, second to the baby boomers I believe. Much of the snobbery of wine is being replaced by enjoyment of wine with family and friends in a social atmosphere. This is all good news for wineries, wine employees, and related services, such as me.

With the rising tide of lay-offs I am getting more calls than ever from people hoping to make the move from another industy into wine. Are they just looking to do it because they are drinking more wine--hopefully not. I do believe that most of these people enjoy learning about and drinking wine, and would like to combine that interest with a career in an expanding industry.

I counsel people regularly about switching industries. While many positions require previous wine and spirits experience, there are several positions that can easily allow a career transition. Another point that I mention to people is that many of the people in the wine industry have themselves made a career path move to get into the wine industry. These career-switchers are somewhat more open to looking at people with diverse job experience, and will take the time to discuss possible areas of employment. It isn't that far off that a highly successful person has decided to take some of her earnings and start up a winery. This leap is celebrated often--and can be duplicated on a smaller scale in lots of winery jobs.

So, I do see that there are many areas of growth in the wine industry, and that it is a business with some transition possibilities. It is never a snap to make a industry change, but it is better to look to go into a growing industry than a stagnant or shrinking one.

Cranky Recruiter: Resume Template

2009-04-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, everyone always wants advice on how to write a resume. After recently seeing some awful ones, I'm putting a template out here for everyone to look at. This is a general, all-purpose resume outline that I think is fairly standard.

Name (the name you are known as--if you use an appropriate nickname, put it down.)
Street Address City, State, Zip code.
Phone Numbers--put the numbers you can be reached at. Cell, Home. Put your work number down only if you can get calls there without risking your current position.Email--again, only use personal emails unless it is perfectly acceptable with your current employer to use your work email when looking for a different job.

Professional Summary: List your experience, skills and relevant information for the types of positions you are seeking. If you are a recent graduate, this area may list some work you did in school, or skills such as lab work, computer software, etc. For an experienced professional, this area should highlight the experience and knowledge you bring to a future employer.

Work Experience: In Chronological Order, listing your most recent position first:
Company, Location, Position Title and Dates of Employment. If you have worked for the same company but in many different positions, put a top line listing of the company and entire tenure, then break it down after that into position and tenure.
Job Responsibilities in that position. List what you had to do at that company, what your responsibilities were, and any special projects that you were involved in. If you are looking to enter into the wine industry, I encourage you to describe what the company did, and what you did within the company. An example of this would be if you worked at a paper company. If you were a sales person, list the company, location, position title and dates of employment. Then put a small description of the company, such as, Dunder Miflin is a paper and office supply company based out of New York City that works with large corporations and small business owners to provide office products and solutions. As Sales Manager, I was responsible for overseeing the office staff as well as work with key accounts to attract and retain business. This allows a hiring manager to understand what you did there, and then think of ways you could help at their company. If you were doing specific tasks or using specific technologies, list them.

Education:Degree Received, Name of School, Location
You can put the graduation year, and I encourage you to if you recently graduated. If it has been several years, you may want to keep it off the resume. You do not need to list high school or every community college you attended. List where you received your degree from.

Professional Development/Certifications:
This is a good area to list any management courses taken, technological workshops attended or certifications received that are relavent to the position you are submitting your resume for.

References: List 3-5 if you want, but most every hiring manager understands that you will provide references if asked. By leaving it off, you have a bit more page to use for putting career information on.

How Long: 1-2 pages is best. I often see people with 20-30 years of experience that have distilled it down to one page. The 4-page recent-graduate resume is cumbersome and often irrelevant. Sometimes less is more.

Some things you can list, but only if you have a burning desire to or it is relevant to the position:
hobbies, community involvement, relevant coursework. I would encourage you to keep off birthdates, marital status and number of children and/or pets.

It is your resume, so read my advice, and then write what you want. It should be a reflection of your personality and experience, and that can come across in a well-written resume.

Good Luck.

Don't Call Me on a Friday After Tying One On

2009-04-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

While many people get into the wine industry for the love of wine, handling yourself professionally is always a top priority. There are many situations that call for winery personnel to drink wine while working. As in any workplace, handling your liquor well is extremely important. This is true when conducting your job search too.

I regularly will get phone calls from job seekers on Friday afternoon. Most of the time these calls are normal, but sometimes they tell me far more than I should ever know about the candidate. When a person calls me and their words are slurred or they have trouble consistently staying on topic it sends up a red flag. Does this person possibly have a drinking problem? If they do, wouldn't it affect their work performance at a client that I place them at?

Over the years I have had clients look for signs of alcohol abuse during interviews. They look at a person's physique to look for signs of long-term alcoholism. They may have them join in a tasting to see how they handle themselves in front of a large selection of wine. They also may arrange calls in to them after hours to see how they handle themselves.

Think about this when you are conducting a job search. The wine industry thrives on people enjoying a glass of wine. It has never been a negative mark to hear someone sitting down to dinner with a glass of wine. Downing the whole bottle personally while at a lunch interview is another matter.

Where in the Wine World is WineTalent?

2009-04-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

Ran the 10K at the most recent fun run in carneros. Where in the wine world am I? Nice duds huh!

Day in the Life of a Wine Recruiter

2009-03-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

This morning I posted a winejobs.com ad, and within one hour I have received 50 resumes. Bear with me while I sort through them and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

NPR Piece on Unemployment

2009-03-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

NPR's Day to Day program is going off the air today. All of the staff there is losing their jobs. They did a piece about famous film terminations. Being let go is never fun, but maybe hearing famous endings will ease the pain a bit. Link to it here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102112039

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Volunteer

2009-03-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

A trend among the newly unemployed is to volunteer. This is a great way to stay active, involved and possibly learn some new skills. With the economy in the doldrums, many non-profit organizations aren't receiving their usual charitable donations. Countering this financial deficit is the new influx of people willing to give their time. Volunteer time can be the most helpful donations a charity can receive.

Volunteering your time when you are looking for work might seem like the wrong use of your time, but staying engaged and hopeful can be the best medicine for you right now. Look at what time you have available, and then explore some local charities that could use your expertise. Whether you are helping out at your children's school, fixing a website for the local shelter or helping with bookkeeping at the health clinic, you will be using your skills to help others. And not surprisingly, you will probably expand your network of contacts. The executive director of the charity may also be involved in a new winery start-up, and after seeing how giving and skilled you were, would love to talk to you about a future position.

Volunteering is also a great way to explore new roles. If you have been in management for years, and are tiring of some of the emotional demands, try a different role. By allowing yourself to try on new duties, you might find an area of work that you really enjoy.

Enjoy yourself. This is a very important way to spend your time. You're not sitting on the couch watching TV. You're not wallowing in self pity. You are out there interacting with others. You are enjoying some new camaraderie. You are also getting to know some people in ways you haven't in the past. Helping out at the school allows you to see how your kid's day goes. While helping clean cages at the SPCA you get to see new families light up when they find their family pet. There are so many ways you can lighten up and have fun that you need to take advantage of it.

And most importantly, you'll be helping others.