Meet Mikel, Harri’s 200K Member

Late last year, we introduced to you Ronnie, Harri’s 150K member. That was an amazing milestone in itself, but as our platform has evolved, we have grown to a community of now over 200K+. So meet Mikel, our lucky 200K member.

Mikel, an executive chef with more than 20 years of experience, found Harri by chance. He had taken a short break from his career to travel, but he is now ready to get back to doing what he loves, and is looking for new opportunities.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO COOKING?

At first, I just went with it because Spain, where I come from, is famous and known for its Michelin-star restaurants. Besides that, I grew up in the countryside with my grandma, spending time there during the weekends and summers. I was basically living in the kitchen; it was the heart of the house. She had a traditional, wood-fired stove and it was my favorite part of the house. My mother learned from her as well.

HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN THE HOSPITALITY BUSINESS?

I started my career working front-of-the-house when I was 16, and I moved up until I was a GM by age 26. I went on to attend culinary school at Escuela de Hostelería de Barcelona, while working as GM. After completing my degree, I started working in the kitchen and never left.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY?

Making people happy. From the way I cook and also not just cooking for myself, but for others. It is my main secret to being successful and loving what I do. The most important thing for me is to make people feel happy from what they eat.

HOW DID YOU FIND HARRI AND WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO JOIN? 

I found Harri randomly while looking online for work. I was directed to Harri. Harri offers executive and management positions from awesome restaurants, unlike Craigslist and LinkedIn. When you look for a job on Harri, you do not feel like you are thrown onto a rollercoaster, where you do not know where you are or where you will end up. Also, on Harri, employers are always quick to respond to job seekers.

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING OUR 200K MEMBER?

I could not even believe it at first, since I was in Barcelona when Team Harri reach out to me. I thought it was a joke, but then I realized it was really true. I was impressed and wanted to be a part of your feature.

HOW HAS HARRI BEEN USEFUL FOR YOU?

Since I am a new member and just started using Harri, I have found a few possible opportunities that are opening in the summer.

HOW HAVE EMPLOYERS REACTED TO YOUR HARRI PROFILE?

Employers have responded pretty quickly to my profile. It is very different from the way other job sites hire, which tend to be be pretty complicated, like Taleo, for example. When you apply for positions on Taleo, you probably will get a reply three or four weeks later. In contrast, Harri is able to match job seekers’ profiles to jobs that they qualify for and employers react quickly.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF OTHER JOB SITES, COMPARED TO HARRI?

Basically, I only use LinkedIn and ZipRecruiter. I think ZipRecruiter is not as useful because I do not like the way they designed the website; it is a bit more complicated and super impersonal. As for LinkedIn, the basic, free account is not as helpful. I actually got a premium account for the purpose of finding a new job, so that I could access other features, like inMail. But with Harri, these features are free. Harri is also tailored for hospitality professions, where as LinkedIn is more general.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE MOBILE APP?

Because I have been traveling so much, I prefer the mobile app more than the actual website. It is easier and it sends me updates pretty often. 

WHAT TYPE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING HOSPITALITY PROFESSIONALS?

Work hard and be patient, and be honest! There are so many chefs that think that after they finish school in two years, they are a chef. It took me three years after culinary school, working in the kitchen with experienced chefs, to actually learn how to cook properly and respect food. You have a base that you learn from school, but the experience is totally different from a restaurant. They have to understand that they will not be chef right away, you have to work at your craft.

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5 Ways to Improve Your Harri Profile

Currently looking for a new job? Before you start applying, first thing you should do is make sure to give your Harri profile a little refresher.

#1: Update your profile and cover photo.

Swap out your old profile photo, and upload a new professional headshot, if possible. (Check out our post, Tips for a Professional Profile Photo, to learn how to take the perfect profile picture.) Customize your profile even more and add a cover photo. It's a great way to show off your personality or your individual talents.

#2: Add new photos or videos.

You probably took some awesome photos last year. Add them to your gallery, so that employers and other job seekers can take a look at your work. Got videos? Sure, include those as well. (Just make sure these are professional.)

#3: List references.

Now that you gained more experience this year, ask your former employers or coworkers to be references. Once you receive approval, put their information onto your profile. These references will come in handy when prospective employers request them.

#4: Update the opportunities you are interested in.

If you want a job that is different from the one you have or previously held, make a small edit under your Basic Information. Remove unwanted positions you are no longer interested, and replace them with your desired positions. This assures you that you will receive alerts for the jobs you want.

#5: Stay up to date with your messages.

Make sure the hard work you put into updating your profile isn't in vain. Remember to respond promptly to employers when they message you. If you don't do so, your profile score can drop and hurt your chances of being spotted by hiring managers. Inform employers that you are no longer interested by politely declining via messaging. For more information about how your message response rate effects your profile score, click here.

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How Your Response Rate Effects Your Overall Profile Score

If you're a hospitality professional dedicated to taking the next step in your career on Harri, here's an important factor that will help you stand out from the crowd: your response rate to employers.

Oftentimes, hiring managers are in a rush to fill the spot of a server, chef, or manager. If a new employee needs to be hired ASAP, a delayed response can greatly decrease your chances of joining their team. So when you're applying to a job or receive an invitation to apply, it's in your best interest to answer in a timely manner, even if you are not interested in the offer.

Your Harri dashboard contains both a Profile Score as well as a Response Rate, which feeds into your overall score. This number will indicate how much of superstar you are when it comes to the job hunt. Having a high Profile Score means you:

• Are ranked higher on candidate searches
• Show up as a suggested candidate to employers more often
• Can become a Harri featured member

Your Response Rate score is dependent on two factors:

1. How quickly you get back to employers
   1. If you respond within 0-24 hours, you will be rated as Outstanding.
   2. Reply back to a hiring manager after 25-48 hours, and you will be rated as Good.
   3. Messaging employers 48+ hours will result in a Poor rating.
   4. Your job interview attendance record
      1. Your score improves or is maintained each time you show up to a job interview.
      2. If you accept an invite, but do not attend and inform your interviewer 24 hours in advance,  your score will not be effected.
      3. For your first no-show offense, you will receive a warning email. A second offense means your profile will be tagged as 'No Show'. Your third offense will lead to the suspension of your account.

Fortunately, ratings are not set in stone; you can always work your way back up. To achieve an Outstanding score again, you will need to respond within a day's time for three separate occasions, or successfully attend a job interview.

When you communicate to employers (and always make sure to do so professionally), responding as quickly as possible shows that you're punctual and excited about the opportunity. Even if you're not interested in the job, it's always better to politely decline the offer than to not respond at all. It is basic etiquette to show that you are being a true professional. This will not only help you in your career, but also help you stand out on Harri!

Login to your Harri account to see your Profile Score now.

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Harri's Kitchen Culture: The Little Beet

[embed]https://vimeo.com/142189433[/embed] For the latest edition of Harri's Kitchen Culture we turn our attention to Chef Franklin Becker and his restaurant “The Little Beet”, to find out what makes it one of the best gluten-free restaurants to work for in the city. Opening its doors in January of 2014 “The Little Beet”  prides itself on preparing 100% gluten-free meals utilizing local, seasonal, and natural ingredients.

Chef Franklin Becker learned to use simple ingredients to create dishes that were both flavorful and healthy. More than a restaurant, The Little Beet embodies the lifestyle of healthy eating with the goal of spreading that lifestyle to others.

Treating its staff as more of a family or team than just employees is one of the many reasons why The Little Beet has such a great workplace dynamic. Food aside, its The Little Beet's loyal team that deserves the credit for its success and popularity. Employees are required to have a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn, with The Little Beet team training them on the ins and outs of the business.

With another location on Long Island and additional locations coming to Park Avenue, NY and Washington DC, it looks like The Little Beet is on a mission to deliver healthy and delicious food to the masses.

See The Little Beet’s page for additional information.

The Little Beet (Midtown) 135 West 50th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue New York, New York 10020 (212)-459-2238

Harri surpasses 150K members

After reaching 100,000 members back in March of 2015, Harri is proud to announce that we have once again have reached another milestone with our community now exceeding 150,000 members!

As our community grows we will continue to work to ensure that Harri’s network of hospitality professionals is one of the finest in the industry.

Following tradition, we sat down with Ronnie, our 150,000 member, to talk about his work experience, career aspirations, and how he used Harri to help him find the perfect job.

Ronnie currently works as a Bar Back at the Polo Bar in NYC. When he’s not working at the Polo Bar, Ronnie also models and acts, appearing in several commercials.

Check out the our exclusive interview with Ronnie below:

[embed]https://vimeo.com/146442696[/embed]

Looking to hire in Hospitality?

Discover top talent on Harri

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