Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2022 - 36

NETWORK, EDUCATE,
AND ELEVATE TO
ACHIEVE
career success
BY CHRISTINA BODANZA, CEC, CDM, CFPP, CDP, PCII
FROM THE GREAT LAYOFF to
the Great Termination to the Great
Resignation, the past two years have
been a juggling act of when to work,
where to work, and how to set career
priorities. Many top performers put
their aspirations on hold while they
juggled shrinking resources and an
even tighter labor market, only to find
the " light at the end of the tunnel " was
more a tsunami of even tighter budgets
and a non-existent labor pool.
Among so many pandemic casualties,
another loss was the upward drive
of many with hospitality career
aspirations. Shutdowns, then
mandates, and finally reopenings
caused tailspins on everything from
education pathways to in-person
interviews.
While the labor crunch is a common
thread, some industries-such as
transportation-have swelled their
ranks beyond pre-pandemic levels by
offering better pay and opportunities
compared to the hospitality and
customer service sector. (Business
Insider, 5-3-2022.)
Where does that leave a food and
nutrition professional with a passion
for serving their customers?
Don't abandon ship just yet. Creating
the right environment for career
advancement isn't only about
searching job boards and sending off
resumes-that is so twenty-teen-the
post-pandemic decade requires a new
approach.
First and foremost, stop looking at the
past to build your future. Investing
in the stock market based on past
performance can be a losing strategy;
and investing in yourself should be
based on cutting-edge information
instead. Start by mapping out what
future success should look like.
What are the milestones? Where is
the plateau? What are the desirable
results? Building your future on what
you want instead of what you had will
create elevation opportunities instead
of lateral ones.
36 NUTRITION & F OOD SER VICE EDGE | JULY-AUGUST 2022
Learn something new. What are
your knowledge gaps for that next
big advancement? Spending even 15
minutes a day with online education
or conference workshops can pay big
dividends in the long run. Courses
are available from ANFP, American
Culinary Federation, LinkedIn, and
more, and most employers have inhouse
learning portals or agreements
with local colleges. Fifteen minutes
each day equals nearly an hour and
a half by the end of the week. Even
reading one new article a day will
strengthen your understanding of any
topic or knowledge area.
Network, network, network.
Build your brand in all you do, both
professionally and through social
media. Then, network through your
channels. Share your content, and
share the content of others when
permissible. Admire a particular
employer or company? Then 'Like'
their page on Facebook, follow them
on Instagram, and get to know some
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2022
