Tag: state of nevada

Come Prepared and Ace Your Next Hospitality Industry Job Interview

Published on by TAM of Nevada1 Comment

So, you’ve obtained your TAM® Card and Health Card, you’ve gone scouting for a job, and now you’ve got an interview lined up… What’s next? Searching for hospitality industry jobs in a down economy can be challenging and stressful too. It’s important to remember that landing an interview is only the first step; now you have to impress hiring managers with your winning personality, great attitude and industry know-how. Are you prepared to put your best foot forward and land your dream job?

A great way to prepare for your interview is to think about common questions that are likely to be asked, and how you’ll respond. Think of it like a practice test. Wouldn’t you want to review what’s going to be on your quiz before you sit down to take it? Hospitality Job Site features a great article with common questions that hiring managers like to ask job candidates in the hospitality and nightlife industry. You can read the article titled, “Common Interview Questions,” and use that as a starting point for your preparations. Still feel like you’re not quite ready? Consider asking a friend to give you a mock interview. You can practice answering questions and gain helpful feedback about your answers and your demeanor.

When you get to your interview remember to:

  1. Arrive on time. Allow yourself extra time to get to the interview just in case, and be prepared to fill out a formal application once you arrive. By arriving a few minutes early, you’ll be ready to meet with a hiring manager at the scheduled time, and won’t keep them waiting while you finish paperwork.
  2. Be confident. Smile and sit up straight. Be sure to project a positive attitude.
  3. Thank the interviewer for their time. Be sure you leave on the same positive note you came in on.

You should now be well on your way to acing your next interview. For more tips to making the most of your job search, check out our blog post, “You’re Hired! Landing a Job in the Hospitality Industry.”

What tips have you received for making a great impression in an interview?

Resources

• Health Cards – Southern Nevada Health District

• Common Interview Questions – Hospitality Job Site

© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

 

Lights, Camera, Action! Reality TV Puts the Focus on Las Vegas

Published on by TAM of NevadaLeave a comment

Couch potatoes everywhere agree. It seems like you can’t flip the channel these days without landing on programs featuring the great city of Las Vegas. This city has so much to offer: amazing shows, great bars and restaurants, world class gambling, and it’s all being broadcast for the world to see.

Have you noticed the variety of programs that have been filming in town recently? There’s MTV’s Real World, E!’s Holly’s World, and even the Billboard Music Awards recently aired from the MGM Grand. It doesn’t stop there; maybe you recently caught Las Vegas locals like MGM President and COO Scott Sibella on CBS’s Undercover Boss, or chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Alex Stratta competing on Top Chef Masters. Reality TV continues to dominate the ratings, and its bringing additional awareness to all of the great things happening around town and in the nightlife industry. This isn’t a trend that’s going away. As reported by the Las Vegas Sun, Chef Carla Pellegrino recently invited cameras into the kitchen at her restaurant Bacio at the Tropicana to film for an upcoming series about her life.

It’s clear that TV viewers are intrigued by life in the dining and hospitality industry. Have you thought about what it would be like to be featured on a reality TV program? A casting call is out for Spike TV’s, “Bar Rescue,” which offers up the opportunity for hospitality professionals to get their fifteen minutes of fame.

Arguments could be made about whether these programs showcase our city in a positive or negative light. Are you happy with the Las Vegas ‘brand ambassadors’ being featured on these programs? What about with the way the city and its residents are portrayed? We think that for every doofus making waves, there are a dozen other individuals promoting the amazing dining and nightlife options, and the friendly locals. With that being said… lights, camera, and action! We can’t wait to see what comes next.

Resources

© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Visit TAM® of Nevada on YouTube

Published on by TAM of NevadaLeave a comment

Here at TAM® of Nevada, we try to stay on top of what’s happening in the hospitality and beverage service industry, and also all of the great things happening in Las Vegas. You can read more about how we stay connected with industry professionals and alcohol education students by reading our blog, “Want to Stay Up-to-Date on Alcohol Awareness? Join Us Socially!”

Have you visited TAM® of Nevada’s YouTube channel yet? We often hear from our peers that they not only learned a lot from their alcohol awareness training, they enjoy the additional tips, tricks, news and videos we share socially. Just starting out as a bartender or server in Las Vegas? Sometimes the best way to learn how to do something new is by watching others. Be sure to check out our YouTube channel to see some of our favorite videos from several sources showcasing tutorials on how to make popular alcoholic drinks, bartending tips and tricks, nightlife industry news and more. Want a sneak preview? Check out this quick video from Imbibe Magazine showing the differences in shaking vs. stirring cocktails. You can watch this video and many others by visiting our YouTube channel here.

How do you like to stay connected to companies and brands important to you? What type of content would you like to see from TAM® of Nevada in the future?

Resources

© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Tweet While You Eat? Some Restaurants are Encouraging Patrons to Get Involved

Published on by TAM of NevadaLeave a comment

It’s considered rude to talk on your cell phone at the dinner table, but in an increasingly tech-savvy world and competitive dining industry, restaurants are breaking their own rules. Samantha Murphy of Tech News Daily explored some of the newest technology trends popping up in restaurants in her article, “Restaurants Offer iPads® & Tweets with Eats.” Some restaurants are looking for new ways to appeal to consumers and reach the largest audience possible – asking patrons to get more involved in the dining out experience by sharing their experience on social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook and FourSquare, or ordering or viewing menus on tablet devices such as the iPad® is a new way to do that. We here at TAM® of Nevada really enjoyed this article and are interested to see if, and how, this technology will continue to grow, especially in the Las Vegas area. In fact, we encourage OUR students to connect with us on Twitter and tweet about their class experiences too!

Of course as with any new technology, iPad menus and ordering also run the risk of becoming a passing fad. For another opinion on this new movement, check our Michael Austin’s article for the Chicago Sun-Times, “Pour Man: iPad wine lists let your fingers do the ordering.” Do you think moving away from paper menus and into iPads is going to go the way of the Betamax, or is there a chance this will catch on and become mainstream? Only time will tell.

Have you seen these types of programs in use anywhere yet? What do you think about allowing customers to order off of iPads: great idea or doomed to fail once the first drink is spilled on a device?

Resources

© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada