CIA Survey: Foodservice Companies Creating More Jobs in 2012

Largest CIA Career Fair in Four Years Shows Optimism that Food World is Leading Economic Recovery

More than 250 job recruiters and human resources professionals from all facets of the foodservice and hospitality industry will be at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY on February 7, looking to hire recent and soon-to-be CIA graduates. In a sign that the food industry is leading the economic recovery, this is the largest career fair at the college in four years and one of the largest ever.

Recruiters were surveyed prior to attending, and the results showed:

• 75% of those responding will be adding even more jobs this year than in 2011.
• Companies are hiring for a wide range of positions in kitchen operations, dining room operations, management, and beverage operations.
• What they are looking for most when interviewing potential employees is previous work experience, communications skills, and problem-solving skills.

“The diversity and sheer number of job opportunities available to our students and graduates shows that a CIA education opens doors,” said CIA Director of Career Services Wendy Higgins. “The organizations at this career fair represent every facet of the food world. And with another 1.3 million jobs being added this decade to an industry that’s already 13 million strong, this is a great time to go into a career in foodservice and hospitality.”

The CIA holds four career fairs a year on its Hyde Park campus, where recruiters actively seek CIA students for externship field experience and graduates for a wide range of jobs in kitchens and dining rooms and on management tracks. In another sign that the economy is on the upswing, each of the last eight fairs have seen a growth in companies and job interviews from the same season the year before. At the most recent fair, in November, almost 600 students and alumni were interviewed for job openings. This month’s fair is expected to far surpass that figure.