Finding a less stressful job

Question

"My boyfriend is working as an executive/head chef for a well-known hotel chain but due to the long hours and the strain that it puts on our home life, he would like to look for a job that is less demanding.

We would like it to preferably be something that didn't require him to work 14 hours a day and weekends! Could you please advise him how to look for jobs in, say, industrial catering in the North-west."

Anon, Preston

What the expert says

Ian Hall, director of human resources, Aramark

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"I can understand your boyfriend's desire to move out of the long hours and irregular shifts of a busy hotel environment. While this kind of frantic, busy atmosphere is precisely what many people enjoy, for anyone with a young family it can be very tiring and inconvenient. I'm not entirely sure that the work is less demanding in contract catering but in many locations the hours are less and certainly more regular. It's difficult to advise on any particular companies or locations to approach to try and get a contract catering job in the North-west as there are obviously a considerable number of operating units there. However, in today's Internet age it's easy to quickly search a lot of job vacancies in one go centred around a particular area - try the [Jobs](http://www.caterer.com/jobs/) section of caterer.com. Using sites on the Internet such as [Yell](http://search.yell.com/search/DoSearch) or [Scoot](http://www.scoot.co.uk/business/index.asp?), it's also easy to find lists of catering companies in the area your boyfriend needs if he wants to contact them "cold" to see if they have vacancies. My advice would be to choose the contract catering unit carefully so that it reflects the skill level your boyfriend has been used to - otherwise he may become frustrated. Having said this, one of the key things to remember in switching from one area of hospitality to another is to not set your sights too high. Above all you must be realistic about the positions you are applying for. Don't over-reach or over-sell yourself. If you have the confidence in your ability to progress in contract catering then be prepared to get a toe on the ladder and work your way up." Do you have a question for our experts? [E-mail us now, help is at hand.