Tom Dawson, Resourcing manager, ASK Italian

The Staff Canteen
Tom Dawson

Tom Dawson discusses his role as Resourcing manager at ASK Italian and his own inspirations with regards to pursuing a career as a Chef.

Name: Tom Dawson 

Place of work: ASK Italian

Location: London

Role: Resourcing manager

Chef Skills

Tom Dawson takes us through his personal experiences whilst being in the Culinary Industry. These key skills that young Chefs and industry professionals learn as part of their basic training.

What are your ultimate top five tips for someone looking to start a career in the hospitality sector?

  • You need to be a people person and work as part of a team
  • Love food! A passion for eating out and cooking is essential, and show a real willingness to share your passion
  • A note for Chefs: Don’t be afraid of hard work, we need a grafter! Great things will come if you put a lot into it!!
  • You must be obsessive about the details, be it standards, safety, or great food
  • “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!”

What are you looking out for on a CV or in an interview if someone was applying for a position with you?

    • Consistency, longevity, and potential for promotion within positions
    • A shown interest in food and evidence that you work hard and look for career
    • opportunities
    • When interviewing for Front of House and/or Managers, we look for ‘The ASK Factor’: bags of personality, charisma, enthusiasm, and being natural. We look for individuals who talk about mentoring and developing the team and can give examples of people they have developed
    • Ultimately, we look for foodies with a real love of cooking and eating out

Do you regularly take on young Chefs? How many years’ experience would they need when applying?

No experience required - just a love of cooking with fresh ingredients, attention to detail, and a passion for everything Italian. We are happy to take on Chefs of all ages

Have you noticed any changes in applicants or changes in a number of new Chefs applying for roles with you?

We are always looking for great Chefs for our kitchen with however much experience they have; regardless of whether we have a vacancy or not!

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The Staff Canteen

Editor 1st June 2017

Tom Dawson, Resourcing manager, ASK Italian