[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

The situation; right now, I am doing the job of my chef ( she had a accident outside work) and pretty much everyone assume than she don't want to come back.

I never imagined you are a chef.

I feel you're over-thinking some of the issues but, don't fret, it's natural. Essentially, there are just two sides to consider: the work environment and yourself.

(i) The environment comes with the job. By that, I mean that it's not something you actually need to worry about because, by taking on the job, you implicitly accept the challenge of coping with the environment that defines it. You either do the job, or you don't. There is no try.

(ii) Then there is just yourself: What do you want from the job? What are you prepared to do? What do you not want to do? These are questions that only you can answer. If you're honest with yourself, the answers will tell you whether you actually want the job (and the environment that comes with it).

(1) Difficult bosses (environmental)

Originally Posted by ganbaru

The ownwers themself worry me more thant that, they have proven many time to be extremely slow to take decission or to take actions but they are prone to interfere a lot in the kitchen's affair. The last two chefs complained more than a little about this.

Originally Posted by ganbaru

...but one of the misgiving about the post, the owners, were among the reasons the last 2 chefs left. Even before I had to assume my chef's post, I saw problem about the onwers's decissions related to the kitchen.

This is an environmental issue, because if you truly want the job, you'll find a way to cope with the hotel owners.

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Yes the fact than they are relying on me is is kind of making it hard to refuse.

Originally Posted by ganbaru

To accept teh post for this season but not for the next one isn't really a possibility, it's the current situation. I am doing all the work than the chef would be doing at this moment if not more, while getting the same pay as before. But the owners did promised me a bonus at the end of the season.

I sympathise but, still, don't succumb to the emotional blackmail. From an employer's point of view, no one is indispensable. It's great that they are relying on you (in which case, demand fair compensation, or threaten to walk), but don't let that make you feel obliged to stay. You don't owe your bosses a duty to make their hotel a success: that's their job, not yours.

Originally Posted by ganbaru

I can see 3 possibility if I don't take the post but stay there. 1 they find a competend chef and everything end fine. 2, they find a bad chef, one than make bad situation even worse. I had 2 or 3 of than kind before, it's a thing I wouldn't want usualy and even more for the season than we are likely to get . 3 , the owners don't take on ( or find) a new chef, which would end up as if I would had accepted the post...

Again, these are issues that you don't actually need to be concerned about, because they are in any case outside your control. If, because of their meddling, your bosses make your job impossible, you simply have to do what your predecessors did: quit and move on.

(2) Colleagues (environmental)

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Another problem is the ''brigade'' ( who's working in the kitchen) next season, of the current brigade, there will only remain me, a dishwasher guy and a part-time on wich I have little trust.

This is even more an environmental issue. It's great to have colleagues you can rely on and, even better, become friends with. But no matter how good or bad your colleagues, it's still up to you and you alone to do your job the best you can.

The issue of whether you like or dislike your job should have as little to do with your colleagues as possible. People will come and go. What happens if your favourite colleague suddenly quits for a better job elsewhere? Will that kill your interest in your job? If it does, then it's worth asking who you're really working for: yourself or your "friends"?

(3) Future prospects (personal)

Originally Posted by ganbaru

The last serious problem is the ''after'', then I would left the place to go someone else, I worry about the impact on my resume. It's a small hotel, so it would be hard to go on another post of chef on a big place only based on this experience but it's likely to make me overqualified for some low post, restricting my possibility of finding another post.

The way I see it, THIS is the real question, the only one you truly need to worry about, whether taking on this job will help develop your career.

Let me put it this way: Given all the potential challenges you've listed, chances are, you'll grow tremendously if you take on the opportunity, not just in terms of your professional skills, but also in terms of management experience. From this perspective, I don't see why a bigger hotel wouldn't hire you in the future. It'll just be a matter of marketing your abilities, which you will have if you succeed with the job.

So, first ask, can you see possible solutions to the challenges you've listed? Are you confident about implementing the solutions? If the answer to both questions is "no", then you already know that it's not a job you want.

Also, don't worry about being "over-qualified". That's more an issue of managing expectations, both on your part as well as that of future employers. You can cross that bridge when you come to it. You aren't there yet, so why worry about it?


In the end:

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Right now, I see only 3 solutions; To accept the post with all teh issue with it and hope to be very lucky, to refuse the post and maybe they will find a cappable chef, or to resignate of my post at the end of the season and trying to find a better place, and to be honest the first and the last solution are tempting me as much as the others.

Don't chance it. Make your own luck. If you go with the first solution, do so only if you're confident that you can cope with the foreseeable circumstances.