I May Have Just Made A Huge Mistake...

After reading an ad on Craigslist for a line cook/sous chef position and then researching the company, I sent them the following email along with a copy of my résumé.  You can check the ad here and see the restaurant's website here.

Hi!

I know that generally when you send in a résumé, that you are supposed to stick to the professional guideline for doing so.  But for me, it is some what of a problem.  I understand the rules and have taken classes  that supposedly help write these types of letters.  Though I find hard in our industry to maintain the professional standards while at the same time expressing my passion for all things food.  Not just cooking or eating, but everything from seed to plate.

When I read your ad and then followed through to your website, I nearly jumped out of my seat.  I moved to Austin about 2 weeks ago with the intention of furthering my culinary career.  I came here from Michigan,  Lansing specifically, where high caliber restaurants are few and far between.  Don't get me wrong, I love my home state and I see a lot of potential for it to because the epicenter for a food renaissance.  But the rough economic times have made luxury foods a commodity that most people aren't willing to pay for.  With that in mind, I decided that I was going to take this time to explore the roots of foods, literally and figuratively, learning all I can before eventually returning there to show Michiganders what great things our state has to offer.

Before I left, I pursued a Associate's in Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management at Washtenaw Community College.  I attended for nearly two years before leaving after I became disenchanted with the program.  I loved the techniques and knowledge I was learning, but I felt that they were simply pushing people through the program rather that actually trying find individuals who were passionate and helping them to take it to the next level and beyond.  Also, our chefs were unwilling to explore the current push towards sustainability in the industry.  Instead, we were continuing to make food that had last been served for brunch at a Holiday Inn circa the mid-70's.  I ended up learning more from peers in the industry and thus decided it would be better (and cheaper) to learn from real life experience.

At first, I was going to volunteer through the World Wide Organization of Organic Farms (WWOOF) in Italy this summer/fall but financial issues coupled with the eruption of the Icelandic volcano whose name no one can pronounce prevented me from doing so.  So, instead I decided to explore the food culture here stateside.  I came to Austin knowing that it is one the largest and most progressive culinary scenes in the U.S.  I still plan on volunteering on farms, in soup kitchens and at food banks in my spare time because I want to immerse myself in all things food as I intend to be doing it for as long as I live.  I've always thought of food as being the only absolutely, essential art form.  A blind person may never see a Picasso.  A deaf person may never hear The Beatles.  But everyone has to eat and most of them want to eat good.

So, there it is.  My not-so-professional-yet-passionate cover letter.  If I went way out of line in assuming this would be appropriate for this position, let me take this opportunity to apologize profusely. Also, I hope my résumé speaks for itself if the latter happens to be the case.

I appreciate your time and wish you the best of luck in finding the right candidate for the position.

Sincerely,

Rob Champagne 

Do you think I should have stuck with a standard cover letter?