Is a Chef Career on Your Menu?

Creativity, motivation and a love of food are the ingredients for a chef career that's truly satisfying.

by Brandi Schlossberg
brandi.schlossberg@cooking-school-search.com
Cooking School Search Columnist

There is no lack of jobs for those with chef training and the desire to make a great meal. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that about 125,000 people had a chef career in 2004, and food workers as a whole held nearly 3.1 million positions.

So how will you know if a chef career is right for you? Check out what it takes to get chef training and the responsibilities that a chef career entails. Then decide if serving up breakfast, lunch, and dinner is on the menu for you.

Chef Training Serves Knowledge

If you would be satisfied simply prepping ingredients or crafting dishes to the head chef’s specifications, then in most cases, you simply need a high-school diploma to apply for such food-worker positions.

If, however, you aspire to create menus, stock kitchens, and direct a staff of food workers, you will need professional chef training. Typically, this takes two to four years, depending on the program you choose.

During chef training, you will learn such basics as knife techniques, food handling, and use of kitchen equipment. The program may also cover more specialized skills such as menu planning, food purchasing and inventory, and nutrition. You will also be able to gear your curriculum toward the type of chef career you hope to have. For example, if you wish to work as head chef in an Indian restaurant, you will want to take courses in international cuisine, whereas if you hope to serve as chef at a hotel, you will likely enroll in classes that teach banquet and buffet meal preparation.

A Taste of the Chef Career

To find success in a career as a chef, you will need a few innate characteristics, such as the ability to work well with a team, a great sense of smell and taste, creative initiative, and leadership skills. Of course, such attributes will be honed throughout your career.

As head chef you will be expected to oversee all the operations of your kitchen, including its staff, equipment, and ingredients. You will decide how large each portion is, what garnish sets off each plate, and whether the menu will change with the season, the week, or the day.

It’s a lot of responsibility, but for those with the drive to create and serve great food, a chef career can be both rich and rewarding.

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

About the Author

Brandi Schlossberg holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She writes for a variety of print and online publications.

Posted on September 22, 2006 at 11:53 AM

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