Becoming A Chef
But just like any other profession, whether or not you are interested in being a chef as a career or a job depends largely on you. Of course, if your chef-dom is merely a job for you, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t take long to burn out. Fifty to 70-hour work weeks, high stress, and the creative brain drain all take their toll fairly early on those not entirely dedicated to their paycheck-maker.
Successful chefs are like other creative types – they will be found “playing with their food†even if no money was involved. Like writers who write because they love to express themselves this way, and singers who belt out tunes anywhere they can get away with it, chefs are “chefs to the bone.†A true chef considers the money involved merely a “bonus†to what he or she loves to be doing anyway.
Culinary schools give aspiring chefs their best shot at making it to the big time, especially those accredited by the American Culinary Federation. Just like any other profession, many of the better hospitality establishments base their hiring practices not only upon the length of education the applicant provides, but also where that education was obtained. Tuition runs the gamut from relatively inexpensive courses offered by local community colleges all the way to the Culinary Institute of America’s breathtaking $40,000 price tag. And what doesn’t tuition cover? Oh, just uniforms, textbooks, cutlery, and other necessary kitchen equipment.
Curricula differ somewhat from school to school, but most of the culinary student’s time is consumed in learning the ins and outs of cooking by actually doing it under close supervision. Participants not only prepare food, but also learn how to plan menus, minimize food costs, buy food and supplies in quantities, and how to appropriately choose and store food. Learning proper hygiene and local public health rules also play a large part in a culinary student’s education.
Ready to stand on your feet up to 70 hours a week in 95-degree plus heat? Up to working with all types of people in a sometimes-frantic atmosphere and at an always-hectic pace? Prepared to wait years before you reach the top of your profession? If you can answer “yes†to these questions, you are ready to take your first step toward becoming a gatekeeper in Hades, er, I mean, a professional chef!
