5 answers
Ethan
Student
Scranton, Pennsylvania
9
Questions
Asked
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For those in the culinary field, how stressful is it working?
I want to know what it is like working on the line of a restaurant. #cooking
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5 answers
Thomas Sutherland
Associate Continuity and Recovery Specialist, CBCP
207
Answers
Detroit, Michigan
Updated
Thomas’s Answer
"9 Things to Consider Before Becoming a Chef
The foodservice industry is growing fast, which makes becoming a chef a lucrative and appealing career path for many people. Additionally, the growth of the Food Network and proliferation of YouTube celebrity chefs have glamorized the industry. But, working in the restaurant industry is not like what you see on TV. I spoke to our two in-house chefs, Greg Lieberman and Larry Williams, to get a better idea of what working in a kitchen is really like, and together we compiled this list of 9 things you should consider before becoming a chef.
Potential Downsides to Becoming a Chef
Becoming a Chef
As with most careers, there are downsides to becoming a chef. Here are some drawbacks you may find in a career in foodservice:
1. It's a Physically Demanding Job
Working in a kitchen, you’re going to be standing and moving around for at least 8 hours. You’ll also need to be lifting heavy pots of food, carrying large bags of food, and stocking walk-ins with food, which can put a strain on your body. Greg says that working in kitchens is hot, crowded, and dangerous, especially during breakfast, lunch, and dinner rushes, when cooks will be scurrying around the kitchen to fill orders.
2. Your Social Life Will Suffer
For restaurants, weekends are the busiest time of the week, and, as a result, you’ll almost certainly be working weekends, which makes it difficult to make plans with family and friends. Additionally, the long hours will interfere with your other hobbies and passions. According to Larry, “You’re going to be working when people have off, and you’ll have off when people are working.” To Larry, the hours are one of the biggest negatives of working as a chef.
3. Working in a Kitchen is Stressful
Stress and working in the restaurant industry go hand in hand. When working in a kitchen, there are bound to be times when the tickets start to pile up and you have to rush to put out orders. Some people thrive in this type of setting and others don’t. If you can’t handle stress well, becoming a chef might not be the right option for you.
4. If You Want to Succeed as a Chef, a Culinary School Education is Very Helpful
Becoming a Chef
If you want to work in a fine dining setting, a culinary school degree is a must, says Greg. Experience is helpful, but culinary school opens a lot of doors that wouldn’t be available otherwise. Larry believes that the purpose of a degree is to set a goal for yourself and accomplish it because, regardless of your background, everyone starts in the dishroom or on the line. That being said, both chefs agreed that a candidate with a degree plus experience is more appealing than someone who just has their degree.
5. The Pay Isn't Great, At Least Starting Out
Working as a dishwasher or a line cook, you can expect long hours for roughly $10 an hour, depending on your location. Your pay, after deducting rent, culinary school loan payments, and living expenses, doesn’t leave much. But, fortunately, with experience you can move up the ladder and start earning a more comfortable living. Greg says that you get out of the job what you put into it, and in order to grow and make more as a chef, you need to constantly study and learn.
6. Your Experience Will Change Depending on Where You Work
There are a ton of different jobs in the foodservice industry, ranging from caterer and restaurant owner to food stylist and personal chef. Each of these jobs are radically different, and they all have their own pros and cons. Both Greg and Larry have worked at different types of foodservice establishments, and they have both worked at upscale and casual operations.
Larry says he personally disliked working at banquets and catered events because you tend to spend all of your time working on one dish. He prefers to work on a line, which offers more variety in what you're cooking. On the other hand, Greg enjoyed working in hotels, country clubs, and other fine dining establishments because they provided variety, but in a beautiful and interesting setting.
Benefits to Working as a Chef
Although there are some downsides to becoming a chef, it's still an intensely rewarding and appealing career. Here are some possible benefits to becoming a chef:
7. Working as a Chef Offers Freedom and Creativity
Creativity
Working as a chef gives you more freedom and allows you to be more creative than just about any other career. Cooking also encourages you to make adjustments and create new and interesting flavors. Even recipes are just guidelines, and you can change the ratios and add new ingredients to make a dish your own. In addition to the creativity of the job, Larry enjoys working in foodservice because there’s constant change and every day is different.
8. You Form a Strong Bond with Your Team Members
Being a part of a kitchen team helps create a sense of comradery that’s similar to being on a sports team, according to Greg. To function, the kitchen staff needs to come together and work as a unit. As a result, working in a kitchen on a team is an incredible bonding experience, and you'll eventually grow close with your teammates. The bond created in a kitchen is so strong that Greg invited former co-workers he hadn’t seen in 6 years to his wedding, due to the strength of the relationship made during their time working together.
9. With a Career in Foodservice, You Can Go Anywhere
Foodservice jobs can be found all over the world and in a variety of settings, so if you work in restaurants, your job can take you to all sorts of interesting destinations. For instance, if you've always wanted to live in New York City, you can move there and know there are jobs available to you. Becoming a chef also gives you the freedom to hop around and find the right fit for you. If you don't like working in a fine dining establishment, why not give catering a try? Or find a job at a resort and grill fresh fish for your customers right on the beach. There are many possibilities and options that are open to you when you become a chef, which is something that not many other careers can claim.
Advice from the Chefs
Greg: Before you start a career, you should consider all of the bad points and weigh them with the benefits for you personally. Make sure that you're passionate and dedicated to cooking, because it's going to become a major part of your life.
Larry: What are your personal passions? Because you won't have time to do any of them. Will your personal passions and hobbies compete with your professional passion, and will that be a deciding factor in choosing your career? If you're interested in working in the restaurant industry, you should also get a job in a kitchen for 6 months and try it out. 6 months is a long enough time that any conflicts will come up, and you can decide whether or not it's something you enjoy doing. You can only find out if it's right for you by doing it.
Choosing what career you want to pursue is a difficult decision to make, and it's one that shouldn't be taken lightly. Becoming a chef is an excellent career choice, but, as with every job, it has its ups and downs. The long hours, physical demand, and low starting pay can be a difficult pill to swallow, but if you choose to go into foodservice, you'll be rewarded with a fulfilling job that offers tons of freedom and creativity and is constantly changing."
Source: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog/2310/things-to-consider-before-becoming-a-chef.html
The foodservice industry is growing fast, which makes becoming a chef a lucrative and appealing career path for many people. Additionally, the growth of the Food Network and proliferation of YouTube celebrity chefs have glamorized the industry. But, working in the restaurant industry is not like what you see on TV. I spoke to our two in-house chefs, Greg Lieberman and Larry Williams, to get a better idea of what working in a kitchen is really like, and together we compiled this list of 9 things you should consider before becoming a chef.
Potential Downsides to Becoming a Chef
Becoming a Chef
As with most careers, there are downsides to becoming a chef. Here are some drawbacks you may find in a career in foodservice:
1. It's a Physically Demanding Job
Working in a kitchen, you’re going to be standing and moving around for at least 8 hours. You’ll also need to be lifting heavy pots of food, carrying large bags of food, and stocking walk-ins with food, which can put a strain on your body. Greg says that working in kitchens is hot, crowded, and dangerous, especially during breakfast, lunch, and dinner rushes, when cooks will be scurrying around the kitchen to fill orders.
2. Your Social Life Will Suffer
For restaurants, weekends are the busiest time of the week, and, as a result, you’ll almost certainly be working weekends, which makes it difficult to make plans with family and friends. Additionally, the long hours will interfere with your other hobbies and passions. According to Larry, “You’re going to be working when people have off, and you’ll have off when people are working.” To Larry, the hours are one of the biggest negatives of working as a chef.
3. Working in a Kitchen is Stressful
Stress and working in the restaurant industry go hand in hand. When working in a kitchen, there are bound to be times when the tickets start to pile up and you have to rush to put out orders. Some people thrive in this type of setting and others don’t. If you can’t handle stress well, becoming a chef might not be the right option for you.
4. If You Want to Succeed as a Chef, a Culinary School Education is Very Helpful
Becoming a Chef
If you want to work in a fine dining setting, a culinary school degree is a must, says Greg. Experience is helpful, but culinary school opens a lot of doors that wouldn’t be available otherwise. Larry believes that the purpose of a degree is to set a goal for yourself and accomplish it because, regardless of your background, everyone starts in the dishroom or on the line. That being said, both chefs agreed that a candidate with a degree plus experience is more appealing than someone who just has their degree.
5. The Pay Isn't Great, At Least Starting Out
Working as a dishwasher or a line cook, you can expect long hours for roughly $10 an hour, depending on your location. Your pay, after deducting rent, culinary school loan payments, and living expenses, doesn’t leave much. But, fortunately, with experience you can move up the ladder and start earning a more comfortable living. Greg says that you get out of the job what you put into it, and in order to grow and make more as a chef, you need to constantly study and learn.
6. Your Experience Will Change Depending on Where You Work
There are a ton of different jobs in the foodservice industry, ranging from caterer and restaurant owner to food stylist and personal chef. Each of these jobs are radically different, and they all have their own pros and cons. Both Greg and Larry have worked at different types of foodservice establishments, and they have both worked at upscale and casual operations.
Larry says he personally disliked working at banquets and catered events because you tend to spend all of your time working on one dish. He prefers to work on a line, which offers more variety in what you're cooking. On the other hand, Greg enjoyed working in hotels, country clubs, and other fine dining establishments because they provided variety, but in a beautiful and interesting setting.
Benefits to Working as a Chef
Although there are some downsides to becoming a chef, it's still an intensely rewarding and appealing career. Here are some possible benefits to becoming a chef:
7. Working as a Chef Offers Freedom and Creativity
Creativity
Working as a chef gives you more freedom and allows you to be more creative than just about any other career. Cooking also encourages you to make adjustments and create new and interesting flavors. Even recipes are just guidelines, and you can change the ratios and add new ingredients to make a dish your own. In addition to the creativity of the job, Larry enjoys working in foodservice because there’s constant change and every day is different.
8. You Form a Strong Bond with Your Team Members
Being a part of a kitchen team helps create a sense of comradery that’s similar to being on a sports team, according to Greg. To function, the kitchen staff needs to come together and work as a unit. As a result, working in a kitchen on a team is an incredible bonding experience, and you'll eventually grow close with your teammates. The bond created in a kitchen is so strong that Greg invited former co-workers he hadn’t seen in 6 years to his wedding, due to the strength of the relationship made during their time working together.
9. With a Career in Foodservice, You Can Go Anywhere
Foodservice jobs can be found all over the world and in a variety of settings, so if you work in restaurants, your job can take you to all sorts of interesting destinations. For instance, if you've always wanted to live in New York City, you can move there and know there are jobs available to you. Becoming a chef also gives you the freedom to hop around and find the right fit for you. If you don't like working in a fine dining establishment, why not give catering a try? Or find a job at a resort and grill fresh fish for your customers right on the beach. There are many possibilities and options that are open to you when you become a chef, which is something that not many other careers can claim.
Advice from the Chefs
Greg: Before you start a career, you should consider all of the bad points and weigh them with the benefits for you personally. Make sure that you're passionate and dedicated to cooking, because it's going to become a major part of your life.
Larry: What are your personal passions? Because you won't have time to do any of them. Will your personal passions and hobbies compete with your professional passion, and will that be a deciding factor in choosing your career? If you're interested in working in the restaurant industry, you should also get a job in a kitchen for 6 months and try it out. 6 months is a long enough time that any conflicts will come up, and you can decide whether or not it's something you enjoy doing. You can only find out if it's right for you by doing it.
Choosing what career you want to pursue is a difficult decision to make, and it's one that shouldn't be taken lightly. Becoming a chef is an excellent career choice, but, as with every job, it has its ups and downs. The long hours, physical demand, and low starting pay can be a difficult pill to swallow, but if you choose to go into foodservice, you'll be rewarded with a fulfilling job that offers tons of freedom and creativity and is constantly changing."
Source: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog/2310/things-to-consider-before-becoming-a-chef.html
Jason Kenniston
Chef
1
Answer
Killeen, Texas
Updated
Jason’s Answer
Working on the line of a restaurant can be a highly stressful experience for professionals in the culinary field. This work environment is often characterized by a fast-paced atmosphere, high-pressure situations, and long hours, which can have negative impacts on both physical and mental health. Despite these challenges, some chefs thrive on the adrenaline rush and find the work to be highly rewarding. Ultimately, the level of stress experienced in this role varies based on individual personality, work style, and coping mechanisms.
I have a full playlist available that covers everything there is to learn about the restaurant industry. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwgd9pysYX2TN6-8EmpY9d77tDNMLEF5x
I have a full playlist available that covers everything there is to learn about the restaurant industry. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwgd9pysYX2TN6-8EmpY9d77tDNMLEF5x
Joseph Gustafson
Chef
1
Answer
Cuba City, Wisconsin
Updated
Joseph’s Answer
I love the ever-changing days of restaurant life! The workday goes by quickly as it is fast-paced. The sense of accomplishment of making great dishes, using your creativity, knowledge, and timing is very rewarding when everything goes well. It is highly stressful, but I thrive on that. It is like preparing for battle every day. Your own organization of your station is what reduces these issues. You develop timeliness, structure, and efficiency to make things flow smoothly. There are always changes and surprises that will exercise your brain to think and react quickly like playing a video game. These are what is so exciting.
Constantly interacting with people from all walks of life is fun and engaging. Once you know cooking and its principles, it is just adapting to the cuisine and recipes. The food industry has so many diferent venues and can also let you work anywhere in the world. Food has its universal language. I have traveled extensively, saw and learned so many things, and made great friends because of it.
My answer is to take further what others have said above. It is demanding on your personal, phyusical, and family life. I do love my profession and like being creative and serving food to make them happy. I myself, cannot sit at a desk all day. I need to be moving around! I do hope this helps with your question. This life is not for everybody!
Constantly interacting with people from all walks of life is fun and engaging. Once you know cooking and its principles, it is just adapting to the cuisine and recipes. The food industry has so many diferent venues and can also let you work anywhere in the world. Food has its universal language. I have traveled extensively, saw and learned so many things, and made great friends because of it.
My answer is to take further what others have said above. It is demanding on your personal, phyusical, and family life. I do love my profession and like being creative and serving food to make them happy. I myself, cannot sit at a desk all day. I need to be moving around! I do hope this helps with your question. This life is not for everybody!
Jim Derby
General Manager
25
Answers
Hughesville, Pennsylvania
Updated
Jim’s Answer
I've spent thirty years in the food service industry. I have done everything from dishwashing up to being a general manager. I can tell you it certainly can be very stressful. It can also build a great deal of character. I believe stress is relative, and depends on the individual. Any career can be stressful, some more than others. If you tend to be a high strung individual, I might suggest trying a different avenue. But if you take things in stride, and can handle situations that are generally stressful by nature, you might be cut out for culinary work. It's often very fast paced, and temperatures as well as tempers can get heated. I succeeded in the business without the benefit of having formal education, so that is an option. I would however recommend having a college degree as well as practical experience to make yourself well rounded. I hope that helps.
Talk to people who have spent at least a few years in the field. Restaurant people are typically outspoken, and can offer a great deal of insight. Probably more than you'll find here.
Jim recommends the following next steps:
Natalie Frischknecht
Food Stylist/Classically Trained Chef
2
Answers
Amherst, New Hampshire
Updated
Natalie’s Answer
I have been working in the food industry for 13 years. Started in high school when I was interested in culinary arts programs, went on to attend a culinary school, became a full time professional chef. I loved the environment, having to solve problems quickly, the noise, the stress of working on my feet for 10-12 hours in a day, the satisfying reactions of customers to the food I cooked, the end of the night always brought a sense of fulfillment and relief. Then I had a work accident on the line that resulted in a traumatic head and neck injury. I was diagnosed with PTSD, alongside the concussion and fractures. Unfortunately the doctors all ended up advising against going back to an industrial setting due to the amount of stress it puts on your body and brain. I didn’t listen and tried to go back after months of recovery treatment and therapy. I could no longer tolerate the noise level and flashes of fire/lights without having a full panic attack, it caused debilitating migraines from stress on my body and exhaustion. So I transitioned out of that part of the field into food styling and private chef catering. I find that I love it much more, I choose my hours, my clients, I have full autonomy over my continued education, my work with recipes and social media advertising. The pay is SO MUCH better. I don’t work late nights or holidays usually, and I meet a whole new side of creatives associated with forms of art and science and business. So much fun! Remember that the culinary industry is multi-faceted! You may be trained to be a chef, but those skills don’t have to be put to use only in an industrial setting. You can head recipe development, write or edit for a good magazine, develop new forms of food and drink via food science, style for movies, ad campaigns, commercials, tv shows. Hire out as a personal chef to a wealthy client, travel the world on a cruise ship or private yacht. Work for a non-profit feeding families and people who are in need of charity. Etc etc etc. Your imagination is the limit.