3 answers
Tyler
Student
Prosser, Washington
1
Question
Updated
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What are 3 important things that I should know about this kind of career
Hello, i'm planning on going into the culinary arts with my local job corps. My main question is what are 3 important things that I should know about this kind of career?
#chef #cooking #culinary-arts
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3 answers
Jack Batten
Chef
36
Answers
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Updated
Jack’s Answer
Tyler,
Not to sound like I'm trying to talk you out of this career but the reality is you;
1. have to work long hours and be able to work weekends and holidays just think when most people go out to eat that is when would be working. that being said there are many types of jobs and many different places to work each have different set of requirements.
2. You have to work in hot places and be on your feet all day the kitchen.
3. You never stop learning the i have been in food service for 50 years and i still do not know half of what there is to learn.
Not to sound like I'm trying to talk you out of this career but the reality is you;
1. have to work long hours and be able to work weekends and holidays just think when most people go out to eat that is when would be working. that being said there are many types of jobs and many different places to work each have different set of requirements.
2. You have to work in hot places and be on your feet all day the kitchen.
3. You never stop learning the i have been in food service for 50 years and i still do not know half of what there is to learn.
Hummad Hussain
HR Technology
5
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Hummad’s Answer
After my 3 kids were old enough to all be in school full time, my wife decided to go back to school to get associate degrees in culinary arts and pastry arts. Long before going back to school, she was already capable in a home kitchen, and cooked delicious meals. My answer to you is based on my experience watching her, and her experience thus far.
- First and foremost, you have to decide how you define success and what a successful career looks like. Are you just looking for a paycheck? Do you want to win a James Beard award? Do you want acclaim at a local or national level? Does it matter what kind of restaurant/eatery you work in, or do you just want to work and that's good enough?
- I've observed that most successful chefs are passionate and curious about their craft.
- Cooks and chefs work a crazy ton of hours in challenging and grueling conditions. As Jack said above, being a cook or chef is physically taxing on your body.
- Unfortunately chefs and cooks aren't compensated fairly or highly for their hard work. Again, this goes back to my earlier point about passion being the bigger driver. If you're full-time as a head chef in a small restaurant, maybe you're making $50-$100k a year, but you're likely putting in 60+ hours of hard work every week. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2020 median salary for "chefs and head cooks" is $53,380/yr. Take this with a grain of salt though, because executive chefs in large hotels and restaurants may make well above $100,000. Other professions in medicine, technology, and law can pay considerably more in the short and long term.
Overall, you should think about why you want to be a chef, and if you're passionate about it. My wife loves her career choice, and prefers it over being working at a desk or in an office all day. She's passionate and driven, and it shows in what she creates, and the feedback she gets from her customers. If you're passionate about it, nothing I said above should matter.
- First and foremost, you have to decide how you define success and what a successful career looks like. Are you just looking for a paycheck? Do you want to win a James Beard award? Do you want acclaim at a local or national level? Does it matter what kind of restaurant/eatery you work in, or do you just want to work and that's good enough?
- I've observed that most successful chefs are passionate and curious about their craft.
- Cooks and chefs work a crazy ton of hours in challenging and grueling conditions. As Jack said above, being a cook or chef is physically taxing on your body.
- Unfortunately chefs and cooks aren't compensated fairly or highly for their hard work. Again, this goes back to my earlier point about passion being the bigger driver. If you're full-time as a head chef in a small restaurant, maybe you're making $50-$100k a year, but you're likely putting in 60+ hours of hard work every week. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2020 median salary for "chefs and head cooks" is $53,380/yr. Take this with a grain of salt though, because executive chefs in large hotels and restaurants may make well above $100,000. Other professions in medicine, technology, and law can pay considerably more in the short and long term.
Overall, you should think about why you want to be a chef, and if you're passionate about it. My wife loves her career choice, and prefers it over being working at a desk or in an office all day. She's passionate and driven, and it shows in what she creates, and the feedback she gets from her customers. If you're passionate about it, nothing I said above should matter.
Dante Kelly
Administrative Support Professional
41
Answers
Baltimore, Maryland
Updated
Dante’s Answer
1. You need to know that food is always going to exist and it a part of our everyday lives.
2. You need to educate yourself of how food affects communities, especially in middle-income and low-income areas.
3. You need to take time to learn how to cook various foods as well as speak to people about food through various conversations.
2. You need to educate yourself of how food affects communities, especially in middle-income and low-income areas.
3. You need to take time to learn how to cook various foods as well as speak to people about food through various conversations.