2 answers
Henry
Student
5
Questions
Updated
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What makes you stand out compared to other chefs ?
I want to know what is the best thing that pops out about your resume compared to others. Are there any experience that I need to know that make you a priority compared to the rest of the competition
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2 answers
John Husband
Computer Science, Real Estate, Life
46
Answers
Boca Raton
Updated
John’s Answer
HI Henry,
I'm a fan of cooking shows and a fan of eating! Hopefully my non-expert opinion helps.
A chef is a grueling job. 90 hours a week is not unusual. Here is the thing. Lots of people can cook. To be a chef you have to be an artist. To be an artist takes a commitment level that is far beyond the normal 9-5 job.
What stands out is the quality of your art. To make food art, you MUST start with great ingredients. That means going to the market early in the morning and seeing what's available. It means understanding what is in season and what is out of season and planning your menu accordingly. You can't create art from Sysco ingredients.
A chef must create beautiful "Art on a Plate. It must be visually appealing. The first please we eat with our eyes. If it's doesn't look amazing, it probably won't taste amazing. There are a number of amazing cooking shows out there. One of my favorites having to do with the visual art of cooking is on Netflix called, "School of Chocolate". For more visual stimulation, check out "Blown Away" also on Netflix.
Third it has to taste amazing and preferably new. There are chefs that are great technically in that they can follow recipes. And there are chefs that are both great technically and they create "the new". As you are learning your craft you start with the science of food (existing recipes and techniques) then experiment (with new recipes and techniques you create) more and more until you find who YOU are in food. You develop your own "style" in creating food that never existed before.
I'll just throw in for good measure if your food has a sound even better. Imagine the sizzle of a great steak coming to the table straight from the grill. Food should engage all the senses whenever possible.
Here is all of it summarized. It's all about the work you put in. You can't be an artist without making art. You need to make a ton of art. You need to put in the time to achieve the result. I've known a number of unsuccessful artists in my lifetime. Many have had talent. But most have not put in the time needed to be break out successes. If you want to stand out you have to put in the work. That means cooking all the time. Every day. 8-10 hours per day. (Cooking school counts)
If you resume reflects all this stuff above, you'll stand out!
Happy to discuss more. Just comment below!
Cook 7 days a week 8-10 hours per day
Go to cooking school
Watch every cooking show ever and watch every episode, make sure you can cook everything they can cook.
If you haven't already, get any job in any restaurant that you can. Trade up jobs when you can.
Find out where the food markets are for the best ingredients and visit them as often as possible.
I'm a fan of cooking shows and a fan of eating! Hopefully my non-expert opinion helps.
A chef is a grueling job. 90 hours a week is not unusual. Here is the thing. Lots of people can cook. To be a chef you have to be an artist. To be an artist takes a commitment level that is far beyond the normal 9-5 job.
What stands out is the quality of your art. To make food art, you MUST start with great ingredients. That means going to the market early in the morning and seeing what's available. It means understanding what is in season and what is out of season and planning your menu accordingly. You can't create art from Sysco ingredients.
A chef must create beautiful "Art on a Plate. It must be visually appealing. The first please we eat with our eyes. If it's doesn't look amazing, it probably won't taste amazing. There are a number of amazing cooking shows out there. One of my favorites having to do with the visual art of cooking is on Netflix called, "School of Chocolate". For more visual stimulation, check out "Blown Away" also on Netflix.
Third it has to taste amazing and preferably new. There are chefs that are great technically in that they can follow recipes. And there are chefs that are both great technically and they create "the new". As you are learning your craft you start with the science of food (existing recipes and techniques) then experiment (with new recipes and techniques you create) more and more until you find who YOU are in food. You develop your own "style" in creating food that never existed before.
I'll just throw in for good measure if your food has a sound even better. Imagine the sizzle of a great steak coming to the table straight from the grill. Food should engage all the senses whenever possible.
Here is all of it summarized. It's all about the work you put in. You can't be an artist without making art. You need to make a ton of art. You need to put in the time to achieve the result. I've known a number of unsuccessful artists in my lifetime. Many have had talent. But most have not put in the time needed to be break out successes. If you want to stand out you have to put in the work. That means cooking all the time. Every day. 8-10 hours per day. (Cooking school counts)
If you resume reflects all this stuff above, you'll stand out!
Happy to discuss more. Just comment below!
John recommends the following next steps:
Jamie Cantor Ginsburg
Chef/consults g
1
Answer
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Jamie’s Answer
Hi Henry -
This may be a bit of a Pandora’s box for you, but I believe my resume stands out because I have experience at high quality establishments. Think about the best place you would imagine working and try to get an entry level job there, then you can work your way up and always have that great experience on your resume. If that isn’t an option right now, try to find the best place in your local area that comes closest to your priorities and standards, and start there
This may be a bit of a Pandora’s box for you, but I believe my resume stands out because I have experience at high quality establishments. Think about the best place you would imagine working and try to get an entry level job there, then you can work your way up and always have that great experience on your resume. If that isn’t an option right now, try to find the best place in your local area that comes closest to your priorities and standards, and start there