Sous Chef Training
Becoming a sous chef will often mean that you will have to take extra courses in your culinary program. If you have not yet chosen the college where you want to take your course, then find one that has good courses and helps in finding sous chef jobs. Many colleges assist with employment placements. If you are already in your program and have just decided that upon graduation you want to seek out a sous chef job, then stay in your program and ask about placement opportunities after graduation.
Once you graduate, you should have no difficulty finding sous chef jobs on your own. In fact, before you enter into that particular position you really should gain some experience as a regular chef in a good restaurant. This way you will be able to do a much better job when it comes time for you to work as a sous chef. Make sure during your entire course you strive to get the very best grades possible. This will be beneficial to you when you start applying for sous chef jobs.
Finding a Sous Chef Job
Once you are ready to enter the work force and start looking for sous chef jobs, be creative. Don't narrow your opportunities down to just working in a restaurant. What type of position you go after will depend on your personal commitments as well as your lifestyle. You can find sous chef jobs on cruise ships for example. If you are married or have family commitments then this type of work location may be difficult for you.
Often becoming a sous chef at a luxury hotel can be a wonderful position, and it may offer the chance to move up as an executive chef. Then again, you may just be content to remain a sous chef. Many chefs enjoy this position and don't want the added responsibility of becoming an executive chef. Don't let becoming a sous chef make you arrogant or difficult to please. Respect other employees and they in turn will respect you.
How to Gain Recognition as a Sous Chef
Being a sous chef working under the executive chef may require you to work more staggered hours than what the regular chefs do. This will partially depend on how large the restaurant is and if there are other sous chefs on staff. There is always the possibility that you may one day become an executive chef. So learn everything you can about your position and stay well versed in the variety of foods you have to prepare or oversee.
Whenever the opportunity presents itself, be creative in what you prepare. This way you will stand out from the others and become more noted for your work. Also, remember that being a sous chef does not only mean that you are cooking and preparing food. You are the executive chef's assistant, which means he may delegate some of his duties to you. For example, you may be put in charge of ordering the supplies. Then you will have to maintain the budget.
Another thing you may want to keep in mind is to keep yourself current. Like any industry, there is always advancement in technology. If you keep yourself constantly aware of what's new, for example in the equipment field, then you can pass this along to the executive chef. The more you are in a position for the executive chef to rely on you, the more important you become to the establishment. By doing this, you are building your job security.
Do not forget about international cuisine. Even if that is not an issue in your current job, you never know when you may want to change jobs. You could quite easily want to apply for sous chefs jobs in Italian or Japanese restaurants. Even in you don't have specific experience in these cuisines, if you have in-depth knowledge of them it could very well land you the job.
You will also have to decide how big of an establishment you want to work for. Some places are so large that there are many sous chefs. In this case they are each designated a specific job. One may be overseeing the appetizers for example, while another oversees the main courses and a third the desserts. Here you will have to work a little harder to move up the management ladder. You have to decide if you want that type of competition and if the location of the job is worth the effort. The one advantage to working in this large environment is the variety of not only a specific area of food, but more involvement with the preparation. In a small location, you will end up most likely with such an array of other duties it will often take you away from the direct contact of food preparation. You need to decide if that is going to be acceptable to you when you are looking for sous chef jobs.
