As a chef you should not only be able to handle the preparation of many different cuisines but you must also effectively lead your kitchen staff. Chef careers can range from one in a down town eatery to high profile roles in up market restaurants and hotels, banquets, holiday resorts and even as a personal chef to celebrities and VIPs.
There are different types of chef jobs that you can apply for - you can be a commis, an entry level chef, a sous chef, a garde manger, a pastry chef, a saucier, an executive chef or a personal chef. The responsibilities and tasks performed by these different types of chef work are quite similar. As a chef, your end goal is always to ensure that the customer is happy and satisfied with the meal.
Overall, chefs are in charge of kitchen employee management, menu oversight, customer relations and supplier management. As far as suppliers go, the chef is the key kitchen contact with the vendors and has to keep close tabs on timely delivery and more importantly, the quality of supplies. Few things can tarnish a chef career as much as a reputation for stale dishes or meals that have led to food poisoning.
Chef work is an interesting mix of hands on kitchen roles as well as management duties. The chef supervises the performance of kitchen staff, assessing staffing needs to deal with manpower constraints and conducting employee training. Employee management covers both setting work schedules for kitchen staff and motivating staff to giving their best.
As the person in charge of the menu, the chef determines the meals to be prepared each day and at different times of the day, the quantities, the ingredients and the portions of each ingredient per serving. A great kitchen is a clean kitchen. Upholding a high standard of cleanliness in accordance to local health regulations is part of chef work.
While taking cognizance of the busy environment that a kitchen can become, the chef must enforce a strict cleanliness and tidiness code that ensures food is properly stored and that each person cleans up their workspace throughout the day. Alternatively, one person could be assigned the role of cleaning up after a set time.
Chef work is best suited for a person that is professional, creative, has good organizational skills, business savvy and most importantly a team player. Chef work requires paying attention to detail and ensuring consistency and accuracy when preparing every menu item. Dishes must be prepared not only quickly but to the standard expected by the client.
To be considered for chef employment both experience and training in the culinary arts and hospitality is key. The most basic requirement necessary to fill a chef vacancy is a two year associate degree in culinary arts or food science. The course work for the degree covers basic food management, safety, cooking techniques and food handling.
The curriculum also incorporates course meant to shore up one's business skills such as finance, marketing and computer knowledge. In addition to the basic training, chefs often go through a culinary arts school for two to four years where the technical aspect of chef jobs is taught.
A number of the larger hotel and restaurant chains have internal training programs for line cooks that would like to move up to chef position. Since chef jobs demand hands on skills more than they do the theory of cooking, former line cooks that have substantial experience in food preparation or hospitality can be considered for chef employment.
The job outlook for chef careers is good. According to CB salary, in July 2010 the average annual salary for chefs was at $54,787. The salary range for chefs is quite broad with salary for chefs standing at $25,000 per annum but can go to over $200,000 depending on experience levels and the place of work. To be better placed to earn higher pay as well as get better chef jobs, you can pursue certification by the American Culinary Federation.
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