Chef Career - How Not to Be a Good Chef

A chef career is one of the most competitive careers in the food industry, because today you can't just rely on an apprenticeship to learn the trade and advance into a chef career. A chef is an executive in charge of everyone else in the kitchen and it is a profession that requires more than just culinary skills because apart from the kitchen activities, he has to be well-versed in marketing, communications, finance, and management, as well as purchasing, to be able to gain a competitive edge.

A chef is a professional cook who works in a specific profession because it requires an extensive period of training and mastery of a specialized body of knowledge. It also requires maintenance of high standards of conduct and committed lifelong learning or continued study. More often than not, being a professional Chef also requires an individual to become licensed or certified and be active in a professional organization. If you don't meet these standards, then you will not be a good chef.

• Being a good chef takes more than just preparing and cooking because professional chefs don't only work in the kitchen as they are also responsible in the financial management of the business. You will not become a chef if you don't have the patience and perseverance to attend trainings and the endurance to work in the kitchen environment 365 days a year. You may have occasional days off but not during the busiest period of the year when hotels and restaurants have the most customers.
  
  
  
  
• You will not be a good chef if you don't have the right education and culinary program offered in colleges and universities. These programs are available in 2 or 4 year colleges, culinary schools, or universities. Becoming a chef used to be easy because it could only be done through apprenticeships but in today's competitive industry, you must have the formal training to be able to qualify for career advancement. Culinary programs are essential because they don't only teach baking and cooking but business management as well. Business, marketing, and financial management are essential if you want to take a management position which involves leadership and complex service operations. Culinary programs will teach you basic general business and cooking if you want to have your own restaurant business. You will also learn about nutrition, portion control, menu planning as well as inventory methods, proper food storage and the methods of minimizing waste by using leftover food.
  
  
• While the right education is necessary to your culinary career, you will not be a good Chef if you don't go through a 3 year apprenticeship program. This is an essential part of training so that you will learn about menu development, recipes, financial management, and purchasing.

Chef jobs are for people who want to get their hands dirty and get hands-on experience. Keep in mind that a Chef is different from a cook or a food preparation worker, so their qualification requirements are also different. If you are starting out in your culinary career, you may start working as a food preparation worker or cook because this position only requires a high school diploma, but advanced degrees are recommended when you are starting out your chef career.

If you have a passion for cooking and want to work at a fine-dining or upscale restaurant, pursuing a chef career may be right for you but you must be prepared to take a lot of criticism and work long hours to be able to do the job well. A chef job search can be done by visiting restaurants and hotels or organizations you intend to work with and by inquiring if they are hiring. Make sure that you have a bachelor's degree in food science or culinary arts. Experience is still the best qualification, so while you are still in college it is a good idea to work as a part-time cook so that you will learn good knife techniques and the proper use of kitchen equipment.

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