How to Follow Your Dream and Become a Chef
For some people, the ultimate vocation is to be the top chef in a five-star restaurant. Having diners coming to the establishment specifically to sample your culinary flair and expertise is the dream. Along with the fame, you also expect to earn a commensurate package.
If this is you, in this guide, we tell you the important steps to follow on the journey towards your bright future career. But it is ultimately your natural talent that will distinguish you from ordinary chefs.
In the Beginning
You will need a high school diploma to go to chef school. This is also a requirement if you get an apprenticeship. More about culinary studies to follow.
Next, look for a job in the kitchen of a restaurant. This first job will involve menial tasks like washing the dishes and floors. Understand the business from the bottom. By observing the sous chef and head chef, you will learn a lot and make up your mind if this is the right career for you.
Culinary Qualifications
There are four types of institutions that offer study programs for future chefs. The most comprehensive course is a four-year bachelor’s degree at a university. In addition to being taught cooking skills and types of cuisine, you will learn how to set up and run a restaurant, manage employees, and business competencies. If you have the proper qualifications, it will save you years of working your way to the top.
Community colleges are the next best option for getting a diploma instead of a degree and are a much cheaper option than a university qualification. Culinary schools, specifically, focus on everything a chef needs to know, unlike community colleges which cater to a variety of disciplines. A culinary school course can last from one year to four years. It is the ideal choice for the prospective chef. Fees are much higher than at community college.
A trade school prepares students to attend the working world in entry level positions. You can learn the basics of kitchen hygiene and food preparation. However, it is not on the same level as the other qualifications outlined.
Gaining Experience
No amount of training is sufficient without practical application of knowledge. You can look into internships or apprenticeships. Otherwise, your best bet is to work for a restaurant you respect and learn from the chef’s leadership and demonstration of techniques and processes.
An alternative is to take a job as a dishwasher in a bigger restaurant and work your way up to a kitchen management position. Change companies so that you keep growing and learning until you reach the level of sous chef and, ultimately, head chef.
Dress the Part
When applying for a position as a chef, make sure that you look the part. It will make you appear competent and confident. Pay attention to neat hair and overall cleanliness. Making the right impression is vital to getting the job that you want.
Before Tilit brought out its line of chef clothes, it spoke to chefs across the nation to find out what they needed in their outfits. The range of chef wear that was derived from this process is good-looking, comfortable, and has several features designed for better wearability.
Make your dream come true by following a plan to get the skills, qualifications, and experience you need to be a master chef.