Becoming a Chef

If you dream of a cooking career, you may not have thought about all the considerations. A cooking career is not just a job that puts you in front of a stove. You must have a love of cooking and cuisine, a great memory for recipes and a lot of creativity and imagination to add your own touch to standard recipes and dishes.

The greatest chefs also have an eye for presentation. When a dish arrives at the table, the patron must see something that is appealing to the eye. The dish must contain the kind of herbs and flavoring that provide an enticing aroma and a flavorful eating experience.   

If you want a cooking career you should also consider the hours, and the fact that you will be on your feet for many hours a day. You will also work during hours when your friends and family may be off, so going out to dinner with the crowd is not in the cards. When you start out, you may work very early shifts, making breakfast. That means you’ll be getting up at 4:00 a.m. or earlier!

If you are lucky enough to have your cooking career take off, you will be expected to get involved in purchasing goods, hiring assistants, budgeting and coordinating menus – all the management responsibilities of other business people. You will probably also endure some injuries. Cuts from knives and slicers are common, and burns are nearly always a hazard.  

When you first start out, don’t expect to work in a first class restaurant. In all likelihood your cooking career will start out in a diner or a local restaurant. As you gain experience, you can apply to well-respected local and regional restaurants and eventually, if you are lucky, you can work your way up to a chef position. If cooking is your passion, you will be willing to overlook the stress and schedule and lose yourself in your work! It is always satisfying to know that your work will be remembered, and possibly praised by those you serve.