If you find yourself right at home in the kitchen, perhaps a
chef career would be right up your alley. When the thought of a chef career
comes to mind, it may project thoughts of slaving over a hot, smelly grill,
flipping burgers and hearing endless orders shouted through a loud speaker.
While that may be the scenario for some chefs, there are actually many
different options for this occupation.
Cooks for fast food and restaurant chains are always in
demand because quick employee turnover is almost guaranteed. Many high school
students take on these less-paying jobs solely as a summer gig. Others use the
opportunity to bring in income until a more profitable job is found. However,
restaurant, fast food and short order cooks are still categorized within the
chef career spectrum and having the skill of producing high quality, tasty food
is a talent that not everyone has. Everyone has to begin somewhere, and working
for one of these kitchens provides cooking experience, looks good on resumes,
and can act as a jumping off point for beginning a chef career.
If baking will be your forte in your chef career, perhaps a
job at a cafeteria or nursing home would be a good job selection. While
fast-food workers are constantly frying up and scooping out the same food
products daily at a lickety-split pace, an institution kitchen is a more
relaxed atmosphere where a variety of traditional, slightly more healthy dishes
are prepared.
For instance, many cafeteria kitchens designate two or three
items in which an employee is responsible for preparing and baking daily, such
as a cook who makes bread products, one who creates casseroles, and others who
hand-bread and roast chicken. Having a set food prep schedule gives a cook or
chef the opportunity to ease into their specialty and, over time, perfect their
craft.
After a few years of experience, it may be possible to advance
to a head chef position at a prestigious eatery, such as a steak house or hotel
restaurant. This chef career is a bit more stressful, as you are not only in
charge of a kitchen full of employees; you are also required to insure the food
going out to the paying customers is first-rate and superlative. A chef career
at this high status will pay a higher income because cooking skills must be
paramount and management skills proficient.
Possibly the most sought-after chef career is as a personal
or private household chef. To be selected as a personal chef because of your
impeccable cooking skills, creative dishes and flawless meal presentations is
the height of honor for a chef after years of hard work and practice.
If you are considering a chef career, knowing how to cook is
not enough. You must perfect your craft and stand out from all the rest who are
your competition. Enrolling in a vocational school which provides cooking
instructions or even a specialty college or institution could help mold you into the cooking expert
that will send you on your way to the world of chef careers.
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