One of the most significant jobs in the hospitality industry is the chef. It is a lucrative job that keeps growing as the industry grows. Due to the high demand for good food, chefs have become highly in demand. The media has further glamorized the position, enticing many people to want to become a chef.
Being a chef requires you to be creative and passionate about food. Many want to become chefs because of the glamour and how well it pays. Also, the fact that you can now get a job online on reputable platforms like Jooble attracts more people to it. Plus you can always ask for advice from professional job application writers when you feel ready to start your new career in the culinary world.”
Do you want to become a chef? Then, keep reading this article to learn how to go about this profession.
Steps Towards Becoming a Chef
If you enjoy cooking, passionate about food, or thinking about becoming a chef, there are some things that you should do. Fortunately, we have explained the steps you can take in this article. So make your decision and keep reading to learn what to do next.
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Make The Decision
When planning to become a chef, the first thing to do is to make the decision consciously. Put some thoughts into the idea, decide if you want to do it, and outline how to achieve the goal.
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Get Certified
The first step towards getting certified as a chef is having your high school diploma. You can also write GED to get the certification. You should then proceed to a culinary school.
The most straightforward method to becoming a chef is attending culinary school. Although culinary schools can be more expensive, they focus mainly on making a chef out of you. It takes one to four years to get certified by a culinary school.
You can also get certified to become a chef through a degree program at a university. The university degree covers everything from cooking to hospitality and then management. Getting a university degree to become a chef takes four years.
Another way to become chef certified is to attend a community college. Like a culinary school, a community college will award you an associate degree. You also will be allowed to take some general courses and education courses. However, community colleges are cheaper to follow and take less time than the usual degree.
Also, you can become a chef by training as an apprentice. This can involve going to a vocational school. You can also tow this path by training directly under a chef. This is a very cheap route. However, it can limit your learning, which is better done with other options.
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Practice and Obtain Work Experience
Cooking is a skill, and you need to practice to get better at it. Start by cooking for your friends and family members. Let your family members give you honest reviews about your cooking.
You can also practice by doing an internship in a restaurant or hotel. Interning will also allow you to gain the necessary work experience to get employed more easily.
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Build Your Network
It would be best if you had an excellent network to succeed as a chef. Networking with other chefs and people in the hospitality industry will come in handy when you want a good job. It will also help you build your first customer base if you decide to open your restaurant.
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Apply for Jobs
The final step towards becoming a chef is to apply for jobs. You can apply to hotels, restaurants, bakeries, culinary schools, and even private homes. You should send your CV out and work actively towards getting employed.
What You Should Know Before Becoming a Chef
There are some things you need to know before becoming a chef. These are basic facts about chefs and what’s expected from them.
Below are some things to prepare your mind for:
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It’s not just in the kitchen
The job of a chef does not only start and end in the kitchen. It starts from the selection of ingredients to the preparation of ingredients for cooking. Sourcing for ingredients is also a part of the chef’s job. A chef is also saddled with the duty of serving the food appealingly.
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It is A Physically Demanding Job
Being a chef is a stressful job. It is a job that requires you to stand and move around a lot. It may also involve heavy lifting. The kitchen is also a hot place and can weigh down on your health. To be a chef, you should take good care of your health.
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You Need to be Creative
A chef is also an artist; food is a chef’s art, and the plate/table is the canvass. Their duty is more than cooking, as food presentation is also a significant duty of a chef. A chef needs to be creative to present food in an attractive way to appeal to people’s appetites. Do not forget; it doesn’t just have to taste good; it has to look good.
Also, chefs develop new recipes and modify old ones. So you need to be able to think out of the box to create or alter recipes.
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You Need a Team
A chef doesn’t work alone; they need a team to work efficiently. The team can include kitchen assistants, cooks, cleaners, messengers, and others. Also, it is mandatory to have a good relationship with the team to deliver top-notch service to clients.
Conclusion
The job of a chef is heavily demanded because of the growth in the hospitality field and the need for good food. However, you must have a strong work ethic and be comfortable working long hours to thrive in the profession.
Are you ready to take on busy shifts, multitask, and be a team leader? Then you have all it takes to become a successful chef.