Careers Articles - Cook Yourself up a Career

If the number of TV programmes is anything to go by, it seems few occupations are more high profile, than that of a chef, bombarded with cookery programmes and TV chefs. Not all chefs have this high visibility and fame but it is still a great career, and if you want to eventually be your own boss there is always the possibility of running your own restaurant. For budding chefs, an interest in food preparation is important. Those with creative flair and imagination, who enjoy learning a wide variety of skills, find the work particularly rewarding. Organisational skills are vital too, to ensure correct timing of different dishes and to have the right quantities at the right time. A practical approach and an ability to plan methodically are useful qualities.
	Working as a chef is very demanding, with a lot of pressure at service time. Kitchens can get very hectic, especially when many dishes must be produced at the same time. So it is important to be able to deal with pressure and cope with several tasks at once. Equally important is the ability to get on with others in the kitchen and enjoy working in a team.
Chefs need good communication, management and leadership skills to manage and train kitchen staff under them. Some chefs are responsible for budgets and negotiating with suppliers, so a head for figures helps. Working in a kitchen involves a great deal of on-the-job training and off-the-job college study as well. To become a chef, it is necessary to learn different methods of food preparation and cooking. Training usually begins with simpler (but repetitive) preparation and cooking tasks. Hygiene and safety including the safe handling of knives is very important. Different cooking skills, such as carving or cake decorating can be learned on the job.

There are a number of different types of chef. Large kitchens in restaurants and hotels are divided into departments, each responsible for specific preparation and cooking activities such as the pastry section, which makes all the deserts, pastries and breads.

Trainee chefs or commis chefs, work three to six months in each section to gain experience in every area of the kitchen. They learn for instance how to prepare and cook vegetables or make sauces, as well as doing general cleaning.

Each different section of the kitchen is run by a chef de parti the next step is sous chef or second chef, who is skilled enough to run any section, and to take charge of the whole kitchen in the absence of the head chef. The head chef runs the whole kitchen, including planning menus, ordering supplies, managing staff and budgets, and ensuring food of a consistently high standard is produced.

In smaller establishments, the chef could be doing everything: food preparation and cooking, cleaning up and even helping to serve customers.

Chopping vegetables.

There are several routes to becoming a chef:

on-the-job training with day release to attend college
attending college full time
starting at the very bottom in a large restaurant or hotel and working your way up taking the qualifications as you progress
working for a large hotel chain which offers own in-house training scheme

Your level of entry onto the course depends much on your age and qualifications, but you don’t have to have any GCSE’s to start training as a chef. You can start with a GNVQ foundation course and take it from there. And you don’t have to be a school leaver either. There are opportunities for all ages, experience and backgrounds on the chef courses.

Many colleges offer budding chef’s an excellent, hands-on environment and run commercial venues. Onsite restaurants offer food prepared and served by catering students to the public.

Whichever route you take to being a chef, don’t forget it will be hard work. There will be a lot of potatoes to peel and a lot of long hours to work before you get to open your own restaurant.

For further information on courses, please contact your local college or careers service.

This article appears with thanks to Calderdale College and first appeared in the Halifax Evening Courier.

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