question about experience

[cookingnthecity]

Got a question for ya, I recently graduated from a well known culinary school and I have been working for about 4 months now at my current employer. It is a pretty small kitchen, but mostly everyone in the kitchen has a culinary degree. I have about 1 year experience before I went to school. My previous job I was cooking on the hot line and making the bread for the restaurant. I work 50+ hours a week and for the most part, I only work prep. About once a week I work on the line the rest of the time I do all the cutting, blanching, sauce making, ect.. for everyone else in the kitchen during service. I dont really like where I work but I can stand it and I dont want to show a lot of job hopping on my resume. I have talked to the chef and he keeps telling my time will come. I know everyone is going to say you got to put your time in at the bottom to get to the top, but at what point do you just leave? Now I dont want to be a chef, I went to school to learn more about the industry, because I would like to own a chain of restaurants. But the night moves pretty slow cutting red peppers. Any thoughts on this would be most appreciated.

[liv4fud]

seems like you will be best served knowing about the business aspect, number crunching and managing part of the food industry

you might need to go to school for that or start taking more interest in your work related to those areas

count on the experience as a chef (or cook) as an edge you would have while managing your crew

[mikefly]

Are you wanting to work the line????
and if so are the people working the line stronger than you at it???
you have to remember that a kitchen is a team and not everyone gets to play were they want to....
it you are strong at working the line then you need to talk to your chef about it..

[cheflayne]

"I went to school to learn more about the industry"
You are learning more about the industry.

"But the night moves pretty slow cutting red peppers"
Yes and the industry is filled with tedium and repetitious tasks. When you become an owner of a chain of restaurants, never forget this simple fact and always remember what it felt like to cut those peppers. If you can do that, your chances for success and loyal employees are greatly improved.