diploma vs certificate

[visioconf]

does anybody know the difference between diploma and certificate?
can we have a job with only the certificate?
thanlks

[cheftomlin]

from what they offer at my school a certificate will only qualify you to work as a line cook because it only covers certain principles and doesnt really offer all that you need to know as far as technique a degree will give you not only more hands on experience but also the management principles one should have as a budding chef (you dont graduate as a chef that is the first thing you learn in school lol)

[Someday]

I agree...generally speaking a degree will prepare you to someday be a chef, as in provide you with with training in management, menu development, business, communications, ordering/purchasing, inventory management, front of the house operations, and the list goes on.

A certificate will provide you with a solid foundation in cooking techniques, and prepare you to, as it was stated, work the line at a restaurant.

It really depends on what you want out of a culinary program. And I want to clarify that I am saying in no way that a "only" getting a certificate will not prepare you to be a chef. MANY MANY successful chefs did not attend school at all. And geting a degree is no guarantee that you will become a chef. Much of it is subjective.

Just out of curiosity, where are you looking?

Hope this helped.

[Suzanne]

Someday hits it on the head:

Originally Posted by Someday

. . . It really depends on what you want out of a culinary program. And I want to clarify that I am saying in no way that a "only" getting a certificate will not prepare you to be a chef. MANY MANY successful chefs did not attend school at all. And geting a degree is no guarantee that you will become a chef. Much of it is subjective.

Many prospective employers don't care what piece of paper you got from school, or even if you went to school at all. They want to know if you have the skills they need and the attitude they want.

So look at the program content, at the practical experience you can get, at how much background you will be taught (science and history of food), etc. And look at where people who have studied at a particular school have ended up, how long they stayed in the business, and how far they went up the career ladder. Those are things that matter more than a piece of paper.