Career Change

I`m changing from a paramedic of 15 years to hopefully a successful career in the culinary arts. I have spent about two years researching this and hope to go to the CIA. Any comments or sugestions.

Well Iam doing the same thing.
iam an RT for 13 years and Iam starting the Cordon Bleu in 3 weeks.
I cannot wait.
Go for it.
Everyone here is very supportive so Iam sure we will get as much support as we may possibly need.
Good luck.
Danielle

[theloggg]

Good luck! I'm making the switch after receiving my business degree and working a cube job since 1996. Just like you, I researched for a couple years. Once I got past the financial commitment (cost of the school, cost of lost wages, cost of starting at lower pay) I found it impossible to shake the culinary bug.

I'm headin to Johnson and Wales next summer.

[cape chef]

First let me say two things, First I have never made a career change and second, As a paramedic thank you for taking care of people. In the hospitality industry we also take care of people, It is our ultimate goal, Why else would we do what we do?
I speak as a person who in my professional life has known only one trade.....cooking. There have been many times over the years that I thought about getting out of the Biz
But then I usually got scared and my common sense guided me in the right direction. As a cook..you can experience some of the most incredible feelings of satisfaction, and the next day you could be so tired.with so much to do,short staffed and coming off the 6th 12 hour day in a row. So...I guess like any business you will have ups and downs.....this business though is so personal,visual,all the senses are motivated. this is really not about bam and kicking it up a notch.....it is about commitment. It sounds like you have done some research about pay scales and the like...I went to J&W and have taken a number of classes at CIA in Hyde park and in Napa..both schools are very good......And will give you a solid foundation.
There are two things in life that I compare to the peace corp slogan (the hardest job you'll ever love) Being a parent and being a chef...good luck and keep us posted.
cc

[Live_to_cook]

cc--
In your opinion, why is it so hard to be a chef? To compare it to the Peace Corps, you have to think it's almost a spiritual mission...

[cape chef]

I was not trying to sound as if being a chef is a bad thing. I was being honest. Being a chef is hard, It is physically and mentally very draining. However the rewards (for me anyway) far out way the negitive.In the right environment you can grow as a person and as a cook/chef.I want to make it clear that I love what I do,and would not change it for anything. But it is like the peace corps,hardest job you'll ever love, as I stated above.As well as being a parent.
cc

[Chef David Simpson]

Good Luck!

Make sure you do a lot of research. Most Universities offer specialty programs for students looking for a career change. Johnson & Wales University in Denver offers a GYD, Garnish Your Degree, program for students that already have a 4-year degree. We also offer Advanced Standing programs for those with a minimum of 2 years food service experience. Both programs result in a A.S. in Culinary Arts in 12 months.

[Nick.Shu]

hmm, i wonder how that would compare to Au standards - that is a degree.

Sounds cool.

[Live_to_cook]

Paramedic to chef, hmmm.... well at least you won't get squeamish breaking down a side of beef into primal cuts...

It's nice to see that I'm not the only one to make a dramatic career change. After completing a Batchelor of Arts in Classical Studies and Art Theory, wondering what next and training to be a primary school teacher, I decided to do something I really love and am better at than teaching. This is my first year of training and I'm so excited. Sometimes I feel like I'm doing the wrong thing as teaching is so secure. But in the end when I make it to executive chef (That'll be a while) I'll be doing something I love and getting paid way more than a teacher will ever see.

It seems that the jump from the medical profession to cooking is not that uncommon - I wonder why, as one who did it myself. It can also be done VERY successfully - one of the BEST and most well known pastry chefs in my area was an ER nurse!

It seems that the jump from the medical profession to cooking is not that uncommon - I wonder why, as one who did it myself. It can also be done VERY successfully - one of the BEST and most well known pastry chefs in my area was an ER nurse!

And after 20 years of being a chef, I thought I'd retire and become a professional bum searching the hidden new england east coast restaurants for enlightenment. (tired of southwest & california spa)

Tselck...

Just curious... it's been over a month since your post here. Still moving forward?

I'm considering a career change myself and it's not a decision to be taken lightly (especially at 50!) But one thing that does come with age is a certain wisdom that life really IS too short to not love what you spend most of your time doing - although, 45-60 hour weeks on my feet is very scary! (Are they trying to keep me where I am or does the love offset the pain?) Inquiring minds...