How long?

If one just came out of culinary school and got their first cooking job, realistically, how long would it take before they work their way to become an executive chef? Thanks for any responses.

Herb

[m brown]

Ten years. Not busting chops but really....

[Pete]

It really all depends on what you want out of this career. I know kids who took Exec. jobs right out of school or soon after. They make decent money right away, but have limited themselves and their furture earnings in a big way. It makes it difficult for them to work at any great restaurants because they really haven't developed a lot of great cooking skills and it is hard for them to cut back their salary from a $35,000 a yr. chef job to $9.00 an hr as a line cook in a great house. Do yourself a favor and take your time. I agree with m brown. If you want to be successful then take 8-12 yrs to really learn. Spend at least half that time as a line cook and the rest of it as a sous under a really good Exec.

Thank you M Brown and Pete for your replies. Being new to the culinary field and presently debating if this is something for me to pursue, any advice is appreciated. I have been learning a lot about the culinary world on this discussion board. Thanks again.

[UniChef]

The title of Executive Chef is relative. Some places give the head line cook that title. I have seen other places where chefs are responsible for multi-million dollar operations and they don't have that title. Don't get caught up in titles. Learn to love what you do and everything else will follow.

[layjo]

Yeah, I have been asked many times....."So are you a Chef yet?" from relatives and friends I've known for a long while. But I simply reply by saying "No I'm not a Chef yet, because I fill and others above me in rank fill that I need three or four more years experience under my belt. Some of that time, will need to be in a leadership position where i will get seasoned in to the transition of a Chef." So in my way of thinking and determining, you would have to experience 10-12 years of learning and working the trade.

[This message has been edited by layjo (edited September 02, 2000).]