Indecisive about career in culinary arts

[Greg]

Welcome to cheftalk, pascale! You'll find some differing opinions on some of your questions here: http://www.cheftalkcafe.com/cgi-loca...c&f=3&t=000332

I really love to cook and I think I could be a great chef, but I am unsure if I will enjoy it as a career. Is it hard to find a job? Is the pay good? Is it difficult for women, particulary short womem, to find jobs? I'd like for a chef to tell me the pros and cons of being a chef.null

I've been visiting this site for a couple of weeks now, and thought I would put in my two-cents. Pascale you are not alone in your feelings of indecisiveness. I’m a college graduate working as an information systems analyst at a local law enforcement agency. I’ve been fairly successful over the past ten years --- published a few white papers, presented at some international conferences, and frequently perform the “dog & pony show” for interested visitors. I make decent living, and the benefits are good ---medical, dental, life insurance, medical reimbursement and 401K. If I were to retire in 25 years I have, in addition to my 401K, approximately 70% of my salary.

With all this said, am I really happy in my work... well, there is really no simple answer. From the posts I have been reading, benefits are highly unlikely, but they are nonetheless important to me. I understand the long hours and not so great pay. However, I’m nearly 34, married, have a house and other financial obligations making that much more difficult to decide if such a move is right. Also, as I get older, will my body hold out. I really don’t know the longevity of a chef. Since I am most interested in pastry and bread will I be able to lift a 50lb sack of flour when I’m 50 years old?

In the interim I have decided that I must educate myself while I become vested (1.5 more years) at work. A local community college is offering classes in the culinary arts, but they are not ACF accredited. Despite this I thought if I could get some coursework experience that maybe I could get some hands-on experience at a local high-end shop without giving up my day job. I’ve only read and heard about the life, and I think to make a decision I must have some actual experience.

Sorry to be so verbose, but right now I feel like I am just trying to find my way.

Regards and good luck...Deena

[BillyG60]

Denna,

I will be taking classes at my local Community College to meet the requirments to become ACF Certified(it also helps that these classes are taken by the apprentices in Sea Island's 3 year program)
I called the ACF several times to make sure that they are the right courses.You can always go the online route(look at the ACF's site for links)

As for the "body stress" I have bad knees and ankles(from playing Baseball,Football ,and Basketball during high school) and standing on a hard surfaces for 10-12 hous at a time hurts sometimes.I have to ice my knees sometimes to keep the tendonitis from acting up and all(which is real bad comming from someone who is only 32 years old!!!!)

I love this profession and am in it for the long haul.

Billy brose@technonet.com

[ August 14, 2001: Message edited by: BillyG60 ]

[Suzanne]

I am a 52-year-old professional cook with a degree in Culinary Arts & Restaurant Management (as well as earlier B.A. and M.B.A.), and 6+ years in the field as Steward, Garde Manger, Line Cook, Pastry Chef, and Kitchen Manager. Can I heft 50# sacks of flour? Sure. And 100# tubs of sloppy, gooey hors d'oeuvre fillings. Can I run a kitchen efficiently: hiring, training, coaching, and disciplining staff (and firing when necessary); ordering, storing, and using product economically; devising new recipes and making them over and over and over (how about 30 or more times?) until they work JUST RIGHT? Can I work 80 hour weeks, on my feet the whole time? Can I pay for my own health insurance and retirement plan? AND can I do it all while putting up with rapacious owners, incompetent managers, and other deviants?

Yes (except maybe for the owner/manager bit; deviants I can handle). Am I a chef yet? ****, no. Will I ever be one? I hope so, but who knows. All I know is that there is nothing as satisfying as working with food, and working with other people who love to work with food.

Honey, you've got a LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG way to go before you can even THINK about "being" a chef. First you have to learn SKILLS -- knife skills, people skills, money skills, management skills. Cooking is the least of it (I hardly ever do at work any more, except to re-re-re-re-re...-make whatever is in development, or to fix what my staff has [rarely] messed up.) You've got to accept that jobs paying what you're worth are few and far between, and probably far distant from the place where your near-and-dear live.

If you really have that passion, no matter how short, how female, how poor, how tired you are, YOU WILL MAKE IT IN THIS INDUSTRY. Do not be discouraged. Get all the support you can. Join Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. Check out ONTHERAIL.com. Talk to every REAL chef you can. Keep the faith.

[Live_to_cook]

I'm not a woman, or a budding pro, but I have to say: Two thumbs up for Suzanne.

[KyleW]

Rapacious - I like it! From one New Yorker to another, You tell 'em Suzanne!

[Kimmie]

I like it too!

Go girl!!