career advice

I am considering a career change, have always loved cooking and baking and think I would like to become a chef. The cooking school in my area costs $5000 for 3 months, and from what I gather I would have to start at an entry level job in a kitchen anyway and learn on the job. Do you think it's worth going to school at all? If I do have a culinary "diploma" do you think I would get a better job paying more than I would without it? I should mention I have no real experience in a kltchen at all. Any advice relating to this career is welcomed. Starting pay, working conditions, etc..thanks

[Pete]

Before you make any decisions about whether to go to school or not, you should spend some time working in a restaurant to see if you enjoy it. The restaurant business isn't for everyone. Forget the glamour of it. It doesn't exist for 90% of us. It's long hours, under hot, stressful conditions most of the time. A love for cooking and baking does not neccessarily translate into a love of the restaurant business. Spend 6 months working in a restaurant to see if you really enjoy it. If you do, then I would highly recommend going to school. It will help move your career along a little faster. But, be careful, going to culinary school does not make you a chef (see many related topics on this bulletin board). After schooling you still have a number of years "in the trenches" while you learn. I have worked in restaurants all my life (started at 8), graduated culinary school in '94' and am still a sous chef (though I am now looking to take over a kitchen if anyone knows of anyone looking). If this sounds like a game plan you can live with, go for it. If not, maybe you should think twice about a career in this field. Good luck with making your decision.

My thoughts exactly on the subject pete.

[Sodaro]

Stephanie:

The advice given from Pete and supported by Andrew is good but incomplete. I agree, if you think you want to work in or own a restaurant it would be a good idea to give it a try before spending a lot of money on school. However, slaving away in a hot restaurant kitchen for $7/hr is not the only option you will have coming out of culinary school.

I'm a career changer who did what you are contemplating. I walked away from a successful engineering career (that I hated) and went to culinary school full time for two years. It was the best decision I ever made and money well spent. I learned more in the first month than I thought I would in the whole two years.

There's a lot of people out there who think the only path you can take in this business is a hard one. Read the postings on this web site under the "What's the Biggest Problem Facing Young Chefs Today?" and you will see what I mean. At 33 years old with a wife, a mortgage and a pile of student loans, taking a restaurant job after graduation was out of the question for me.

My restaurant experience consists of a 3-month internship during culinary school and a few years working in a restaurant in high schoool (15 years ago!).

The egos in this business are unbelievable. I think the secret to making it is keeping yours in check. What worked for me was starting my own personal chef businees. It works for me because I get to be my own boss and it was a businees I could start w/o risking everything I have. Basically, I go to peoples homes and prepare a couple of weeks worth of meals for them at a time. I freeze the food and they heat it up at their convenience. Am I a chef? I guess not. A chef is someone comanding a kitchen full of cooks. Am I preparing good food for people that makes them happy and makes their lives easier? Absolutely. Does the food I make belong on the table in a 3-star restaurant? No. Does it matter? No. Most people don't want to eat fois gras or squab everyday anyway. I don't pretend to be something I'm not. I don't promise people an experience that I can't deliver. Culinary school was enough training for me to do this well. I did not have to make the sacrifices that a lot of people will tell you that you must make in order to make a decent living in this business. Don't get me wrong -- my work is physically demanding and I work more hours than I like to admit. But it's for me.

I'm not saying that being a personal chef is going to be right for you. But, if cooking is really in your heart, I say go for it and get the education. Hopefully you will find a satisfying career that puts the education to use. The worst thing that will happen is that you'll go back to your old profession and the food you make for yourself or your family will improve tremendously. At least you won't regret not having done it before it's too late.

Good luck to you.

[theloggg]

Sodaro....thanks for your reply. I too am making a career change. I'm 30, been in Silicon Valley too long (already) and will be attending culinary school in July. It was nice to see a post that didn't have a negative theme. I've pretty much taken the attitude that I love to cook and it is what I want to do for living. From there, all else will fall into place. I haven't a clue as to where I will end up cooking, or how many hours I will put in, but that does not concern me now. I thought about not attending school and going straight into a kitchen, but I want to go to school and I don't consider the cost of school as a debt, it's an investment. Not only in my career, but my mental well-being. I agree with your closing comments, it was the reason I finally made the decision to go to school. I didn't want to look back at this 20 years from now and say "I shoulda..." Thanks again for saying what I wanted to hear.

Wow! I respect those of you who have made, or going to make, a career change. I have been in the cooking business for 7 years, I went to school when I was 21 and have never looked back. I too am married with a family and family size bills! I can't imagine what kinda og guts it takes to toss up your job and go back to school for a year, two years, or even 6 months full time. I think that if you want to do GO FOR IT! I hope you do well and enjoy it. There are all kinds a jobs out there for culinary people, find on and do it well, but most of all work hard and have fun! Good luck in our adventures.

stephanie its good that you want to change iam from U.K. so iam not sure what your schools or colleges are like.
catering colleges over here do better training for chefs then private schools which can be alot of dosh.
i prefer to take on chefs trained at colleges then schools.
but i would do a bit of work experince first to see if you like it then maybe try to do a deal if possible to go to school/college part time while working getting the best of both worlds and get the restaurant etc. to paid the costs if possible good for both parties involved
but thats my theory!!!!!!from across the sea
anyway good luck and all the best for the future later Jamms!!!!

thanks for everyones replys. I have gone to a local "casual fine dining" place and offered to work for free part-time in the kitchen in exchange for seeing whether or not I like the atmosphere. I am just waiting to hear back from them. Special hi to Jamms from UK. I was
born in Yorkshire, so I'm interested in where
exactly you're from?

glad to be of help
iam from Norwich in Norfolk in the U.K
once again good luck
see ya Jamms

[m brown]

Get the most bang for your buck, go to a good school and learn as much as you can.
If it suits you, you'll know it and go far, if not, and you can't stand working in a kitchen you will have gained great knowledge! There is a world of food support, test kitchens, food stylests, writers, consultants........
You could even supply food for movie sets, as long as you can steam tofu of course.
best of luck!