Help. WHat's it like being a pastry chef?

[schiznick]

Hello to all,

I'm new to this forum, but I thought I'd add my opinion for what it may be worth. I'm a pastry chef working for a company that owns 7, soon to be 8 restaurants in the Midwest area. I went to a local college and got an AAS in Culinary Arts. Recently I went back to work on a BA in business. I am also certified (certifiable sometimes!) through the ACF. I can tell you my point of view from being one of only a few young women who hold managerial positions in this company. The bottom line is that your bosses want to make money. That's why anyone who is in business is. If you are providing a quality product for the customer and making money for your bosses, then you are doing a good job.

For a young woman it can be hard, really hard sometimes to deal.
You can be the nicest person, but working in a kitchen can sometimes be like entering an entirely different world. The longer you can stick it out and prove yourself, the better you will be. The hours can be long and demanding, but if you truly have a love for this type of work then you will come back day after day.

My personal recommendation is some type of post- secondary culinary education. It is important to have a good foundation. However, once you enter the reality of working, just keep in mind that you should try to absorb all the information that you can. Everyone has their own system and can teach you something. I'm only 28, and try to learn more everyday. Good luck.

schiznick

[Headless Chicken]

I was in your shoes about 12 months ago. I made a switch from computers and business to the culinary feilds without knowing much other then what I saw and learned on FoodTV.

As for a pastry chef, you must love doing this. My first partner in practical class had chosen to enter baking/pastry arts by having a list of careers, closing his eyes, and point & choose. For starters, its not cheap. My entire life savings was used up and I had no financial help. I was sleep deprived for most of the year because class started at 7am where my travel time was nearly 1h. And its a messy job sometimes when working with so many raw items. These are the down sides I ran into, however, none of this bothered me because I was willing to go in debt and get dirty because I love doing this.

If you want a little taste of what its like to work in the feild, try to find a summer job that takes you near a kitchen or you can do what I did, experiment at home. Before attending classes, I baked a lot at home for a good year. I timed how long it took me and I choose recipes that would challenge me.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do but remember to choose something you love doing.