I love foooood

[ThaNouShef]

I am 22 years old. I am from NJ. I love the tristate area (esp pizza). I now live in california. I love food, I love making food & I love making food. I have a computer science background and have not finished school yet. However, I would love to be a chef in a kitchen. I feel it's my passion, it's what my heart wants and if i dont do it i feel like i'm letting something i'm good at get away. Now my question right now, is should I go to culinary art school, or should I not even get involved. The only reason I wouldn't get involved is because of the lack of jobs, or rather should I say "Good Jobs" and for my life in the long term financially. What do you think?

[psyco6stringer]

I don't want to sound mean or against what you may want to do , but cooking at home and loving to do it is a lot different then getting in the trench and sludging out 10 to 12 hr days of non stop stress. It is a good reason to possibly pursue a carer in it , but at the same time you should ask yourself ..what do I really want out of it ? Is it to pay what can be upwards of 50 k to go to a school that will teach you a lot ..with not much hands on in a industry that takes no prisoners and is ..to be blunt a hard way of life ? Yes there are a lot of jobs in it. And if you truly love it ..try it out maybe before deciding to put that much of your life and $$$$$ to it. You may find with some real life expertise that you love it ...if so dive away. Pursue what you want to do everyday otherwise even the good days can seem horrid.

[Blueicus]

Out of all the "I don't know what I should do with my life" threads I think this one most resembles my situation 3 years ago (in quite possibly the most superficial way)... meaning I was your age when I had my "epiphany", I had just finished a computer science degree and I had/still have a great passion for food and the industry.

I'll say this much, if you haven't had worked in the industry yet then go and find a job... if you go to school, spend obscene amounts of money and then end up hating the industry (which is certainly possible since cooking at home or for friends is most definitely not the same as being a cook at a restaurant or any other food career environment and even less like being a chef) then you'll have needlessly dug yourself a deeper hole.

In my opinion a few of the most important characteristics you could have when trying to enter this industry in this stage of your life are courage, an open mind and a lot of maturity. Don't be afraid of making your own opportunities and seize those that happen to pass by, know that you don't know everything and that there's always something to learn, and work your butt off to prove to the chefs that you mean business and you're in it because you're here to excel, they'll teach you more and you'll make life long friends.

Remember that you're not always going to be able to do what you want to do, sometimes you'll need to help out in dishes, sometimes you'll have to do a boring and repetitive task over and over, sometimes you'll find that you've got no real prospects and that you'll have to keep plugging at it until you find a job you like and have respect for. Those are the times that test the limits of your passion and a healthy dose of it will keep you on track.

[chubyalaskagriz]

My advice? Follow your HEART, dude! But be prepared to work your BUTT off! Hour for hour, chefs make far less than those in most fields. BUT, if you truly love it and if you work hard and are willing to work long hours w/ little time off, you'll make enough to pay the piper. Cooking for most is not a job- it's a calling. Most chefs have no choice at all- they are PULLED to the work and there's nothing they can do about it! PASSION for one's job- nothing else compares. Not even $$$.

[chefboy2160]

Congratulations on your love of food. At your age I would not make any drastic changes to quickly. I would get a part time job in the industry and see how you like it. Set goals,short and long term and go for it if its your cup of tea. Just remember as has been stated it can be quite brutal as far as hours, pay, and physical labor. You should have a win win personality as the whiners dont last long. Hope this helps.................

[Saltydog]

Like others said, you'll need to get a job in a restaurant kitchen. It will be entry level and not glamorous. (The pay sucks too) If the first place doesn't work out try another. All kitchens are not created equal.

Good luck to you. It won't take long to figure out if it's right for you.

(A side benefit is cooks tend to get laid alot)

[youngbuck]

I got to say, everyone else pretty much summed it up. Long hours, low pay, hard work, not very glamorous. But if you love to go places and don't care much for material things, this is the job for you. You'll be working weekends and holidays. I've missed a lot in that sense. But, you will eat better than anyone else and its a very noble and respectable profession, if you get into this job, you will be fielding a lot of questions from your family and friends. Plus, when eating at work 5 or more days a week, imagine how cheap your grocery bill will be. Spend $5 a day for lunch, thats $25 a week. But you for sure need to work at a restaurant before you make a decision, even if it is as a dish washer just to see what goes on if you cant get a cooking job.

Best of luck.