the psycological aspect of being new

[piracer]

well, so i got this part-time job at this place, and well, the first 4 days were good, but yesterday and today have been, well, taxing on the mind. as im new and this is my only second job, im obivouslly slower then all the other chefs, and for some reason, they kept on shouting at me and you know, generally seemed to be really pissed of at me. yes im slow and obviouslly wont do the task as well as the rest, but, cmon, im part-time and im only 16 for crying outloud. well, what im trying to say is, anyone feel like this before? when i get shouted at i start to get very uneasy and i just start to work slower and in a more sloppy manner. its an open kitchen so theres very little room for mistake, which is fair i guess. so, when you all were still young chefs or inexpeerinced and for the ones that just started full time, how do you cope with the shouting and the basically sayings that 'your crap' and 'my mother could peel that carrot faster then you (with no hint of any lightness to the tone of voiice btw)". most of you probably wont by sympathetic, but well, i guess thats one part that gets to me, why do chefs have to be such assholes when things arent fast enough? i understand the part that the customer is waiting, but... well, im really re-thinking my futures of being a chef. i hope next week wont be as bad, im still kinda shaking from today.

sigh...

[Steve A]

Piracer,

To answer your question succinctly. YES. Each job I've started, and I've been in this business some time now (including chef, KM and other 'high ranking' spots), I've been scared poopless, slower than 'my peers', etc.

Since you posted this on Sunday morning, I'm believing you were talking about a Saturday evening shift. They can be brutal.

Hang in there. They know you're new. Some of the crap you took from them was them testing to see whether you'd drop out or not. If you hung in there, great! HANG IN THERE. If you decide it's not for you, do the honorable thing and give notice. Don't just walk away from them. This is pretty much a small community. You'll apply for a job elsewhere and someone'll be looking for references.

Keep it up. Do your best. If you feel you're really behind, ask to speak to the chef, sous chef, etc., confidentially. Tell them you want to be better and tell them you WILL be better. Ask them for tips about how you might improve.

Good luck,
Ciao,

[foodpump]

Steve has excellent advice, Yeah, the new guy always gets shouted at. Why?

Rember back in grade school when a "sub" teacher filled in? Everyone gave her the guns, see if she could take it or not. In a kitchen it's the same thing, but the stakes are a bit higher, because you have to rely on the new guy, if he goofs, they all look bad. And also if the new guy doesn't have any staying power, there's no sense showing him all the stuff he/she needs to know because you know you're just wasting your time and effort. Don't take it personally it's just a survival tactic. .

[panini]

piracer,
All good advice, and not negetive. right?
Usually when you are hired into a position where time might be your enemy,
all sorts of jobs, the skilled crew will test your personality more so then your skills.
Like Steve says, walking off won't cut it. These people need you, and they know that your going to hang in there when the corn hits the fan. Don't be afraid to speak up and hold your own. Let them know your getting better each day. Tell em " hey, your stuck with me, cuz I'm not going anywhere till I'm good". Join their mental group. You'll see, it takes time. Trust me, you'll be giving the same crap to someone else here shortly.
pan

[chrose]

Well I guess I'll be the lone voice of dissent here (partially anyway) my feeling is that everything that everyone said above is true, however my take is that you're only 16 and still in formative years in many respects. If you were 19 or older and getting out of culinary school I would say to hang in, but you're not. My suggestion (and take all of them that you get and customize it to fit you) but I would say find a better job, one that would be a slower pace where you could build up your confidence and speed then give them proper notice and go learn at your pace. You don't always have to jump into the middle of the fire to make you better.

[TheAvatar]

Well...Here's the deal. I started in the restaurant business when I was 16, and I know what you're talking about, but here's what you have to remember.

You suck. You always will suck. Everyone is 3 times faster and knows 10 times more than you.

Ok, now that the nitty gritty is out of the way, get this through your head.

If you're good enough, you'll always have a place at the restaurant. If you're better than good enough, you'll have rank.

And you know what, most chefs are a-holes because that's the only way to get people to move quickly and get done what needs to get done. Part of your SELF WORTH has to rely on your performance, or who cares? CARE ABOUT THE JOB YOU DO. ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS. REALLY TRY TO LEARN WHY AND HOW THINGS WORK.

You're only 16? Whatever, quit whining. You'll cut it, or you won't. Just don't leave crying.

[HeavyMetal Chef]

You are 16...your chefs are like everyone said, "testing your personality." They don't want you to fail but they do want to see what you are made of so my advice to you, go balls to the wall and show them that you can do it. At first kitchens are difficult especially at the age of 16 and experience is little to none but as you progress you will see your knowledge, speed and character will build up more. These chefs I bet want to build you up to this massive kitchen monster that can destroy, mutilate and murder whatever pops on that ticket. Stick with it and the harder (notice I didn't say hard) times will be over before you know it.

[godfather_chef]

i'm only 19, piracer, so i know where you're coming from. i currently run my own station at a 3 star restaurant, and don't believe for one minute that i didnt and still dont go through sh*t just about every day. one of the main things the other guys rag me about is that i havent been to culinary school [i'm starting in a month though]. i just hang in there and talk sh*t right back at them, like when the sous burns something in the oven, i'll usually chime in with something like 'did they teach you that at culinary school?' but you just gotta hang in there and show them you got a little fuzz on your peaches, otherwise they'll walk all over you. best of luck to you.

[piracer]

hey, thanks for all the reply. but like i said earlier, the more they shout, the worst i work. i just cant seem to concentrate with the pressure on me, is there a way to diffuse this? im also abit worried about the part on which i should ask to learn more. yes, i should, but as only a part-timer, i feel that they won't care as much. im not a person that is consistent. it showed when i was cutting some vegetables up, and for this, i think they hate the most about me. i guess i should tell them i want to improve, but agian, as only a part-timer, i think they dont really give a crap.

[foodnfoto]

What a bunch of macho BS!
I'm persistently stunned that cooks and chefs hire inexperienced people and expect them to perform up to their standards without articulating what those standards are and showing them how! Then they scream at them as some sort of twisted motivation technique? It's completely inneffective and more about asserting the dominance of the chef's ego.

In my days as a chef, I did some yelling, but only to lame brains who were trained and retrained multiple times how to do a job, but insisted on doing it their own way. (I had one guy think it would be a good idea to add some flour to chicken soup to thicken it up!?!? Huh? No flour in the kitchen's standard recipe book.)
To new enthusiatic cooks without experience, I started them on jobs they could reasonably do, and slowly showed them more, using encouragement and friendly correction.
All this screaming does not improve a new cook's performance, or anyone else's for that matter. It certainly does not build your integrity as a chef or leader either.
Piracer, I'd look for another job. Go to a bunch of chefs and state clearly your inexperience and willingness to learn. Expect or ask to be put in a position where the pressure is relatively low and the work monotonous. But keep your eyes open and ask questions. Show up everday with a pen and notebook in hand and write down any interesting technique, useful procedure (even if just washing dishes) or recipe you are given or observe. Demonstrate you willingness to do more than you are asked by keeping your station impeccably tidy and tidy up other areas anytime you see a mess. These simple indications of commitment to the overall operation will not go unnoticed by the ones in control and eventually you will be trusted with more responsibility.
This is a growth process. Nothing grows when thrown into fire.