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Experience Vs. Education

post #1 of 5
9/5/09 at 4:05pm
Thread Starter 
Hey everyone, I am currently a culinary student at a local community college, nothing special but trying to save a bit of money. I am almost done with my associates degree in Culinary Arts, and to me I have learned more in the field rather than at school. I was just wanting some other opinions if it is really worth the money to continue my education or just get the experience.
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post #2 of 5
9/5/09 at 9:12pm
It really depends on what you want to do career-wise. What particular job do you want to do, where do you want to work, how far up the ladder do you want to move, etc.

The general rule is that experience is more valuable than education. This is not always true though. The higher up you go (even past the kitchen into say being a restaurant GM or F&B Director), the more demanding corporate is gonna be on you for education as well as experience.

One of my fellow classmates has worked for 15 years in the hotel F&B world, and applied for a job as hotel F&B director. The only difference between him and the person that got the job, was that person had a BA and he didnt. Hence why he is currently my classmate (err was, we just graduated).

I jumped over to a BA immediately after culinary, working the same job I've had all the way through. I am now full time at the same hotel, making I guess alright pay, but thats how it goes. I don't expect my BA to give me a whole lot of leverage until I go after a Sous or Supervisor position.

Oh and I would pursue something more rounded, like Hospitality Management, as opposed to a BA in Culinary Arts, but thats just my opinion.
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post #3 of 5
9/6/09 at 9:02am
Thread Starter 
Well thanks for replying, I just was looking for someone's opinion that has been in the field for a while and has been to college. I personally love the kitchen and can't imagine doing anything but cooking for the rest of my life. I also read some other post people have made and they are all saying about the same thing, so thank you everyone for the input.
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post #4 of 5
9/27/09 at 6:51am

experience is best

in my opionion, experience is the best thing.
i went to catering collage, whilst i was working, but i still found that i would learn more by working, and every time i could i would just sit and read.
the book knoledge is good yes, but you can lern more by actualy beeing in the kitchen. in one of my very first jobs as a chef, i was told by my head chef that its best to employ someone with the working experience, mainly because they tend to know more, and know HOW to be in a kitchen.
and i agree with that. im only working now as a cdp, but ive never compleeted my colledge training, and im glad that i didnt go through with it.

iv basically had just the working experience, and i have found that i have already done so much, i left school with no quallifications. but now, well its a different story, the kitchen has changed me. now i am more willing to lern and more find that i am more motivated to actualy lern, more than i am when im in a class room.

so yeah experience over school any day.
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post #5 of 5
9/27/09 at 11:42am
I have had graduates of many so called culinary schools who could not boil water or for that matter fill the pot with same' I will take experience any day.
CHEFED
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