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a question...

post #1 of 3
3/28/11 at 10:12pm
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A friend and I were having an argument about something that I was having a difficult time finding an answer to on the internet. He said that its fairly common for people, after graduating culinary school to go and work for free in a restaurant to gain experience. I cant imagine someone already in debt from culinary school, going and working for free for a year. Are you guys just super budgeters? or is this a false lie my friend heard somewhere?

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post #2 of 3
3/29/11 at 3:40am

There is some validity to your friend's statement. Many people will work for a while during a stage. During this time, the student will gain experience and learn some of the nuance of working within the confines of a professional kitchen. School can be a very rewarding and useful experience, while on-the-job training is a necessary aspect of learning the trade, as well. Many students will complete an internship while still enrolled in school to gain that experience and keep insulated from 'real world' expenses and working for free. Hope this helps!

 

 

 

 

 

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post #3 of 3
3/29/11 at 10:25am

I'd be hesitant to work for "free" for very long in any industry, unless it truly is giving you experience that you've never had before. But many people who go to culinary school do have real-world experience in the restaurant industry. Make sure that the restaurant isn't taking advantage of your labor; by law a business cannot benefit from having an unpaid intern. Just for reference, here are the six requirements for an internship to be legal (from the Labor dept.)

 

 

 
1. The training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the 
employer, is similar to what would be given in a vocational school or academic 
educational instruction;  
 
2. The training is for the benefit of the trainees;  
 
3. The trainees do not displace regular employees, but work under their close 
observation;  
 
4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the 
activities of the trainees, and on occasion the employer’s operations may actually 
be impeded;
 
5. The trainees are not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training 
period; and  
 
6. The employer and the trainees understand that the trainees are not entitled to 
wages for the time spent in training
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