[rodolfo89]

Hi, little help here, I'm still deciding between a Grand Diplôme wich takes about 9 months at LCB in Ottawa or an Associate degree of culinary arts at LCB in Austin wich takes 2 years, the Grand Diplôme is about $5,000usd cheaper than the Associate degree. I'm 26yo and I can't wait to get my cooking to a pro level one step at the time and work my way up, is an Associate degree really necessary? Will it help me get a better job and faster?. Thanks,

 

[chefedb]

The degree might always come in handy even if you get out of this business.

 

[rodolfo89]

Thanks for the advice Chef.

 

[canele]

Hi, little help here, I'm still deciding between a Grand Diplôme wich takes about 9 months at LCB in Ottawa or an Associate degree of culinary arts at LCB in Austin wich takes 2 years, the Grand Diplôme is about $5,000usd cheaper than the Associate degree. I'm 26yo and I can't wait to get my cooking to a pro level one step at the time and work my way up, is an Associate degree really necessary? Will it help me get a better job and faster?. Thanks,

i would suggest the degree.

To be honest.... we look at noobs who are straight out of school as knowing nothing. Not in a mean way.... but its they are just ...green. Having 2 years of knowing nothing is much better then 9 months of knowing nothing.

 

[wesgraham]

LCB?

Also, like Canele said, 2yrs looks better then 9mo. You'll know more after 2yrs of schooling and it just looks better on paper. In my honest opinion, 9mo(a certificate) looks like the lazy person's way of getting into the industry when you can go for a year and 3 months longer and have way more knowledge walking into a kitchen.

 

[nicko]

How much is a degree now at [product="26822"]Le Cordon Bleu Usa [/product]

 

[foodpump]

Help? Please, please, pretty please take this piece of advice:Work in a commercial kitchen for at least 9 mths before you sign on the dotted line for any school.Yes, you will be washing dishes and prepping salad, mopping floors and straining fryers. But as Canelle said you had "0" experience before going into culinary school, and upon graduating, you still have "0" experience.This might not be the advice you are looking for, but it is the one piece of advice just about any employer will give you, begging you, actualy, and employers are precisely half of your equation.Working in a kitchen before culinary school won't cost you a dime, matter of fact you'll probably be earning minimum wage or better. There are a lot of people who regret forking out 20 grand or more for a culinary degree or diploma and then find out they don't like the work or the lifestyle a kitchen can offer you.Hope this helps, and please get into a kitchen FIRST, before enrolling into school.

 

[foodpump]

Mmm, I had paragraphs in the above post, don't know where they went to...

 

[chefboyog]

What foodpump said.

To me, BOTH certificates look like you paid someone to tell you how to strain a fryer the wrong way.

If your spending someone elses money; go to school and have a good time. Only if you have to choose school to spend their money. Otherwise invest it better.

If its your own money, keep it/ invest it better. If its the banks money, you've already lost the game and your a slave.

Good luck. Big life decision to make dont base it too much in our view. Do you want to live in Austin or Ottawa is a great importance also.