Can I Change Course to Become a Chef?
Becoming a chef may appeal to individuals interested in working in the food service industry. Aside from a passion for food, the massive increase of YouTube chefs has brought more attention to the industry. However, if you want to change your course to become a chef, working in this industry is not exactly what you see on TV. There’s more to it. To get a better idea of what working in a restaurant kitchen is really like, here are some important things that you should know before changing course to become a chef.
It's a Physically Demanding Job
You may not even realize it, but working in a kitchen, you’re going to be standing and moving around for the majority of the job and for long hours. It can be a physically strenuous job and you’ll need to be lifting heavy kitchen supplies, stocking walk-ins with food, and constantly chopping ingredients throughout the workday. The kitchen is hot and crowded and you should be prepared for a fast-paced and physical work environment.
Experience Changes Depending On Where You Work
The food service industry has a ton of different jobs from caterer and food stylist to personal chef and restaurant owner. You could work at different types of establishments, carrying out different upscale and casual operations. On some days, you may be required to work at banquets and cater events. Working in fine dining establishments, country clubs, and hotels all provide variety in interesting settings.
Offers Creativity and Freedom
Working as a culinary artist allows you to be more creative and gives you more freedom than plenty of other fields. Cooking also gives you the opportunity to make adjustments and create flavors that are not only interesting but original. Recipes are just guidelines and you can add new ingredients and change the ratios to come up with something that is originally yours. As such, there’s constant change and every day is different when you work as a chef.
You’re Never Really Done with Training
Cooking is an art and science. With so many aspects constantly evolving in the way food is prepared, you have to keep up with the latest culinary trends as they come, to stay at the top of the game. Working as a chef means that you will be constantly reading and learning, you’ll need to step out of your comfort zone and try new recipes in order to be successful in the culture of food. Therefore, before switching fields to become a chef, be ready to embrace different recipes and techniques to learn as much as you can, especially at your entry level.
How Education Can Help You Get to Where You Want to Be
You can become a chef with or without culinary education. But attending a culinary school could take your cooking abilities to a whole new level. The basic idea is that formal education will help you develop a wide range of skills--faster--that could prepare you to work in all kinds of different roles in different settings within the food industry.
Culinary education equips you with hands-on experience that could prepare you for everything that comes with being a chef. You will how to delegate tasks in the kitchen, handle a stressful kitchen, and how to best use your cooking time.
Not only will you learn about cooking, education in culinary arts also gives you the opportunity to learn about nutrition, proper food preparation, food safety, how to use various kitchen utensils, immersing experiences, ethical practices, and professionalism in the kitchen. As such, you could become a well-rounded chef with flexibility in your future. This only actually happens as you get to improve your skills and knowledge.
Skills and Qualities You Need to Become Successful in Culinary Arts
When it comes to a successful culinary future, chefs have to develop a variety of skills ranging from soft skills related to teamwork and hard skills related to cooking. The fast-paced world of food service needs culinary arts professionals who are passionate about the trade and innovative in their creations. Cooking is not everything; you need to have skills and qualities that employers seek in candidates for chef jobs. Some of them include:
- Creativity
- Attention to detail
- Ability to handle criticism
- Passion
- Flexibility
- Fast-paced decision making
- Multitasking
- Team player
- Organization and cleanliness
- Curiosity and desire to learn more
Are you interested in switching to culinary arts? If you want to earn an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts, consider ECPI University’s Culinary Institute of Virginia for your education. For more information on this exciting program, connect with a friendly admissions counselor.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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