What are the Requirements to Become a Chef Today?

Our nation is having a love affair with food. More people than ever are open to trying new dishes in restaurants, while we're expanding our personal repertoire of interesting cuisine prepared in our own kitchens. As ingredients that are more diverse become available, our food palettes have expanded to include cuisine from all over the world.

That means there's never been a better time to be a chef. Industries come and go, but we always need to eat, and as our lives have grown busier, our willingness to dine out has become more frequent.

Perhaps you've become aware of the burgeoning interest in food, and wondered if your own enjoyment of cooking and food preparation might translate into a marketable career. If that's the case, you've probably wondered what it takes to be a chef. Although it's not as simple as just being able to cook, a love of cooking and food preparation is where every chef's career starts.

So let's break this down further. What other requirements are there to becoming a chef?

1. A Passion for Cooking and Food Preparation

We'll say it again. This is one profession where you won't do well unless you have an absolute passion for food preparation and cooking. You may have heard celebrity chefs talk about their early devotion to their craft -- how they spent their spare time dreaming up new dishes and improving others. If you're just looking for a job where you punch a clock, this isn't the career for you. Chefs put in long hours, and successful ones pour their hearts and souls into their work.

2. Good Preparation

A chef's education should start with at least have a high school diploma. And then, sure, you can learn how to cook in a commercial setting by taking an entry-level job and learning the ropes, slowly working your way up to chef. But there's so much you'll miss if you don't enroll in an accredited culinary arts program.

Earning an associate's degree in culinary arts will give you a chance to work with professional chef instructors, doing hands-on food preparation. You'll learn basic techniques, as well as what it takes to run a kitchen, from ordering food to managing and leading a restaurant team. By attending culinary arts school, you will be exposing yourself to so many more aspects of cooking than you would learn from merely working in one kitchen: international cuisine, meat and fish fabrication, nutrition, baking and pastry arts, food service management, and much more.

Further, you'll have the opportunity to meet people in the culinary arts world who can help you network -- a valuable skill when it's time to look for a job. You'll also have access to college faculty and staff who can mentor you about career paths and opportunities. A culinary arts program will help to broaden your world so that you're better prepared to meet professional challenges.

In time, you may want to go on to earn a bachelor's degree in culinary arts. And why stop there? If the opportunity allows, be a lifelong learner -- travel, enroll in courses that teach different techniques and other types of cuisine, and keep expanding your horizons. A chef can just be a cook, or can also be something of an artist with food.

You might even benefit from learning a language and going to study abroad to become a specialist in a type of ethnic cuisine. You could also look into joining a trade organization such as the American Culinary Federation to stay abreast of opportunities and developments in the food and culinary industry.

3. Experience

While you're pursuing your degree in culinary arts, you can get going in the field by accepting an entry level job as a cook or kitchen aide. Aim for a good quality, reputable restaurant where you can learn hands-on professionalism. Not only will you have valuable experience working in a kitchen, but you will also be able to compare the kitchen you're working in with your culinary instruction. Such experience can give you a broader, well-rounded picture of your profession.

4. Stamina!

We mentioned above the long hours you will likely have to work as a chef, but be prepared to work those hours on your feet in a hot kitchen. You will need to have stamina, be in good physical shape, and live a lifestyle that helps you remain clear headed, focused, and ready to give 100% every day.

Are you interested in becoming a chef? If you want to earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Culinary Arts, ECPI University’s Culinary Institute of Virginia offers this program. With accelerated education and a year-round schedule, you could earn your degree in as little as 15 months. For more information about this exciting program, connect with a friendly admissions counselor today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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