Where can Culinary Arts Take You if You're Really Dedicated
If you have a real passion for learning about food, from how to prepare it to food's role in the culture of the world, then you might want to consider a career in the culinary arts. While a culinary arts degree could help you find a job as a head chef -- something that won't be too difficult with a degree considering the huge demand for chefs and the predicted ten percent job growth within the industry according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a culinary arts career could offer much more if you're truly dedicated.
Jobs you can Get with a Culinary Arts Degree
Unlike working your way up in a restaurant, getting a degree in a culinary arts program is more likely to open up tons of different career opportunities. The following are just a few of the jobs that you could obtain as a chef with a culinary arts degree:
- Personal chef - Personal chefs can make a significant amount of money depending on whom they are working for. For example, athletes and movie stars who are on very strict diets pay their personal chefs a substantial amount. Being a personal chef to such a person would allow you to travel with them as well.
- Caterer - If you have excellent organizational skills, then you could work as a chef for a catering service for all kinds of events, from weddings to birthday parties and more.
- Nutritionist - As a nutritionist, you will combine your culinary skills with science in order to help your clients eat healthier. A recent emphasis on health amongst the regular populace has led to a demand for nutritionists in a number of different environments. Not only could you work as a personal nutritionist, you could also be hired as a nutritionist for schools and businesses. You will need more education for this position, but a basis in culinary arts is essential.
- Food scientist - If your interests lie in food health, then becoming a food scientist will allow you to research and create or improve food processes in order to improve public safety.
- Professional chef - Overseeing a kitchen and being in charge of the menu being offered can be done in numerous environments. While you could work at a regular restaurant, you could also find work as a professional chef at a hotel, on a cruise ship, at a hospital, at a school, and more.
Potential Career Course as a Chef
Working as a chef in one of the many industries that seek chefs can certainly be rewarding work in itself. However, your ceiling as far as success goes is much higher than just being a head chef somewhere. The following are just a few possibilities that you could dream about -- and work towards -- if you work hard at being the best chef you can be:
- Restaurant owner - While you're likely to start off as a chef for a restaurant owned by someone else, once you begin to build your reputation, you may be able to open up your own restaurant -- especially if someone who knows about your skills as a chef is willing to partner up with you. Eventually, you may be able to open up a restaurant without any partners acting as financial backers.
- Franchise owner - Chefs who run their restaurants successfully may get to the point where they can open up multiple restaurants, turning their business into a franchise. At this point, your name could become a brand in itself. Just think of chefs such as Wolfgang Puck.
- Book author - Food-related books are a huge hit. Not only do people love buying recipe books to attempt to improve their own culinary skills at home, but people love hearing about the behind-the-scenes stories that take place in restaurant kitchens. Look no further than the late Anthony Bourdain, whose book Kitchen Confidential launched his career into the stratosphere, allowing him to become one of the most well-known celebrity chefs in the world.
- Celebrity chef show star - Food-related TV shows have been a huge hit for over a decade now. Many chefs who have had success in the restaurant business and/or as authors have gone on to become celebrity chef TV stars, from the aforementioned Anthony Bourdain to Gordon Ramsey to Julia Child, arguably one of the first celebrity chef TV stars.
- Product lines - Many celebrity chefs take advantage of their celebrity by lending their name to various product lines, whether it's for kitchen utensils or food products. Just think about the product empire established by Rachel Ray.
As you can see, not only will a culinary arts degree provide many career opportunities, but if you're dedicated enough, your career as a chef could take you to even greater heights. If you'd like to earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Culinary Arts, ECPI University's Culinary Institute of Virginia offers this course at an accelerated rate. For more information about this exciting degree, connect with a friendly admissions advisor today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty, or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.
Gainful Employment Information – Culinary Arts - Associate’s
For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.