Culinary Arts Training and Culinary Careers

Find a cooking school in your area!

Do you want a career in a thriving field or industry? The world of hospitality and culinary arts could be just what you are looking for. The hospitality industry is second in size only to the government, employing more than 11 million people. This staggering size is matched only by the field's rate of growth, as the National Restaurant Association projects that total employment in the culinary industry will reach 13.3 million by the year 2012-a 14% increase in 10 years.

Do You Love to Cook?

If you answered yes to this question, this culinary career guide will provide you with all the information you need to translate your culinary passion into a career. Learn all the necessary skills and training to become a chef.

As a prospective chef, you can use this site as an online reference manual, as it addresses the many questions that arise over a new career field, such as:

* What do professional chefs, including distinguished names in cooking, say about their training, current profession, and road to success in the industry?

* Where are the best culinary arts schools? Is an apprenticeship necessary, and how do I enter one?

* What are the expected earnings for a professional chef?

* How bright is the job outlook?

All these answers and many others are right at your fingertips, so let's get started.

Overview

"Cooking is one of the oldest arts and one which has rendered us the most important service in civic life."
-Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

As this quotation by a celebrated French food critic attests, they don’t call them the culinary arts for nothing. The majority of professional chefs undergo two separate kinds of training. The first is studying for four years at a culinary arts institution. In order to give yourself the best foundation in the field, it is important to attend a school that features Le Cordon Bleu as a major component, as Le Cordon Bleu is universally accepted as a high standard. Typically, schools incorporating this French style are at the top of the field. To see a list of premier cooking schools in your area, click here.

After graduating from an accredited culinary program, most professional chefs hone their cooking skills by serving under head chefs for about five years. It is during this period that they choose their area of specialization and develop their own culinary creativity with the guidance of various mentors. At the same time, the apprentice chef gains the real-world experience needed to take him or her to the next level, which is the sous-chef, or second-in-command in the kitchen. At this point, chef’s culinary role also includes a leadership component. If the sous-chef can prove his mettle in the high-stress environment of a prestigious restaurant, he will one day attain the status of head chef. The head chef serves at the helm of an entire kitchen staff and enjoys the benefits of a distinguished reputation and high pay.

It can take up to 10 years to reach this premier position, however, so it’s imperative to start with a rock-hard foundation and build your way up, which starts with picking the right culinary school for you.

A Chef's Life

Going back to Monsieur Brillat-Savarin's quotation, many chefs feel that that cooking is more than a mere job - to professional chefs, cooking is a calling, an art, and a passion. For these reasons, they freely accept the rigor of working 50 hours a week, including nights and weekends. If they stay true to their goal, they will experience the just desserts of their labor, some of which are listed below:

Benefits provided to a Professional Chef:

• Prestigious Reputation
• Creative Freedom
• Never lacking in savory foods

Challenges facing a Professional Chef:

• Years of training
• Demanding apprenticeship
• Long hours working nights and weekends
• Stressful kitchen environment

Good Qualities to have as a Professional Chef:

• Creativity
• Performance under pressure
• Organization

Get a Great Start

The first step in starting your culinary career is enrolling in a cooking school. Learn about cooking schools in your area and request free degree information today!

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Sources:

• 2002 Restaurant Operations Report, National Restaurant Association