If you want to start a career in the culinary profession to become a successful chef, know that you have to put in a lot of hard work and dedication. Passion, commitment, and consistency are essential in every profession, like a doctor or lawyer, because these careers have well-defined laws and regulations. When it comes to becoming a chef, you have no specific formula to pitch and follow; it s a journey of different paths where the end is also different from others.
With that said, there are a few basic steps that usual successful chefs often take, which are mentioned below.
1. Enroll in an Accredited Culinary School
The New York Times notes, “Formal training is becoming the fastest and most efficient way into an industry that has grown in competition and complexity.”
If you want to start a career in culinary arts, you should enroll in culinary school to get a degree or diploma; this step is strongly recommended for coming chefs. When hiring a competitive candidate with experience and training, employers prefer those with prior culinary arts schooling.
Culinary school is not only a place where you can master cooking skills, but it also offers numerous opportunities to young chefs where they decide what style they want to follow for their chef and the kind of culinarian they’d like to be while simultaneously helping you to network.
It is up to you if you want to go to culinary school because there is still a chance that you will become a chef, though, in the initial stages of your career, you will be jobless.
2. Train and Practice
You must understand that experience is invaluable in the culinary industry. If you have hands-on practice, you are fully prepared for the demands of a professional kitchen. As mentioned in the step above, if you enroll in culinary school, you will get a degree and have training opportunities such as externships.
Externships are essential for you if you want to fill in skill gaps as a student and make you practice your skills in fully-functioning professional kitchens. If you don’t have the means to attend culinary school, you should consider joining apprenticeship programs to gain training and experience.
3. Find a Job and Get Work Experience
After completing your culinary education or apprenticeship, you can work for any restaurant you like. It depends on you if you want to apply for multiple positions at once, so it will be easy for you to find a job.
In the beginning, you will be included in entry-level positions like Line Cook, Prep Cook, and general Kitchen Staff.
4. Get professional Industry Certifications
If you don’t want to pursue a degree in culinary arts, you need to get experience by gaining certification. This will make you a stronger candidate when applying for a job.
You can get numerous certificates; it depends on what certification you want. The certification will also leave you the hassle of becoming a certified professional before your first full-time job in a restaurant or kitchen.
5. Work your way to the top
You need to know that your journey of becoming a successful chef doesn’t end after securing a job; you still have much more to do. You must learn as much as possible to fit any top chef role. It is also essential to know that to prove yourself a competent chef; you must work on your skills to be promoted to higher positions.
Suppose you are still contemplating becoming a chef or culinary artist. There are several people to look up to. However, Edward Gallagher can be present to you as your inspiration.
Edward Gallagher
Edward F Gallagher III, aka Chef Eddie G, is an American Celebrity Chef, author, restaurant consultant, and TV Personality. He previously owned five restaurants and currently is a Culinary Ambassador at over 15 Super Bowls and 3 Rose Bowls. He also cooked for actors Billy Joel, Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Goldsmith, Snoop Dogg, and various NFL players. Gallagher has also traveled to more than 40 different countries and has worked in 100s of kitchens in those countries.
All these endeavors came to him after he worked on his passion for making food, even after pursuing Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts.
He is the lead chef and a partner at Locavore Kitchen a culinary experience firm with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia. The program “Chef Eddie G’s Kitchen and Locavore Greenery” which features Chef Eddie G. as he travels the world, sampling local cuisine and speaking with residents and farmers. He also has a cookbook called “Cooking Local with Chef Eddie G.” He examines various culinary adventures from Italy to Mexico. The show is also available on Amazon Prime