Aspiring Chef Question

Hi there! My name is Preston and I love cooking more than anything. I eat, sleep, and breathe it. But mostly eat. I am 17 and a senior in high school and as I look into colleges I have been told to look at where I want to be in ten years and a developmental chef or a chef in R&D peaks my interest more than anything! I’ve seen all of your videos and done most of your recipes. It is my dream to work somewhere such as ChefSteps and I am wondering what steps I could/should take in the next few years to potentially get a job either here or somewhere else as an R&D chef paving the way for new culinary experiences

my email is preston.rem@gmail.com. Thanks so much for helping an aspiring chef out.

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Comments

Jack_Mayer_85396

Hi Preston, welcome to a fantastic community! Best wishes as you pursue your career.

Colton_Qualls_108837

Hey Preston,

You've got some great journeys and obstacles ahead based on my experience climbing to the Michelin level. If you want to accelerate your trajectory to working as an R&D or developmental chef then the most efficient and expeditious route is to get to working in the kitchens you admire under chefs you admire. Remember your time in college is going to cut into this and prolong the time it takes for you to develop to the level of skill to become a candidate for that chef position. A degree is only a piece of paper in a kitchen.

On the other side of the same coin, college is a safe environment to practice each individual technique and consideration at your own pace. You will be able to research and study and practice up to your wallets allowance. You will be introduced gently to every aspect of the kitchen and then you will also be trained in the same subjects as high school (math, history, English) again to make sure you are a well rounded student. The downside to those is it is a thorough waste of your time and effort after 12 years of practice and repetition in those same subjects.

If you have yet to work in a kitchen, get in there and work a fiscal quarter (three months) in that kitchen. It will reveal all the nuances of the kitchen, the staff, the environment and the experience that is a restaurant lifestyle.

Do not concern yourself with getting told no, go to and ask those chefs and kitchens you admire and aspire to for an opportunity. They know why you are asking, you just need a yes. You will hear it after many No's.

The value from the experience you gain from those rejections and the subsequent value of experience from the kitchen that welcomes you in outweighs the struggle of the rejections you went through. Persist.

My advice is to work and then go to college if you believe you need it to be a better person. For a trade such as a chef, there is no better environment to learn and develop in than the kitchen itself.

I trust you will know what is best for you.

Best of luck,

Colton Q.

Colton_Qualls_108837

At least try and help Preston out. Glad handing like this when they opened up seeking advice is like a slap in the face.

brian_martin2001

And what if he has no advice to give? How is welcoming someone here and wishing them well in their endeavors a slap in the face?

Colton_Qualls_108837

Jack should have addressed that in their statement for Preston.

Jack causes no harm in welcoming someone Brian. It was polite, welcoming and socially proper.

Recognizing the context and gravity of Preston's question is paramount and Jack's response did neither of those things. I pointed this out and the gravity of such oversight with emphasis through the verbiage you have previously identified.

Preston made it abundantly clear they are looking for advice and insight during a crucial time in their growth and overall life trajectory. Regardless of Jack being polite, welcoming and socially proper it is also a slap in the face when someone seeks help and is returned a smile, a wave and left hungry.

There you have it, Brian.

Talk soon,

Colton Q.

robert.c.brown15

Hey Preston,

Welcome to the forum and good luck with this! Sorry this reply is a slap in the face!

Colton_Qualls_108837

A good attempt Robert.

Ryan_B_King_1588287

It interesting how's your life going after years

Ariel_B_Edwards_1590641

Agree with you, maybe an author will answer us! His post sounds like one of the most inspiring. Honestly, that's hard to find people who are motivated and ready to do anything to their dream come true. A lot of us, especially older people study on unloved faculties, work on the same work for decades, and all this sad stuff... I'm a young man who is only started my way so I hope to become a really happy person, but not unhappy but with money.

Kyl_Haselbauer_worked_at_chefsteps_1040170

OH My. Just so y'all know. Preston here just completed a 6 month contract with us, where he worked on the Breville oven project and helped shoot about 80 recipes for the new oven. He also assisted and helped our whole culinary team out with development on our projects durning that time. He is amazing. He is now on the personal chef team for one of the most influential people in the world for the last 30 years.

Kyl_Haselbauer_worked_at_chefsteps_1040170

Check my responce above.