Becoming a pro

Hey Everyone, I know there are a lot of professional chefs, cooks, and other culinary professionals in here so I wanted to get some feedback. I want to become a pro chef. Can the culinary pros in here give me a real account of what it's like to work from culinary student up to chef? If you've been at it awhile how do you feel about the work you currently do? Is it fulfilling? Is it tedious? Is it back breaking? All three? What else should an aspiring chef know before starting down this path? Thanks in advance!

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Afonso_Tito_de_Morais_164825

I'm not a professional chef at all, but I've worked in a couple restaurants and met some great people and chefs along the way and as little as my "career" as progressed, I can tell you it's one of the pushiest jobs I know of, it's usually got really fucked up schedules, pay really depends on what restaurant you work at, but sometimes even really good restaurants give you shit pay. Last job I had I was working 15+ hours a day for a 450€ pay, so yeah, it's not great if you're looking to make big buck, but like all areas, if you work hard and search hard, you'll get decent conditions. The biggest thing I have learned so far: Live and work one day at a time. Don't think too much about the future and get ready to bust your back every single day you get in the kitchen. That being said, don't worry about becoming a pro chef, right now worry about getting your studies, and then see what comes next!

David_44690

Thanks Alfonso. I appreciate you sharing your experience!

Lou_34544

I am a pizzaiolo in one of NYC's highest regarded (upscale/neapolitan) pizzerias. I'm on a different kind of "line" but I think the story is the same. Long hours. Not great pay. Crazy schedules. Exhausting (you'll feel physically run down at the end of your week at times.) Coworkers may not be the greatest influences (lots of drinking and drug use.) Most of the cliches you hear are true. However, I find it rewarding and necessary to achieve my end goal. By working in a high volume, very successful restaurant I am learning the skills I need to make a high volume, very successful restaurant work in the future should I open one.

I think you have a few kinds of people that work in restaurants. Those who are trying to work to the top to do their own thing, and those who do it just to scrape by. In either instance, it's definitely not easy. Honestly, if I were a line cook for a serious amount of time just to pay my rent I'd seriously consider changing careers. It's not for the faint of heart. I'm also college educated (and, in big cities you'll find alot of people from different backgrounds working in restaurants.)

With that in mind, if you do move forward with working in restaurants, you want to ask around and find the ones that offer great learning experiences and treat their employees decently. Or, you could keep your fulltime job and stage a day or two a week

Lou_34544

Edit: I forgot to provide my insight on culinary students. No offense to anyone in the culinary arts, but a number of the individuals I've seen filter through the restaurants I've worked at were close to incompetent. They have their nice knives, know their cuts, but when it comes down to it the chef is riding their ass because most of them have no idea how to hustle in a kitchen. I'm sure that's not the case if you go through a great program, but I've seen a number of graduates that you'd be hard pressed to believe went to school for this job. There are a number of accelerated programs, etc but I would just find a great kitchen and cut your teeth there.

David_44690

Lou, thanks so much. Really helpful information. Just to clarify, are you saying I could go stage at a restaurant and not go to culinary school at all? Or are you saying I could go to culinary school, go to work in a restaurant, and stage at another (more educational) restaurant 2 days a week?

David_44690

Will a kitchen just hire someone off the street with no real cooking experience? Or maybe I'll have to start at back-up dishwasher?

Lou_34544

Kitchens need line cooks. I hear it all the time. If you reach out to the right restaurant (maybe one less corporate) you might have an opportunity to stage. Reach out.

David_44690

Awesome. Thanks for the help.

Afonso_Tito_de_Morais_164825

With no cooking experience, probably not, but with no culinary school, yea, definetly. I have yet to start my course and have worked for a few restaurants. It all depends on how you cook and how bad you want to learn. All my experience b4 my first job came from cooking at home. Heston Blumenthal is self-taught, so yea.

David_44690

Ok cool. So what would you say are the most important skills to develop at home before going to a kitchen?

Ryan_Wagner_871030

This is a great question, and I'm always happy to see people doing their research before entering the foodservice industry. Becoming a chef is long a difficult path that is also very rewarding and fulfilling if it's right for you. Here are some key points that might be helpful:

1.) Whether you go to culinary school or not, everyone starts at the bottom. A typical first job in the kitchen is as a dishwasher or prep cook. You earn your way up based on hard work and talent, not credentials.

2.) Kitchen work includes long hours on your feet, with shifts ranging from 7 to 12+ hours. The work is very physical and the environment, of course, can be quite hot.

3.) Expect to spend the first few years on the job learning, being a sponge, while you execute on someone else's vision. No creativity, just hard work and lots of observation while you learn.

4.) Pay starts at minimum wage and goes up slowly as you advance through stations. Sous chef is generally the entry level to making a semi decent salary. But even still most people do it because they love it, not for the pay.

If you love cooking enough to endure the long hours, not so great pay, and time away from friends it can be a really rewarding path. Cooking is also great skill for those looking to open their own businesses or travel. Everyone needs to eat!