So you want to be a chef?

Do your friends and family compliment you on all of your creative dishes? Do people around you tell you that you should become a chef? Do you spend a lot of time in front of the TV watching the Food Network? When your co-workers ask you to make your famous meatballs for the holiday party, do you jump at the chance? So you want to be a chef? If you answered “yes” to that last question, read on. You need to understand what a career in the hot kitchen is really like.

Becoming a chef is not always fun and games. Thanks to the Food Network’s popularity we have so many inquiries on what it takes to be a chef. Well, it’s not as easy, financially rewarding, and as glamorous as TV makes it out to be. Before you invest in an expensive education ($50,000+) at a top culinary arts school, you should learn more about the requirements and process involved to become a chef.

You are In the Spotlight

A career as a chef should be one of passion. You should get a sense of joy when people smile as they take that first bite of your food. You should relish the moment when a waiter or waitress tells you how much a customer enjoyed their meal. You should feel a sense of pride when you flip through your local food magazine and see a restaurant review that features one of your creative dishes

But if you are in it for the money, guess again. You will be spending between 60 and 80 hours a week and almost every holiday in the kitchen, and making on average less than $75,000 a year. And forget about those weekend’s off. Many new chefs abandon their careers because they cannot cope with these demands and spending so much time away from family and friends..

A Career of Passion and Sacrifice

What is better in life than being able to work at a career that you truly love? If you want to be a chef, you have to love what you do. You have to truly enjoy cooking, if not, those long hours in the restaurant kitchens are going to seem like days.

Being a chef is a difficult job. You are standing on your feet for hours every day. There is no time to sit and rest, it’s too busy for that. You will develop all sorts of new aches and pains. And forget about those sick days. Unless you have something that can be spread through food, or are in the hospital, expect to work. Parts of being a chef are the burns and cuts you will get in the kitchen. Consider these your badges of honor. Lastly, be prepared to sweat. You will constantly be working over an open flame and reaching into hot ovens.

You have to Love It

While you more than likely won’t become the next Emeril, the food industry is a busy world and is always in need of good chefs that love what they do and are willing to go the extra mile to prove it. Make that your number one goal above all things. So after all of the Pros and Cons, if you still want to pursue a culinary career then take the next steps and go take some culinary classes, volunteer to work for free at a local food service company, shadow a chef you know, and after you have gotten your taste of the kitchen environment then find a culinary school within your budget and learn everything you can. And remember, culinary school is only the start. Don’t expect to get a job as a top chef at some prestigious restaurant the moment you graduate. You will still have to work your way up like everyone else.