How To Get A Job As An Executive Chef

Executive Chefs have a passion for food, both its preparation, and its presentation.  There is a growing demand for skilled Executive Chefs, who are able to take a basic necessity and turn it into a feast for the eyes, and a pleasure for the pallet.

Chefs can work in a wide variety of locations, including private restaurants, hotels, catering businesses, resorts, cruise ships, the military, and private homes.

Chefs work long hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.  Because the work of a chef is both physically and mentally demanding, as well as stressful, anyone choosing to become a chef must be dedicated, determined and physically fit.  They must also be creative, well-organized, and have good manual dexterity.  Executive Chefs must be good leaders, and good teachers.  They must be diplomatic, have good communication skills, and of course an excellent sense of both taste and smell.

Executive Chefs may have many duties, depending on where they are employed.  They spend most of their day, on their feet, preparing or overseeing the preparation and garnishing of food, as well as its presentation.  They inspect every plate before it leaves the kitchen.  They create menus, deal with scheduling, determine portion size, train and supervise staff, allot tasks, deal with vendors, and purchase and oversee the storage of food and kitchen supplies.  They adapt recipes to deal with dietary concerns, and customer allergies.  They ensure that all utensils and equipment is properly cleaned and sanitized.  They interact with customers.

Education

Start by getting your high school diploma.  While in high school take courses in English, science, mathematics, computers, and any related to food preparation, or management.

Take a course in food handling.

It takes years of experience to become a successful Executive Chef, so start early.  Get a part-time and summer job, in the food industry.  No matter how humble the job, you can learn something new, if you keep your eyes and ears open.  Read all you can about food.  As you work, learn all you can from your supervisor.  After you get some initial experience, try to move up in responsibility.  Try to elevate your work experience, perhaps getting a job as a line cook.

Some chefs have worked their way up from line cook, getting on-the-job training and many years later becoming chefs.  This is not easy.  A better route is to begin with a formal education in the culinary arts.

Get the best education you can afford.  There are culinary training programs available in vocational and technical schools as well as independent culinary schools, and universities.  Make sure the program you choose is accredited by the ACF (The American Culinary Federation).  Their site, as follows, gives a list of the accredited schools across the U.S.

http://www.acfchefs.org/Source/Schools/Postsecondary.cfm

Once you have completed this training, you will be able to apply for a job, knowing that your education has given you all the skills and knowledge you need to become a professional chef.

Even if your first chef job is not exactly what you hoped for, do the best you can.   You will have to work your way up through a variety of levels to become an Executive Chef.  Start by becoming certified.  Certification is seldom if ever necessary, but it does show that you are dedicated to your career, and proves that you have the skill and knowledge needed to be a professional Chef.

There are also apprenticeships available for Chef-hopefuls.  As an apprentice, you will work under the guidance and supervision of a professional Chef, learning while your earn.  Information regarding apprenticeship opportunities is also available from the American Culinary Federation at the following web site.

http://acfchefs.org/

Whatever route you choose,  hard work and determination will be the keys to your success.