I Need Career Advice

[branwood]

I have loved the culinary arts for years, but last year i determined I was going to go into the medical field. I did some student rotations this summer with doctors and determined that my love for cooking is greater. I am planning on applying for Johnson and Whales, as well as the CIA. Im almost 95% sure my grades will get me in. How can I ensure my career will be successful, i desire to open a restaurant. I have worked as a cook in a local high end privately owned seafood restaurant and have been in a culinary arts class the past two years. I have a good idea of how the culinary field will be. I am willing to do anything to be successful in this difficult business.

What do I need to be doing NOW in order to make myself valuable?

[branwood]

im a senior in high school btw

[dougc]

When you say the CIA do you mean the Central Intelligence Agency?

I guess they need to eat too !!

Seriously look around and I am sure you can see the successful chefs out there and I bet if you look at their career paths they started at the bottom and worked there butts off learing their craft , gradually progressing up the ladder until they got to the top. But success is not about being at the top it is about doing your best and being happy at it and in this world there are no guarantee's but if you work hard , listen and learn then there is no reason why you will not achieve your goal of owning your own restaurant.

Good luck .

Dougc

[branwood]

Culinary Institute of America, i believe that cooking is somthing i will love to do the rest of my life, i agree

[dougc]

I guessed CIA had another meaning !!

What sort of restaurant do you want to have ?

By the way your reply looked like it had been cut short, were you going to say more before it was sent ?

Dougc

[branwood]

i agree about doing what i love, but how can I start getting ready for my career

[Silverfox]

i agree about doing what i love, but how can I start getting ready for my career

Get a job in a restaurant, when the time is right, ask the Chef, he'll tell you what is best for you, school, apprenticeship, college, whatever.

Remember, no one gets a guarenteed future, you can only "change the odds" by your actions. For some people and jobs, formal education is essential, for others, O-J-T is better.

Step one is get into the business so you see what it is like from the inside, day in, day out, holidays, late hours, long days, sore feet, sore hands, sore back...

[Blueicus]

My limited advice? Keep working. Don't stop learning, show me enthusiasm, passion, and knowledge, and certainly don't stop working hard and listen to instructions. In my personal opinion these are the people I would teach things to.

When you feel you've acquired a good breadth of experience in cooking, start to, or continue to work on your ability to manage people. I have found it's a valuable skill to be able to maintain high morale and low turnover in one's cooks and if you are to own a restaurant you really want as low a turnover rate as possible. Perhaps my opinion is somewhat naive, but I've also noticed that a good leader and manager can get the most out of their employees where a lesser leader would get just the bare minimum.

Also, If you are going the restaurant route, learn the front of the house as well as the back.

[ChezLeRecherche]

Do you want to cook or do you want to own a restaurant? You may not be able to do both at the same time. If you're going to have time to cook in the restaurant you own, it may be pretty small. If you're really good, it can be difficult to stay small. You either have to hire management talent, so you can cook, or give up cooking because you have to manage.
Pay close attention to the business aspects of school and at your job. Learn about profits and margins and marketing, too.
Someday you will find that either your staff is dependable and talented, your suppliers are honest and reliable, your euipment works perfectly, and the weather is great. Savor the memory of that day.

[Blueicus]

Or you can enter a marriage of convenience and marry someone who will help manage the front of house for you .

[timthechef]

All the above advice is excellent. The one thing that I would add to it is start saving your money now. Even if it's just a little at a time. You are going to need capital to open your restaurant. If you try to open by borrowing money chances are good that you will fail. The secret to any successful business is to keep your overhead low and be able to weather hard times.

Good luck.

[Chefde]

No one here has mentioned sacrifice!!!!

I am a 30+ year veteran of this business, I have a wife and 2 children.

I have missed many of the milestones in their lives and I regret it.

I love what I do but you need to be prepared to sacrifice; this is a lifestyle not just a profession!!!!

You will work holidays & weekends; long late hours unless you get into corporate dining or health care.

[cookrick]

I started cooking when I was 12. I missed most of my own birthday parties that never were, my own graduation party, all but one prom, every single holiday from 12 to 21, my parent's anniversaries from 12 to 17(they got divorced when I was 17), and now I see my fiancee, a server, at a different place, for about 12 hours a week.
Kitchens are not a job, they are a lifestyle!
When I first was a Sous, at 17, my day started by rising at 6 am, at work & WORKING by 715. Checking on the inventory, dating etc, then checking in the truckloads of new stock, checking to see what it was I had planned for the menu the week prior, going to the farmer's market for fresh stock that I could use and being sure my staff hadn't called in...yet.
Then being sure the pastry chef had what was needed and they were on course, the butchering was on it's way, making certain the fish on hand was still fresh and what in that area was ready to be a lunch special.
I could go on ad nauseum.
Help yourself before you make a judgment error.Read "Kitchen Confidential", you'll understand within 20 odd pages of what you might be facing. I am most definitely not trying to discourage you, but I will say that this life is not for many. I still question myself after 36 years on and off trying to put out the best covers I can. If you are absolutely in love with being the best cook you can be, fabulous you have my heart and soul for respect. On the other hand, this business breaks people, body, soul, and bank account. That's a reality. I have seen amazing chefs open places and close them with their tail between their legs and sipping straight hooch as they did it, their hands trembling from the Dt's. When it's great, it's better than great, when it sux, you can't dig a deeper hole.
Physical Therapists get paid well, never work a holiday, have superb health insurance and nice 401k's. They have ample emotional benefit's from their work, are less likely to commit suicide, have drug addictions or become raging alcoholics, but they'll never hear anyone praise the fruits of their labors like a cook will.
There are many foibles to being a chef/cook, but I can't think of a single thing I'd rather do, aside from being a gigolo, LMAO. Good Bloody Luck! Go4 your passion!

[sunny_mcd]

Physical Therapists ... they'll never hear anyone praise the fruits of their labors like a cook will.

Don't get me wrong: I love food, and I spend an awful lot of time, money and energy on it. And I understand your point, in broad strokes, and I agree with it. But this is not the best analogy. I mean, isn't hearing "oh man, I can use my arm again!" just as -- if not equally -- nice as "wow, great risotto!"?

[Flattop]

It's more like you want me to do what how many times daily????

I hate my PT and he's a really nice guy. Just makes my life suck trying to help me get better. Damn Masochist