By : chef ssentongo Geoffrey
To Answer the first question and Today’s question
Trying to decide if a chef career is right for you is not easy, especially with all the misinformation out there. Here I share my personal view using my years of experience as a chef to answer the ultimate question, is being a chef a good career?
My experience as a chef taught me that being a chef is a good career for those that love to cook, enjoy meeting new people, are happy to work long hours and want the potential to work anywhere in the world.
Those who are looking for a career that is well paid or with lots of traditional job benefits may be better suited pursuing other career paths.
In this post I attempt to answer whether being a chef is a good career or not, with a fair and unbiased view, looking at all the factors a person would look at when considering any new career.
I could just give my overall option, but I am confident that many readers would like a more detailed breakdown so they can make their own decision! I wrote an article regarding why I want to leave this industry to another after many years which will make a great accompaniment to this article.
Do Chefs Have High Job Satisfaction?
In my experience, being a chef has high levels of job satisfaction. Those that choose a career in catering do so because they have a love of food and cooking. Our role as chefs allows us to spend each and every day doing what we love.
Do Chefs Have Good Career Progression
In my experience working in many kitchens, chefs are some of the most career focused people I know. The good news is that with hard work the career progression opportunities are unlimited for chefs.
The way a kitchen is set up to run, with it’s clear rank structure, makes it easy for all chefs to see the career ladder that they are able to climb.
As chefs move around jobs relatively frequently there are constantly new chef de partie and sous chef positions opening up for the new chefs to move into.
Do Chefs Get On Well With Other Chefs?
In my experience, most chefs get on very well with other chefs. In all the kitchens I have worked in, the camaraderie and team ethos is excellent. There are so many opportunities to make lifelong friends within the catering industry.
Chefs are notorious for spending their days off together and getting up to fun activities in their split shifts.
The work atmosphere in the kitchen itself is usually great as well. There is a shared vision where everyone has to truly work together as a team. This makes for a sometimes stressful, but more often than not, fun place to be – The banter among chefs is always great.
Do Chefs Receive Good Training?
In my experience as a chef, the training we receives is very much dependent on the places that we work, or where someone goes to culinary school. Being a chef has such a wide range of job roles that the training can vary greatly depending upon where you work.
For example, a person who works in a chain pub/restaurant may qualify as a chef but their training is clearly not going to be as good as a chef that has trained at the best restaurants around the world. (The difference between a chef and a cook)
An individual chef has a huge amount of control over where their career takes them.
As with most careers, location plays a large part in a chef’s ability to train to the standard that they would like. In order to find the best jobs and receive the best training a chef may have to travel quite far from home.
One negative of the training which I think is worth mentioning is the fact that being great chef is not really transferable outside of the hospitality industry. Other career experiences and qualifications can be used in many different industries.
For example, if a person trained as a lawyer and gained a law degree they can use this in multiple fields, as lots of employers recognise the value of this qualification. Chefs are a lot more pigeon holed into the hospitality sector.
However, The ability to carve out your own training path makes me believe that being a chef is a good career and should win the final point.
Being a chef is a great career with lots of positive points that are hard to find in any other industry.
The buzz of the kitchen and endless progression opportunities really are unparalleled . That being said, the trade-off for all these great factors is the unsociable and long hours that are the norm in the industry.
Now all that’s left to doo is discover how to become a chef!
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Having spent around 15 years working as a qualified chef in high end restaurants, my mission is to use this experience to help others as they begin their career in catering!
Thanks for reading this article and I’m looking forward to read your comments
HEALTHY RECIPES 
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