With the proliferation of cooking shows on TV, more and more people are thinking about cooking. Martha, Emeril, Julia and many more have all added to the cooking craze that has spread across the US and beyond. So, okay, you like to cook, but should you become a professional chef or cook?
There are a few things you should think about before making the decision whether or not to become a certified chef.
First, most chef’s do not become famous. Even the chef’s that do become famous had to work many, many hours to get where they are. If you are in it for the fame, well, you might want to consider an acting career instead.
Second, the hours suck. Chefs and professional cooks work god awful hours, frequently late into the night and right through weekends and holidays. It’s not unusual for a professional chef to work 60 hours a week, hustling the whole time. Are you willing to work those kind of hours?
Third, have you ever worked in a real kitchen before? So, you have made a few meals for friends and family and they thought they were great, but have you ever been behind the scenes in a restaurant kitchen. Cooking for hundreds of paying customers is no easy task and it gets even worse when one of those paying customers isn’t as thrilled with what you have made as your Aunt Susie might be. If you haven’t worked in a real kitchen before, you may want to give it a try before deciding if this is the life for you.
I know this all sounds pretty dismal but it’s just the honest truth. You are probably asking, why in God’s name would anyone want to become a chef? The answer to that one is easy, it’s the food.
The food is what brings most chefs to the table, so to speak. The idea that every night you can possibly create a culinary version of heaven and please hundreds of people with food that has been carefully and creatively combined with your own hands is what many chefs and cooks find so exciting and alluring.
It’s the act of creation and artistry that happens again and again that keeps a dedicated chef coming to work day after grueling day. If you are someone who believes that the act of creation outweighs the demands of the job, becoming a professional chef may be just the thing for you.