Career changing advice...

[Bradley]

OrleansAg-

I might can offer a counter-perspective here, as I am in the opposite boat you are. I got a job washing dishes in 1999 when I was 19. Although I went to college (and have a degree), I gravitated towards cooking as a career. I liked doing it, I liked learning, and set my sights on working my way up the ladder. Now, I'm 30 and have for the last year and a half worked at a white tablecloth, casually upscale (it that makes any sense) restaurant, first working garde manger, and now as Chef Tournant. I paid my dues flipping burgers, washing dishes, working for brainless corporate operations all to reach my goal of working in a nice restaurant serving good food where things are done the proper way. A year and half into it and I want out.

I am in no way trying to discourage you or your passion for food, but I feel the need to re-itterate what others have already mentioned. It's hard work. It is, in effect, like joining the army. Night after night after night the work never ends. The demands are relentless. The demands of the job are the only thing that matters. Tired? Hungover? Already worked 50 hours this week? Supposed to have today off? Sick? Haven't seen your family? No one cares. All that matters is that the food hits the table the way it's supposed to when it's supposed to. During the winter months you will not see the sun. Anywhere from 35 to 50 or 60 hours a week you will work under enormous pressure while your chef scrutinizes every thing you do. You are always under the microscope and, if your Chef is any good, there will never ever be any relaxation in standards. No such thing as compromise..."No" is a word you just don't say or hear in a professional kitchen. And you'll do all this to make enough money to exist just above poverty level. No benefits, no vacation time, no paid time off, no 401k, no planning for the future, nothing.

That's the bad side. The good news is that there is no greater industry in the world than the restaurant industry. The satisfaction you feel after a good night, hell, even during a good night, is un-paralled. When you're "on" and everything is working out, it's hard to believe someone is paying you to have this much fun. However, like someone mentioned earlier, nothing will kill your passion for food like doing it professionally.

If you can swing it, I would encourage you to contact some nice restaurants in your area and look into the possibility of spending some time in the kitchen. This way you can get a feel for what really goes on. The heat, the cramped spaces, the noise and chaos. Then you can ask yourself "Is this how I want to spend my life?"

I apologize for this post being long on negativity and short on advice...I think I veered off my point a bit, but I help it helps, and I wish you all the luck in the world in your choice.

Concerning my dilemna, anyone have any advice for someone who has nothing but kitchen experience on his resume, a BA in Anthropology/English, and is looking to get out of "the Life?"

Cheers,

Bradley

[RAHiggins1]

Update for me...

I never made it to culinary school, but then I went through the USMC culinary school way back. I saw no need to be taught the basics again.

I did however do what I said I could not see myself do, I walked into the kitchen of a restaurant that a celebrity chef was opening and took a entry level position. I haven't been able to commit more thsn 25-30 hours a week because I still work the "angry 8" to pay the mortgage and feed my 4 month old new born. But after a year of busting my ass I now work 3 different stations on the line on 3 different days. Its hard work and low pay but to me its Zen. I work with and learn from some of the best chefs in my city, even if they all are half my age.

Anyways, I just finished 11 hours straight on my feet and am off to bed, I have to get up and get my kid ready for daycare so I can go do the angry 8 job.

Edited March 24, 2010 by RAHiggins1 (log)

[rlped]

Not every chef works a line in a 5* restaurant. There are other options.

I have been running a bed and breakfast for the past 8 years. I never would have been hired to do this. I bought my job. So they can't fire me! I never worked in a restaurant. I was a computer guy.

As an untrained cook (not a chef, IMHO) I cook 20-30 covers a morning, seven days a week for about 5 months. But not to order, so it is more like banquet service. And some days I cook a whole lot more. Last fall for 2 weeks we did 3 meals a day, 500 meals in 10 days, as I recall. It was actually fun, but tiring (I am 61 years old). I get to decide the menu every day, and with the exception of dietary issues, that is what gets served. Some dishes are more elaborate, but funny thing is, over time the food has gotten better, the plates nicer looking, and the raves increasing. 8 years in my earlier life doing the same thing I was bored to tears. I've probably made 4,000 artichoke souffles and I still enjoy them. Of course they are not always quite the same, cheese change, seasons, etc.

I have found a lot of insight into how real kitchens work and the business of them by reading Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential and Michael Ruhlmam's Chef books - the (Making, Reach, Soul) of a chef to be illuminating. Also a book called Per Se written by a waiter at that restaurant that later turned writer. They have helped me realize that while I may be more of a cook than when I was a good home cook, I don't have the background or the chops to work a line. Pretty humbling.

Almost every morning during service a guest says "We've always thought about opening a bed and breakfast." Like fine dining customers, all they see is the end result of lots of effort to make it appear effortless. To them it looks like I just toss some things in some eggs, add a garnish and then and come out and tell stories about the food or our ranch (we grow or raise almost everything we serve). Unlike my old computer and marketing days, you can't slack off. Not much online day-trading, twitter or email in the kitchen. So don't be fooled, it is not cooking, it is running a restaurant or running a kitchen. Cooking is part, not all.

[ScoopKW]

I walked out on a class the other day after being berated in front of the entire class by the chef b/c I was about 15 mins late for class. A tractor-trailer had jack-knifed about a half mile from my house. I left early to try to compensate, but was still late.

Excuse my late reply.

Why did you walk out of class? I don't see how that is going to do anything in your instructor's mind to improve his/her opinion of you as a student.

So you got a dressing down in front of class. So what? That's something I think you had better get used to. Because some chefs have notorious tempers, and everyone makes mistakes.

I wish my instructors were more brusque. We have a few slack-asses in class, and I'd like to see them get their asses chewed out. They're holding up the class.

[roosterchef21]

Where to start...

Well, I used to be a chef. I worked in some pretty good restaurants in my time. A couple were in the World's 50 Best list. I really enjoyed my job. Then this changed. When I was 22 I dislocated my shoulder in a Cooking Comp. Had a shoulder reconstruction. This was all fine and dandy. I was young felt invulnerable and just kept working. I got married when I was 24. Over this time until now my thoughts on life changed. I was never home, work being the major time consuming aspect in my life. Pay was horrible - working 100 hour weeks for 45k per year. The bosses were terrible; either bringing their personal life to work or just being nuts. Seen enough fights to last me a lifetime. Ended up having a second reconstruction. I'm 27 now and have decided to go to University. I'm studying Journalism to become a food & travel writer. Here's why you shouldn't.

Firstly, hours are not conducive to a relationship let alone a social life. Eighty to a hundred hours are common. We aren't kidding when we say that either. The last place I worked I worked 18 hours a day 5 sometimes six days straight. Some places will be a seven day a week operation. This usually means you will be called on at least once a month to work an extra shift (week) including the ones you have just worked.

Next, bosses are usually horrible. They are quite often arrogant and have no social skills. Some will be on drugs. Some will be on serious drugs. Most will like a drink or two. Don't argue with them. They may be wrong but chefs are usually princesses in their own little world. They won't admit this though.

Your gonna work your ring out. Twenty kilogram sacks of (insert food item here) dragged around, prepping functions for 3-500 pax in a day, emptying stock pots where one mistake you break your arm or pour boiling stock over yourself - and then get screamed at by the chef despite you arguing that this is incredibly dangerous, a prep list the length of your arm - you'll be sweating in half an hour if your in a busy - the list goes on.

You'll be under a lot of stress - I've worked with soldiers, policemen and even an Emergency Room doctor who have quit. I'm not saying it's as stressful as those. But when they did quit they claimed it was getting very close to what they were used to. Each dish has to be perfect or at least close to it.

Pay is horrible. The people you work with will claim you do it for the love of food and passion. That's a complete load of bollocks. Those guys have been doing it since they were sixteen and haven't had a meaningful relationship in a long time, if ever. If you make $10 an hour consider yourself lucky. When I first started I got paid $5.21 per hour. Before tax.

The people you work with will claim to know everything. Or at least they will bag people with university degrees and people form other walks of life. In other words forget everything you know because it won't matter. The emergency room doctor I was talking about is an example. For functions we wanted to have a communications diary between front and back of house. They do a similar thing in an Emergency Room between nurses and doctors. He was told in no uncertain terms by a number of people to "get f...d This is a kitchen not a hospital. If it doesn't work in a kitchen it won't work in a hospital". Another one was a financial analyst and actuary. We were trying to get our food costs down a few percent. He made a suggestion that was quite relevant and could have made a massive (20%+) difference. He researched it and did the numbers. Same sort of comments were made...

So this is just a start. I'm trying to tell you this because it's a job that I love and I hate to see people quit after six months. It's depressing. It may be different for everyone but SERIOUSLY CONSIDER WHY YOU WANT TO DO THIS!

[mouthoflowers]

Hi I an architect/artist who has also thought about this..my thought is to try and find a way to make the food obsession part of what you already do; as such i would like to design restaurants and have worked on a few, nothing fancy but it is interesting..also maybe the teaching side? i am reading a lot about Julia Child, she never called herself a chef, only a home cook and she really focussed on the fact that she was a teacher..maybe you could offer classes as part of your passion? try writing? those things fit in better around a full time job..best of luck on your journey...