professional skills

[SauceRobert]

There also is the fact that when you are new they may yell at you just to be sure you can take it... want to weed out any thin skinned people... not saying that this is a good thing to do, but it happens.

[prasantrin]

here, here!  I've had three people this year who couldn't do that.  Everything I tell you to do is for a reason; not doing it the way I said to is why you made the mistake and cost me $ and time ...

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Dorie Greenspan wrote about working at a restaurant in NYC. Her job was to make a particular cake for which the restaurant was famous.

One day, she took a few liberties with the recipe, and although the outcome was successful, she was fired for "creative subordination".

I've never worked BOH, but I would agree that being able to take orders from superiors and carry them out is high on the list of basic skills.

edited for correct reason for firing, and here's the link to her story.

Edited March 20, 2009 by prasantrin (log)

[ChristinaM]

My problem is, I'm so ridiculously thin skinned, I'm not sure how I would cope being shouted at. I envisage myself being stunned to tears by the slightest raise of voice. I'm incredibly weak when it comes to authority.

Which is annoying. I hate the idea of that standing in the way of me doing a job I'd otherwise enjoy.

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Hello Saladfingers, I hadn't realised you were in the UK too All I can tell you as regards building a culinary career (....drumroll....the beginning!) is to report what has happened with my middle daughter. She did a college course (local FE college) and found it very useful. She was there from September to May 2007/08 for 3 days per week. it was called the 'Professional Chef's Award Course' and (most relevant for you from what you have said) it did wonders for her confidence. She too is very thin skinned so it was an ideal stepping stone. She had worked for a few months in a 3 AA rosette kitchen doing pastry but was quite badly treated and her confidence had plummeted. She took almost a year off and basically sat in her bedroom College really did the trick! At the end of the course she was sent for a fortnight's work experience at a local hotel with a 2 rosette kitchen and at the end of it they begged her to stay! She got a starting salary of £13,500 (not bad for a 'baby' commis). She's really settled now, obviously the work is hard (10-12 hour days are the norm), she gets tired and stressed at times, but the brigade is friendly, the Head Chef is nice and she has a fairly enjoyable love/hate relationship with the Sous Chef - as far as i can see it involves lobbing cabbages at each other, trying to lock each other in the walk-ins, that sort of thing She has made the 'larder' section her own. They are hopeful of a third rosette soon too!

Best of luck to you, if there's anything else I can tell you, PM me.

Oh, I should probably add that she got quite a generous bursary and travel expenses from the college, which was really helpful but I don't know if this would apply to you?