How To Become A Chef

how to become a chef

Would you like to learn how to become a Chef? Chefs are experienced professionals who are highly trained professionals with an extensive knowledge of food, nutrition, and food safety and handling. Chefs generally must possess the combination of experience with a post-secondary degree in order to qualify for employment within food service or hospitality industries. Chefs may work within private residences or within food service establishments, like fast food restaurants, cafeterias, casual dining restaurants, and formal restaurants. Chefs are required to maintain menus while developing new recipes and preparing existing recipes and handle the managerial aspects of supervising a kitchen.

Chefs often execute the hiring, training, and supervision of kitchen and often non-kitchen staff. Chefs also prepare budget and cost estimates, maintain and order food inventories and supplies, create work schedules, and maximize the efficiency and profitability of a food service facility. Chefs are required to comply with health department and state guidelines regarding sanitation, proper food handling, and cooking procedures to ensure the safety and health of staff and customers. Some chefs also begin their careers as kitchen assistants or line cooks and gradually advance upon gaining on the job training and experience. Due to the diverse responsibilities associated with overseeing a food service facility, gaining the qualifications to become a chef generally requires formal education offered through trade or vocational schools, colleges, cooking schools, culinary institutes, and some colleges and universities. .

High school students interested in establishing careers as a chef may prepare before earning their diploma. High school students may prepare for their future careers by participating in courses like: home economics or cooking courses (where available), mathematics, business communications, English, psychology, and physical education. Some high schools offer vocational or trade school programs in addition to general education courses to increase skills and knowledge in the field of food service. Many students also work within fast food restaurants and other food service organizations to acquire experience and advance to formal training upon graduation.

Most certificate and degree programs require candidates to be a minimum of 18 years old and complete a high school diploma or GED to qualify for studies. Certificate programs offered through trade or vocational schools and community colleges provide students with a basic understanding of the food service industry. Most certificate programs feature the combination of classroom instruction with hands on experiences and generally last 9-12 months. Courses include: baking and pastry skill development; contemporary topics in culinary arts; cuisines of Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Mediterranean; Garde Manger; ingredients and techniques of fabrication; principles of cooking; fundamental cooking theories and techniques; vegan and vegetarian menus; and culinary practical examinations. Graduates who complete certificate programs may advance to entry level employment positions or continue studies within associate degree programs.

Associate degree programs offer students an expanded understanding of the culinary arts as well specialized training regarding food, managerial, and staffing techniques. Courses within an associate degree program include: essence of service, culinary operations, foundations of cooking, food service nutrition, the human element and the hospitality industry, baking and pastry skill development, techniques and skills of Garde Manger, advanced foundations of cooking, food safety, culinary mathematics, introduction to gastronomy, introduction to management, meat identification and fabrication, seafood identification and fabrication modern banquet cookery, cuisines of the Americas, controlling costs and purchasing food, cuisines of the Mediterranean, cuisines of Asia, menu development, high volume production cookery, and wine studies. Graduates who complete associate degree programs generally advance to employment or continue studies within a bachelor degree program.

Bachelor degree programs offer students an extensive understanding of the food service and business industries. Courses include: introduction to nutrition and foods: foods composition, interaction and form; career management and professional development; business statistics; principles of microeconimics; principles of macroeconomics; introduction to marketing management; organizational behavior; introduction to finance; introduction to the hospitality industry; principles of food service management; customer service; commercial food production; microbial food safety and sanitation; beverage management; foundations of professional baking; a la carte cuisine; patisserie; fundamentals of Vegetarian cuisine; fundamentals of Italian cuisine; fundamentals of American cuisine; fundamentals of French cuisine; butchery lab; Garde Manager lab; culture and gastronomy; and food styling and photography. Graduates with bachelor degrees advance to employment or continue studies within a related field as higher degree programs in culinary arts do not exist.

Most chefs advance to supervisory positions upon demonstrating the knowledge learned through educational programs, displaying their leadership abilities, and gaining work experience. Highly skills and experienced chefs may voluntarily gain certification within specialized fields to increase knowledge, demonstrate skill, and advance to higher paying, more prominent positions. Certification is offered through the American Culinary Federation and is available to chefs, culinary educators, and pastry professionals. We hope you’ve found this to be helpful information on how to become a Chef.

Related Links: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos330.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_8109_become-chef.html

http://education-portal.com/how_to_become_a_chef.html

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