Education

Instructions How to Become a Chef

1. Work in a restaurant during high school for the experience, even if it is in a non-cooking position. You will learn what it is like to be on your feet for long hours.

2. Ask your guidance counselor if there is a training program in your community for chefs.

3. Understand that to be a successful chef in an urban area you must have years of hands-on experience and formal training. Schooling can take two to four years. My recommendations are Johnson & Wells Culinary Academy http://www.jwu.edu/culinary/, or CIA Culinary Institute of America, http://www.ciachef.edu/. If I were to select the best culinary school it's Johnson & Wells I personally feel they have the best cooking programs, placements.  You want to make sure you are attending an accredited culinary school, apprenticeships, certification, jobs and related organizations.

4. Decide what type of cooking you would like to do and in what type of kitchen you would like to work.

5. Realize that an apprenticeship may require you to first work the least-skilled jobs in the kitchen. As you develop skills and further your education, you can advance up the culinary ladder in a larger restaurant by becoming a line chef, sous-chef, head chef, executive chef and, finally, master chef. Pastry chefs follow their own distinct ladder.

6. Make certain you will possess the education, experience and skills necessary for your certification as a chef by the American Culinary Federation.

7. Take appropriate business courses if you would like to open your own restaurant eventually or advance to a managerial or executive position.

Leadership Qualities

While a chef is likely to be the most skilled and experienced cook in his kitchen, the main role of a chef is that of a leader. Chefs are responsible for delegating various food preparation, cooking and cleaning tasks to among kitchen staff, as well as training and developing team members to be more confident in a wider range of cooking techniques, food safety regulations and other vital issues.

Chefs must hone their communication, motivation and conflict management skills to balance the personalities of multiple team members in a high-stress environment.

Concentration and Memory

Any chef position requires an acute short-term memory and the ability to concentrate on a single task while juggling additional tasks in the back of one's mind. A head chef has to mentally overcome more challenging issues than a line cook, however. Not only is a head chef required to focus on what he is doing while thinking about the ten other things he has to do in the next few minutes, he also has to keep up with exactly what each other cook is doing and what they will be doing in the next few minutes. Head chefs must also keep an eye on the dish-washing station and the service staff to ensure that the kitchen has the tools it needs to operate effectively.

Physical Requirements

Cooking can be a physically demanding job, even though it is not generally classified in the same category as jobs like construction or auto repair. Chefs must have the ability to work on their feet for eight hours at a stretch, sometimes standing for prolonged periods and other times speed-walking between various parts of the restaurant. Chefs must also be able to lift heavy boxes, cans and other bulk food items on a regular basis.

Head chefs can put in as many as 12 hours per day or more, and are often responsible for more physically demanding jobs than other kitchen staff. Head chefs in smaller restaurants may be responsible for physically shopping at a local farmers' market every other day for ingredients, for example, before loading and delivering the supplies themselves.

Stress Management

Stress management presents both personal and physical challenges in the workplace, and high-volume kitchens can be extremely stressful work environments. Head chefs must be able to remain calm and clearheaded under stressful situations, and must be able to communicate calmly under pressure with aggravated service staff, customers, managers and kitchen staff. As leaders, chefs must also be able to overcome their own irritation to mediate stress-induced conflicts among their subordinates in the kitchen, or between members of their team and other employees in the restaurant.

Education

While many restaurant cooks learn the craft on the job, those who aspire to become chefs must learn more advanced skills. Culinary arts schools teach you proper food handling and preparation, sanitation, slicing and cutting techniques, nutrition and various cooking methods. Training programs are either two-year certificate or four-year degree plans. If your goal is to work in an upscale restaurant, the four-year degree option is preferable. After you complete your classroom training, you might be required to complete an internship to finish the program.

Physical Requirements II

If you can chop an onion faster than the average person gets the outer peels off, you have the dexterity necessary to become a chef. According to the experts at Career Toolkits, chefs must have the ability to cut, slice and chop throughout the day without incurring injury. You must have the physical endurance to work long shifts on your feet, because working in a restaurant is not a standard 9-to-5 job. You should also keep cool under stress, tolerate a hot kitchen for long periods and move with ease in tight spaces. Your palate should also be sensitive enough to distinguish similar but different foods, such as the ability to tell the difference between a red onion and a sweet yellow onion. The senses of smell and taste are basic requirements for chefs.

Creativity

Creativity is one of the most important aspect of a chef's job. Visual presentation gives the the customer a first impression of your fare. The great chef has the imagination and skills to create art on a plate. Flair sets apart the chefs from the cooks: It means the difference between a regular cut of meat on a plate and an expensive steak carefully arranged, with a light sauce and garnish. Successful chefs experiment with taste and presentation and are not afraid of taking risks.

Organization and Teamwork

Top chefs are organized and clean. In the business of preparing and serving food, this is a nonnegotiable requirement. If you do not properly clean and sanitize your work area, you risk spreading food borne illnesses to yourself and others. Organization helps you work more quickly and efficiently: When you know where things are, you waste no time searching for them. Planning and organization also keep you from losing your cool when things get stressful in the kitchen. No man is an island, especially in a chef's kitchen. As a chef, you must work well with others to succeed. Most chefs specialize in different types of cuisine, and each chef must communicate clearly with the rest during work hours. This is true for all levels of chefs, from an apprenticeship-chef to the executive chef.

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