Becoming a Chef

A chef is an individual who cooks professionally. The definition of the term, however, varies depending on the place of employment and the level of responsibility. For example, the top chef of a restaurant is often referred to the chief cook, head cook, chef de cuisine, or executive chef. Regardless of the specific title, this is the person in charge of the kitchen, the menu and the style, and who supervises the rest of the kitchen staff.

Education, Training & Degrees for Chefs

A chef's work can be practiced in a wide range of establishments, from fast food outlets and short order diners to four-star haute cuisine restaurants. Employment in low-end food service establishments generally does not require even a high school education—cooking in fast food outlets, in fact, serves as an entry-level or first job for thousands of high school students every year. It is, however, highly advisable for those planning a career as a restaurant cook or chef to attend a college or vocational school with a degree programs in culinary art. These colleges and training schools usually offer courses in basic food safety and handling procedures, the essentials of food preparation and techniques, and specialized training in various cuisines in addition to general business and computer classes for those aspiring to open or manage their own restaurant.

A number of hotels and restaurants also offer paid internships and summer jobs to interested students just starting out in the field. These internships provide valuable experience and can lead to better placements in formal chef training programs.

A bachelor's degree in culinary arts along with job experience is mandatory for executive chefs and head cooks who work in fine-dining restaurants. A large number of institutes and colleges offer post-high school vocational programs for chefs. Some independent cooking schools and professional culinary institutes also offer associate and bachelor degree programs in hospitality or culinary arts. An MBA (Master of Business Administration) can also prove useful if one plans to open or manage a restaurant as well as chef.

The American Culinary Federation accredits more than 100 formal training programs and sponsored apprenticeship programs around the country. Typical apprenticeships last three years and include classroom training and practical work experience. The Federation also certifies pastry professionals, personal chefs, and culinary educators in addition to various levels of chef, based primarily on experience and formal training.

Job Responsibilities and Desired Skills for Chefs

The occupation of chef has numerous subdivisions, some of which are ranked by importance of contribution, creating a career ladder leading to head chef. Typically, there are many kinds of kitchen organizations, and the titles and duties of the chef in each position can vary widely depending on the particular restaurant.

The executive chef is the top ranking chef. The executive chef is in charge of everything related to the kitchen, including menu creation, personnel management, and business aspects. Directly beneath this position is the sous chef, who acts as the kitchen supervisor and executive assistant of the head chef. The sous chef oversees the kitchen and the actual preparation of the food. Other specialty chef titles and tasks include sauce chef, who prepares sauces, stews, and who sautés foods to order; fish cook, who prepares fish dishes; vegetable cook, who prepares vegetables, soups, starches, and eggs; roast cook, who looks after roasted and braised meats; pastry chef, who typically prepares desserts; and line cook, the person who physically combines, prepares and cooks most of the ingredients in a dish.

The responsibilities of cooks and chefs are determined by a number of factors, including the type of restaurant in which they work. Short-order cooks prepare foods in restaurants, diners and coffee shops, and their responsibilities often include grilling, frying, preparing and garnishing food. They often work on several orders simultaneously.

Beyond restaurant chefs who occupy kitchens and prepare meals for customers, there are several other venues in which a chef can apply cooking skills. Institutional and cafeteria cooks, for example, work in the kitchens of schools, cafeterias, businesses, hospitals, and other institutions, preparing entrees, vegetables, and desserts. Research chefs are responsible for combining their culinary skills with knowledge of food science to develop new recipes, and test new formulas, products and equipment for restaurants, food growers, and marketers. Culinary educators use their experience to teach aspiring chefs. Caterers operate businesses in which food is prepared and delivered for banquets, parties, receptions and other events. Private household cooks plan and prepare meals in private homes. They order groceries and supplies, clean the kitchen, wash dishes, utensils, and sometimes even serve meals. A growing trend is to offer this in-home service on a freelance basis, in which the chef will prepare a meal or a party in a private home rather than the host having catering food which is cooked elsewhere delivered to the home.

Chef Salary Range and Employment Outlook

The U.S. Department of Labor projects that employment opportunities for chefs and cooks are good and are expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations well into the next decade. Employment is expected to vary by specialty; the number of highly-skilled chefs and cooks working in full-service restaurants, for example, is expected to increase only about as fast as the average, while employment of lower-level food preparation workers and fast-food employees is projected to grow faster than the average.

Competition is expected to be keen and to increase the higher the level at which the chef wishes to be employed. This is in part due to a renewed public interest in celebrity chefs and such popular reality television shows as "Iron Chef," "Top Chef," "Emeril Live," "Martha Steward Living," "Everyday Food," "America's Test Kitchen," "Rachel Ray's 30-Minute Meals," "Paula's Home Cooking," "Everyday Italian" and "Naked Chef," to name but a few.

Salaries for chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers vary greatly according to region of the country and the type of establishment in which they work. Figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that the average hourly wage for chefs and head cooks in 2004 was $14.75, with a range running from a low of less than $8.28 an hour to a high of more than $26.75.