Overrated Career: Chef

December 11, 2008 RSS Feed Print

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The Appeal: You envision yourself concocting delectable delights for a clamoring clientele at the newest and hottest restaurant. Maybe you'll even become a celebrated chef on the Food Network.

The Reality: Most chefs don't work in froufrou restaurants or even blaze trails in the kitchen. Instead, they're assembly line cooks, cranking out dozens of the same items, night after night. And those are the executive chefs. For each executive chef, a few assistant chefs—the most typical job—spend much of their time chopping ingredients and assembling salads. Plus, chefs typically work until the wee hours, especially on weekends, while most people are enjoying themselves. As a result, chefs often end up hanging out with the same restaurant staff after the patrons have finally left.

An Alternative: Personal chef, cooking for busy or wealthy families.

Learn M ore: American Personal & Private Chef Association.

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Well this is incorrect an executive chef doesnt work on the line, his or her job is to basiclly manage the entire kitchen. An executive at there own restaurant can possibly work 4 days a week if they chose to.

john of NJ 9:24AM April 15, 2013

I have a passion for food, which keeps me in this trade. However, I've left many kitchen jobs over personalities, and I don't think I'm alone in this reality. I am certainly not saying that walking out of jobs is good for you or your resume, and it has to be a careful choice, but the very nature of the beast can be a heartache, when the food end of the job is set aside and other realities are examined:
1) Personalities. Lets' see...veteran waitstaff who treat other waitstaff and kitchen staff with minimal respect becasue THEY know more than you and can do more than you. Family members of the owners working in the kitchen, pushing their weight around, having authority that they have not earned, having little or no knowledge or skill. Treating staff like property.
2) Hours...I get all of the hours, and basically because many of my coworkers are also family or friends of family who come and go as they please, with little or no consequence. If they drag they heels while I crash and burn trying to keep up with the workload, so be it. I've seen it in almost every kitchen I've worked in. So in effect, the strong souls get used up, and inevitabley burn out and quit.
3) "Chefs" who aren't chefs; they question the menu, try to impose their own ideas in scenarios where their own ideas aren't wanted, when simply replicating a decided menu is all that is required. They frustrate those around them, but of course, when the boss is present, it;s all "Yes Sir" and smiles.
In my experience, (26 years, recently a red seal) this can be a very rewarding, even addictive business, if you bear in mind that you will have a vast array of personalities to contend with.

John 1:53PM August 27, 2012

Firstly, Gordan Ramsay is an out-of-this-world chef. He has worked extremely hard to be where he is now and the culinary world would be a very different place without him. He has the upbringing of the old school chef, a misfit in society, and now he is caught in the television crazed celebrity chef business.
I am an apprentice chef and realise the numerous difficulties that surround a chef lifestyle. First few years its bad pay, bad hours, no social life and no hope for any contact of the real world outside hospitality.
I do not want to quit however. If you have a real passion for food you will be addicted from the start. My life revolves around food, and now that i have been employed by an excellent company that looks after me I am able to be payed correctly, have a healthy relationship and look after my own household.
It depends what you are looking for. If you want to work in the 3 Hat (aus) restaurants, go for it. But usually they are privately owned and very hard work, and strong chance you will fear for your own life at times.
To the other comment. Soul food writer.
Dont get me wrong Im all for cooking from the heart and producing good soul food from whether it be organic, seasonal, free range produce but there is a definite line between a home cook and a professional. You know some people (me) dont have that family background and food knowledge before they step into a commercial kitchen. Once again Im not attacking you, I am envious you are so lucky to have that upbringing but once again people should really read into the professional work of a chef as it very different to home cooking. The only reason I decided to begin this journey is because no one in my family cooked and I want to pass my knowledge onto my children.
Anyway there is a lot to be said about this matter and I absolutely can not deal with people calling a brilliant chef like Gordan Ramsay an imbecile. You try running numerous 3 Michelin Starred restaurants and lead a balanced life.

Cait 1:28AM January 22, 2012

Overrated Career: Chef

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