Monday, 7 May 2012

How to Build Your Culinary Career

If you've always loved cooking and want to make a career out of it, getting career training at a culinary institute may be the next logical step. And while culinary schools will vary, they all teach a few basic elements.
Culinary institutes across the country prepare students for careers as sous chefs, pastry chefs, executive chefs, caterers, and other positions within the culinary industry. Despite the wide range of career opportunities, students still receive an education in basic kitchen skills.

Culinary Skills: Learning to Cook from the Ground Up

Even experienced home cooks have to start with the basics at culinary school. Preparing food for the public is a demanding and precise job, requiring a knowledge that goes beyond the home kitchen. Any culinary school will teach the following basics:
  • Good knife techniques
  • Safe food-handling procedures
  • Proper use and care of kitchen equipment
  • Sanitation and public health rules
Before chefs-in-training even begin to cook, these important rules of health and safety are taught. From there, a cooking school could handle subjects as diverse as inventory methods, food waste management, and cooking for different cultures or large groups.

Finding a Career after Cooking School

While the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that culinary career opportunities are expected to grow in the coming years, competition is fierce for top restaurants. Chefs who make it to the top are generally highly trained, experienced, talented, and efficient. While no educational program can guarantee a particular career or salary, getting formal training in the culinary industry remains one of the best ways to hone your skills as a chef.
Source:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers"
Amelia Gray is a teacher and freelance writer in San Marcos, TX. Amelia earned a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature from Arizona State University.

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