Career as Chef - How to Become, Courses, Job Profile and Salary
Chef is a culinary title given to a person who has passed a rigorous culinary training program as well as patient hands-on experience. This professional cook is known for their ability to create and execute food preparation, cooking, and food management. This article will answer some of the common questions surrounding this occupation, such as how to become a chef, courses on becoming a chef, salary, and job profile of a chef.
Is this the right career for me?
Are you passionate about cooking? Do you want to work in the food industry? Are you passionate about eating healthy and learning about new culinary techniques? Are you willing to put in long hours, follow an entrepreneurial mantra, travel the world, and learn new skills? If your answer to any of these is yes... Well, then, look into becoming a chef!
To enjoy a successful and fulfilling career, you need to have a passion for something you are passionate about. As a chef, I firmly believe that what you eat and how you live your life have a lot to do with how happy you will be in your future endeavors. I know first-hand that the joy of cooking can be doubled through the pleasure of serving others. So why not expand your mind and find out how you can also have double the joy? A career as a chef opens doors to many lifestyle changes that will improve your quality of life tremendously.
What do I need to know about becoming a chef?
Becoming a chef isn't as hard as it looks. In fact, the most challenging part of it is choosing what type of chef you want to be. Choosing the right career as a chef will help you in the long run because a successful chef leads to better businesses and more revenue for the restaurant they operate. To be a successful chef, you need to know the basics of specific skills and techniques. It would help if you also learned from experienced chefs who have gone through the process before.
Here's what I've learned so far and what you must know.
Understand the education system in your country or region
Get involved in the local community
Take training or classes offered through kitchens or other training programs
Make friends with other chefs who have decided to pursue a culinary career
Maintain a stable financial situation
Have good communication skills
Be proactive
Be resilient
Have a clear vision of where you want to go
Common Courses on Becoming a Chef:
Becoming a chef is a journey of self-discovery that puts a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of an individual. A career as a chef is all about learning and developing new skills. You will be required to interact with people daily, managing tables, cooking, and serving various dishes. As you grow and advance in your career, the demands on your time begin to mount up. Much time and attention need to be devoted to maintaining your existing relationships with various stakeholders and developing new ones.
To become a certified chef, getting a degree in a related field is compulsory. Although you can also become a chef by virtue of experience, you must hold some certification to be odd from the crowd in the competitive field.
One of the critical factors in choosing the program or course is that it must be recognized globally (like through NCHMCT) and offered by a reputed institution. This will undoubtedly improve your chances of getting better education and placements. Apart from this, the aspirant can also lookup for diploma and certificate courses offered by various reputed institutes in India.
While the educational journey to become a chef may be different for everyone, the duration will remain around 2-4 years to complete the degree in Culinary science.
Jodhpur Institute of Hotel Management offers B.Sc. in Hotel Management and Hospitality Administration and Diploma Courses in four streams. You can explore the same here.
You will acquire the following skills during your journey of becoming a chef:
Creativity
Willingness to Learn
Time Management
Ability to Skillfully Multitask
Organizational Skills
Leadership Skills
Teamwork
Resilience
Responsibilities of a Chef:
Set up the whole kitchen with cooking utensils and required equipment, like pans, knives, kitchen scales, measuring cups, etc.
Make sure you have all the tools, equipment, and ingredients necessary to make a recipe work for you.
Cook food promptly.
Assign the tasks to kitchen staff.
Make sure wait staff are made aware of the day's specials.
Ensure the plate is visually appealing.
Supervise and assist cooks as and when needed.
Adjust recipes to meet customers' needs and requests (e.g., reduce salt, remove dairy, make buttery, etc.)
Monitor food stock and place orders
Scrutinize food items’ freshness and decide whether you want to keep them or throw them out.
Experiment with various ingredients and then suggest some new ones.
Try to cook different foods. Recommend new ingredients or any tasty recipes.
Ensure that whatever is happening in the kitchen area follows the safety regulations and various compliance.
Employment Opportunities for a Chef:
The food service industry is a flourishing one in the present day. You'll be able to find restaurants, bakeries, hotels, and private clubs in almost all parts of your city. With growing competition, there has also been an enormous increase in demand.
There are many opportunities for chefs to find employment. Besides restaurants and hotel dining, culinary professionals can find jobs in conventional and non-conventional establishments as well as private and public locations.
Being a chef could open many career opportunities, especially in the following areas:
Restaurants
Hotels
Food Processing Companies
Entrepreneurship
Food Manufacturing
Airlines
Cruise liners
Catering in Confectioneries
Resorts
Corporate Catering
Bakeries
Salary of a Chef in India:
If you are a qualified chef, then the employment opportunities for you are near limitless. As per the National Restaurant of India (NRAI) report, there are more than 7 million chefs in India, and by 2024 more than 10 million will be employed in this sector.
Broadly we can classify salary range into three categories based on the level of experience:
| Experience Level | Annual Pay (in INR) |
|---|---|
| Entry Level (0-2 Years) | 2-4 LPA |
| Mid-Level (2-5 Years) | 5-10 LPA |
| Senior Level (5+ Years) | 10-35 LPA |
