Cooking Up A Career - The Culinary Arts

Cooking Up A Career - The Culinary Arts
By Cecily Kellogg

The clang of metal, the scent of spices, the hiss of flame—you can take the heat and you want in to the kitchen. If you love everything about the art of cooking, a career in the culinary arts might be right for you.

Culinary artists are responsible for skillfully preparing meals that are as pleasing to the palate as to the eye. They work primarily in restaurants, fast food franchises, delicatessens, hospitals and other institutions and corporations. Kitchen conditions vary depending on the type of business or restaurant you work in. But before you start working in the kitchen, you’ll need to get an education in the Culinary Arts.

Most people working in the culinary arts are referred to as chefs. There are many types of chefs (although not every restaurant or facility will use these titles):

• Assistant chef

• Banquet chef

• Chef

• Chef de cuisine

• Chef de partie

• Chef patissier

• Cold foods chef

• Corporate chef

• Entremetier

• Executive chef

• Executive sous-chef

• First sous-chef

• Garde-manger chef

• Head chef

• Head rotisseur

• Master chef

• Meat chef

• Meat, poultry and fish chef

• Pasta chef

• Pastry chef

• Rotisserie chef

• Saucier

• Second chef

• Sous-chef

• Specialist chef

• Specialty foods chef

• Supervising chef

• Working sous-chef

Becoming a Chef

Once you’ve decided to become a chef, you need to choose a culinary school. There are thousands of schools out there—and here are some helpful things to consider while making you decision.

The Numbers

The culinary school you choose should have a proven history of success for its graduates. Be sure to make sure that the school has all of the following:

• High graduation and employment rates

• Alumna with successful careers with attractive salaries

• Large, successful alumni networks

• A widespread reputation providing access to national and international career opportunities

The Educational Experience

While it’s important to study the history of food, you learn more in the kitchen than the classroom. Be sure the school you choose offers:

• A high number of teaching kitchens and in-kitchen instruction

• A variety of first-class restaurants on campus for professional training

• Externships at leading restaurants, hotels, and resorts for real-world experience and industry connections

The Faculty

Who will be teaching you? You want a culinary school with the following faculty:

• Faculty members who are Master Chefs or Master Bakers

• Instructors who are Certified Hospitality Educators

• Diverse faculty representing a variety of cultures and culinary experiences

• “Celebrity” chef faculty members who actually teach

• Student/faculty ratios that provide individual mentoring

• A “published” faculty and college; accomplished educators are often authors of leading culinary texts as well

Degrees

Which degree will suit your career plans the best?

• Associate degree programs will provide fundamental skills, techniques, and cuisine studies to help prepare you for a variety of foodservice jobs

• Bachelor’s degree programs will provide the same foundation plus build operational and management knowledge to prepare you for leadership in and beyond the kitchens and bakeshops

Campus

What makes a good culinary school campus? You should always look for the following:

• A diverse student body and a variety of clubs, special events, and sports

• Attractive campus housing and recreational facilities, and a fun student life experience

• Access to a major city where you can benefit from additional entertainment, cultural learning, and exposure to leading foodservice businesses

Originally published at http://www.collegequest.com/

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