Becoming a Chef: all you need to know

Being a successful Chef involves much more than just being able to cook

There are lots of ingredients involved in making a success of a career as a Chef. Cooking is just one of them. Here, we answer the main questions about what being a Chef involves.

What skills do I need to be a Chef?

To be a Chef you need to have a range of skills, including:

• creative skills ? a flair for cooking that goes beyond just being able to follow recipes. Qualifications and experience are not enough on their own.
• management skills ? the ability to be a responsible and effective leader and manage a team
• personnel skills ? the ability to recruit and inspire staff
• organisational skills ? the ability to organise rotas, deliveries and storage
• planning skills ? you'll need to plan menus and ensure that dishes are ready at the right time
• financial skills ? you should be able to negotiate prices and handle budgets

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What personal qualities do I need to be a Chef?

Personal qualities needed to be a good Chef include:

• motivation
• imagination
• confidence
• good communication skills

You also need to be:

• hard-working
• practical
• methodical
• able to multi-task
• able to stay calm under pressure

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What are the high points?

A career as a Chef can be very rewarding. Experiencing people enjoying the food you've cooked and building up a clientele can be very satisfying.

A good Chef needs to get experience working in different places, so there is a real opportunity to travel. Working in different countries means that you can learn new techniques and recipes, and you will get to meet lots of people.

Work options are varied. You can do private work for a celebrity, work on a cruise ship, work in a hotel, pub or restaurant ? and there's also the possibility of running your own kitchen.

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What are the low points?

On the downside, many Chefs work long hours. About 40 hours a week is quite normal and for many Chefs at the top end of the scale, the hours can be even longer. Hours are unsociable, too ? you could be working early mornings, late evenings, weekends and national holidays.

Salaries for Chefs tend to be low. This means there are plenty of job vacancies around and staff turnover is high.

You'll also be working in a confined space which can get very hot. You are always on your feet and may have to lift heavy equipment, so ideally you need to be fairly fit. Job hazards can include cuts, burns and slips on spilt liquids.

You also need to think how your personal relationships could be affected. You won't get much time to see your friends, and you will need a very understanding partner.

Travelling and moving to different places can be fun, but when you're changing jobs every few years in order to get more experience, it can be a strain.

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What's the best age to start training as a Chef?

There's no particular age, but the younger the better: bear in mind that it can take about 10 years to become a Head Chef, depending on the size and standard of the restaurant.

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How do I know a Chef's career is right for me?

Try doing some work experience. After a few weeks spent in a busy restaurant, you'll soon know whether you can handle this kind of work.

Contact your favourite Chef or restaurateur and say you love their cooking and would like to work under them. You may have to offer to work unpaid, but this is the best way to find out quickly and easily whether you're suited to the job.

Watch people cooking, such as your parents and friends; read cookbooks and experiment with exotic food. These will all help you decide, and give you ideas and tips.

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How do I start a career as a Chef?

Once you've decided that a Chef's career is for you, there are various routes you can take:

• doing a full-time course at a college or a professional cooking school
• starting at the bottom level in a restaurant and working your way up as your skills develop
• on-the-job training with days at college
• working in a chain that offers in-house training.

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What are the advantages of a college course?

A college course will help you understand the basics and background of cooking, covering technical skills, hygiene and safety requirements and practical skills. And, of course, you'll also get a certificate to prove your qualifications.

You can choose a course at a university or one devised by a culinary school, although the latter can be rather expensive. Taking a course will also mean that you don't have to start at the bottom when you enter the profession.

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What are the advantages of learning at work?

Getting work experience means you'll have experience of working in the real world. It's hard to understand the long hours involved and the commitment needed unless you have first-hand experience.

But without qualifications, you'll almost certainly start in a lowly position, probably doing a monotonous job such as peeling vegetables.

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What about apprenticeships?

The best route to becoming a Chef is probably through an apprenticeship. This will involve both work experience in a kitchen and studying for qualifications at college. This ensures the best of both worlds. Ideally, look for an apprenticeship with a well-known, well-respected company, which will last about three years. This will give you a good grounding so you can move up the career ladder.

With thanks to:

Gary Klaner, executive Chef at the Landmark Hotel, London

David Slinger, head of catering school, Blackpool and the Fylde College

Ben Aziz, recruitment consultant, Mise en Place