Becoming a Chef or Executive Chef
For our visitors interested in a career at the helm of a commercial kitchen, from a sm locy owned restaurant to a large, 5-start downtown or resort based establishment, a degree in culinary arts may be right for you. A degree or certificate in a natural chef training program will prepare graduates for a career in a variety of positions including an executive chef, a therapeutic, natural or personal chef, cooking consultant or natural foods cooking instructor.
What Is A Chef?
Professional chefs are people with a sensitive, experienced palate who wish to create complex art out of simple ingredients. Chefs enjoy creating food that will be enjoyed immensely by others. For those who wish to make a living using the highest quality ingredients in the healthiest possible manner to supply people with the nutrients and nourishment they need, there may be no er career than that of an executive chef. There is a reason chefs are so renowned throughout every culture worldwide. Through food, they are able to inspire us, fulfill us, reminding us of why we enjoy eating food in the first place. A chef can fill the needs of our palate and our bodies at the same time, designing meals to provide our bodies with optimal energy and performance.
The Culinary Schools listed on Nutritionist World provide the specific training to nourish your natural talents in the kitchen. Taught by renowned professional chefs, each area of expertise of a culinary career is covered throughout the duration of classroom instruction and any continuing internships of professional work-study. Among the many focuses of culinary arts provided by today’s schools, the following are among the most prominent:
- Vegetarian & Vegan Cooking
- Raw Food Diet Preparation
- French Cooking
- Italian Cooking
- Japanese Cooking
- Southwest Cooking
Chef Job Duties
The executive chef is the CEO of the kitchen. Everything happening behind the scenes, from food supplier to the patron’s plate, is controlled and dictated by the executive chef. Job duties for an executive chef, regardless of the type of establishment, typicy involve creating the restaurant’s theme and establishing the menu to complement this theme. Day to day operations include food preparation, managing the employees throughout the kitchen including other chefs, line cooks, prep cooks, waiters am dishwashers. In many situations, the executive chef will source and maintain contracts with vendors including food, alcohol, kitchen and dining equipment. Many times they will work closely with restaurant management on marketing and customer relations as well.
Chef Skills
A natural chef should possess certain skills that ow them to carry out their job at the highest level. A degree in culinary arts will focus on the improvement and development of these skills. -level executive chefs must excel in the following areas:
- A Developed Sense of Taste & Smell: Chefs must posses the ability to recognize flavors and tastes that separate good food from . This also ows chefs to improve upon and even create new dishes to be used in their menus.
- Creativity: Chefs must be able to exhibit creativity, not only with flavors and smells but with composition and presentation of their meals as well.
- Teamwork: A 5-Star kitchen only runs smoothly when everyone is working together. As the executive of the kitchen, it is the chef’s responsibility to keep the pieces running smoothly.
- Organization: With the variety of different tasks to be completed in order to keep a kitchen running smoothly, organization is among the most important aspects of a chef’s job. The ability to plan, prepare and execute stem from good organization.
Chef Salary & Career Outlook
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for chefs is expected to be good, propelled by the growth of urban areas where fine dining and upscale restaurants are popular, an increase in the variety of dining establishments and demand for healthier cuisines. However, competition for the finer dining establishments will be high as these are where the salaries are paid. Most executive and head chefs have experience in the restaurant industry as well as a two or four-year degree or certification from a culinary institute or hospitality management school.
The median salary for -level chefs in 2009 was roughly $51,600 annuy, with many making above $66,000 at the end. For chefs with experience and recognition, these numbers grow substantiy. Moreover, as healthier eating becomes more popular, increased demand for natural chefs and natural foods eating establishments will propel these wages upward.
Culinary Degree Schools :
The Art Institutes
Campus
Your creativity is a big part of who you are and where you're going. To take it, and your future, as far as you want, you need an education that's focused on developing your talents and putting you on the path toward the creative career that stirs your imagination.
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Star Career Academy
Campus
Star Career Academy - the career school of choice.Students will be prepared for entry-level employment in allied medical assisting and other health fields, hotel/restaurant management, cosmetology, or a choice from our professional culinary and baking & pastry programs. What makes us unique, and unlike other trade schools, is the dedication of our staff to provide performance-based occupational training. Students gain the knowledge and confidence they need so that they may quickly gain employment and achieve the success they desire.
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Stratford Career Institute
Online
Stratford Career Institute can help you earn your diploma from home in as little as six months, thanks to their proven study methods.
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Florida Technical College
Campus
Florida Technical College has structured its Health Care, Technology, and Programming curricula to achieve one thing for its students: success in the real world.
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Platt College Oklahoma
Campus
Pursue your education with Platt College Oklahoma. We offer hands-on training programs in the culinary arts, allied health, and nursing fields.
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Dorsey Schools
Campus
Dorsey Schools are postsecondary institutions that provide short term comprehensive training that has prepared students for promising career opportunities in the beauty, cosmetology, culinary, healthcare, HVAC and legal fields.
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Virginia College
Campus
Virginia College Online continues the tradition ofgiving lives new direction, fulfilling our mission statement tostudents wherever they live and offering the chance to pursue adegree while maintaining commitments to work and family.
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Remington College
Campus
Get hands-on training with Remington College. We offer diploma and associate and bachelor's degree programs in business, criminal justice, culinary arts, health care, and cosmetology at our campuses in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas — plus some courses are offered online.
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Institute of Culinary Education
Campus
The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City is the perfect place to launch your culinary career. Choose from programs in culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, and culinary management.
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Keiser University Campus
Campus
Keiser University offers accredited degree programs in today's in demand careers: Healthcare, Technology, Paralegal, Business, Nursing and Legal Studies.
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Le Cordon Bleu Schools of North America
Campus
Get hands-on training with Le Cordon Bleu Schools of North America. We offer programs in culinary arts, pastry and baking, and hospitality and restaurant management at campuses across the United States.
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Keiser Univ. Center for Culinary Arts
Campus
Get the experience you need to succeed in the exciting and fast growing culinary field at Keiser University - Center for Culinary Arts. We offer the flexibility of day or evening classes, experienced faculty, and small class sizes for plenty of personalized attention. Internship opportunities and financial aid are available for students who qualify.
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L'Ecole Culinaire
Campus
L'Ecole Culinaire can train you for an exciting and rewarding career in the culinary industry. Get real-world experience with our ten-week internships.
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Institute of Technology
Campus
You can get started on a new career with Institute of Technology. We offer diploma and associate degree programs for careers in the culinary, technical, medical, business, and legal fields.
For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website at www.iot.edu/disclosure.
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Culinary Institute of Virginia
Campus
Love to cook? Turn your passion into a career at the Culinary Instituteof Virginia. Earn your Associate of Applied Science Degree in Culinary Science in less than 2 years.
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