Many members of the kitchen staff across the globe have held the same position for years and feel they’re ready for a change in their role. Becoming a chef and maybe even eventually head chef n your establishment takes patience and knowledge of your working environment and it’s not always straight forward to land yourself straight into that role. The chef status requires hard work and dedication to the company and the role itself, so this is something to consider when aspiring to work up the ladder. There are a few areas you might need to focus on if you’re looking to progress your career, and we’re detailed them in this blog.
Kitchen Preparation
A good start for beginners is to find yourself a role as a member of the general kitchen staff, if you haven’t already. This will provide you with some experience of the kitchen environment so you can get clued up on kitchen hygiene and gain experience of how the kitchen is run. We’d suggest that you try and avoid jobs in waitressing and instead focus on vacancies that are based primarily in the general kitchen area, as you’ll pick up loads of tips and tricks on food standards, preparation and decoration.
Another way you can take your first step towards your goal of being a chef is through taking more of an academic route. Many establishments, particularly 5-star hotels and restaurants, require a relatively high-level qualification. Depending on where you are thinking of applying, this can be a diploma or even a degree, but generally; the higher the qualification the better! There are many forms and levels of qualifications in hospitality, depending on the nature of the chef role you’re aspiring to achieve. Many of you may be wondering, ‘but surely experience is better than a qualification?’. As much as this is the case in many restaurants, educational experience shows your understanding of the important areas like hygiene, safety and dietary requirements. Although this isn’t preparing three-course meals or cooking dishes, these areas are vital in order to receive top notch-customer satisfaction and a clean and safe workplace.
If you’re not currently working in this kind of establishment and don’t hold a qualification related to hospitality and catering, this is okay. There are other things you can do to get your name out there in the world of hospitality and cuisine. Previous work experience in this job sector shows your employer that you already have a strong understanding of how things work in the kitchen and what to expect as a chef.
Commitment is Key
To work your way up the ladder from kitchen worker to head chef, you must live and breathe what you do. Starting off in the kitchen in a different role, you’re likely to be doing a great deal of cold food prep. It may not seem like much, in comparison to a chef but this job is what gets the food from raw to the finished, served result. Even if it doesn’t feel like it at this stage, be passionate and committed to your job and your employer will notice your dedication. This is important to get your employers attention because patience and passion is what will get you noticed by your peers.
It’s not often that people become a chef instantly. Many current chefs have been in the hospitality sector for years and built up experience, knowledge and skill over this period. Unfortunately, in most cases, you’re likely to have to do the same. Company loyalty, dependability and flexibility are key skills in progressing in your career. In some cases you may be in a company large enough that they can move you up the ladder in roles within the company, and in this case often your loyalty can produce a steady rise in roles. In other cases you may need to look for further positions at other companies, as some kitchens may be small and fully staffed, and you may outgrow the roles available fast.
Respect your workplace
A lot of the time, promotion isn’t always based on experience and the time spent in the industry. Respect is earnt through your skill, knowledge and coping in intense situations. Keeping a cool head in stressful situations will show you can cope with the role and keep everything flowing smoothly. If you’re a hot-head, everything becomes difficult and reflects on the other staff and the outcomes of the food, so it’s best to keep your cool when considering a top kitchen role.
Try to emulate the behaviour of the role you want, in a respectful way. If your next role involves overseeing everything, try to work this skill into your current role without sacrificing performance, and you’ll be showing employers that you’re ready for this extra responsibility.
Now that you’ve got an insight on how to land your dream role as a chef, start considering the steps you can take to achieve this role.
