If you have a keen inclination towards the art of cooking and do not mind standing in front of the hot stove tossing together a dinner of amaretto shrimp almandine, you are ready to kick start a cooking or a culinary career. Education as well as specialized training has a pivotal role to play in the shaping of your cooking career. While working in a small restaurant kitchen, you might learn a few of the cooking skills. But this will only make you acquainted with a specific type of cuisine or cooking skill. However, if you go for a formal training from an accredited cooking school, you can be ready to take up a full fledged career in the cooking industry. Obtaining formal education in cooking career helps you directly join at a high position. Choosing the right cooking school is must for all those candidates that want to have a competitive edge over their counterparts in culinary field.

 

If you take up the cooking career really seriously, you need to have a strong theoretical foundation of cooking as well as hands-on training. A degree program or a certificate course from an accredited cooking school does not only equip you with theoretical knowledge and techniques about a variety of food and cuisines, but it gives you an advantage to successfully establish your cooking career and make it one of the most profitable ones. Hands-on and on-the-job training may land you some low level kitchen workers positions, but it will not help those who are looking forward to becoming a top level cook or chef. Apart from that, an on-the-job training may take you comparatively longer to learn the skills.

 

While they attend a cooking school, candidates will be trained in three major field of cooking including culinary art, Patisserie and baking and hospitality and restaurant management. A degree in culinary art trains you in classic and contemporary techniques while the field of Patisserie prepares you in pastry and baking arts. Hospitality and restaurant management degrees train you in subjects like business operations, communication, finances etc. Obtaining a degree from a recognized cooking school brings a number of other benefits as well. Most of the cooking or culinary schools are provided with their own food services and restaurants. These facilities help students in learning the art of cooking through hands-on classes.

 

Many cooking schools also offer their students some exciting externship opportunities. While they get you trained in local restaurants, you have the opportunity to learn the art of cooking and food preparation from experienced professionals and top level cooks. Externships help students a lot in the advancement of their cooking career. After graduating from a cooking school, candidates have a wide range of careers to choose from. Equipped with a graduate degree in cooking, candidates can choose to join establishments like bakeries, hotel chains, high end restaurants, food service departments, luxury resorts and catering among others.

 

While you decide to go to a cooking school, you might be confronted with hundreds of culinary, hospitality and hotel management programs. Before you enroll yourself in a course of training program, you must ensure that the cooking school you want to attend has all the necessary accreditations. The U.S. Department of Education periodically evaluates multiple organizations that provide accreditation to cooking schools across America. Some of the most important accrediting organizations in America include Council of Higher Education Accreditation, Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology and the American Culinary Federation Accrediting Commission among others.

 

Therefore, obtaining formal education from an accredited cooking school is essential for making the most of a cooking career. Besides checking the accreditations of your selected cooking school, you can also have a look at the resumes of chefs that provide training at the school. Try to get in touch with candidates who currently graduated from the cooking school and find out if where they are employed. Remember only right education and appropriate training can help you make a fulfilling career in the cooking industry.

 

According to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry (which employs 12.8 million people) has the privilege of being the second largest industry, next only to government. Another 2 million jobs will be created in the cooking industry through the year 2017. The cooking industry has, therefore, no dearth of jobs and career opportunities for skilled and aspiring candidates who are all geared up to establish their cooking career.

** The various titles of "chef" generally apply to more advanced roles in a professional kitchen Sous Chef. Graduates of a culinary arts training program should expect to pursue entry-level opportunities and should not expect to become chefs upon graduation but are encouraged to work toward becoming a chef through the course of their career. Le Cordon Bleu does not guarantee employment or salary.

For entry level positions in the field of culinary arts, a high school diploma is not essential. However, if the candidates aspire to establish their career in this field, they should go for it. High school courses and vocational courses help those who are looking to become chefs or cooks. A course taken in subjects like business arithmetic and business administration are essential for a career as chef or cook. Many of the cooks and chefs that you see today may have started their career as fast food workers, food preparation workers or short order cooks. Various low level or entry level cooking jobs are available for beginning a career in culinary art . Equipped with the knowledge and skills of food handling, food preparation and cooking, candidates can really look forward to establishing their career as assistant cooks or other high level cook and chef position.

Professionals in the culinary field may also start their career as kitchen workers. There are a number of accredited culinary schools that organize summer workshops, aside from providing on-the-job training. These workshops and training opportunities should be availed to advance a career in culinary art. Summer jobs and paid internships are also a wonderful opportunity to gain some valuable experience in cooking and food preparation. With the necessary training and qualifications, one can easily join as an assistant cook or an executive chef and later attain the position of a head chef or a top level cook. To become an executive chef or a cook, candidates require many years of expertise and training in culinary art. Courses and training in this field range from high school diploma programs and post high school vocational training programs to 2 to 4-year-long college degree programs in culinary art . Apprenticeship programs offered by numerous culinary institutions also help a lot in the advancement of careers.

Colleges and local employers also offer a wide range of training programs in collaboration with the American Culinary Federation. Large hotel chains and high end restaurant provide specialized training programs too. Training and qualification opportunities for cooks and chefs abound. Care needs to taken while selecting a specific training program. Not every candidate, who aspires to become a cook or chef, needs to kick start their career from entry level positions like fast food worker, food preparation worker or other low level kitchen worker jobs. A course in commercial food preparation can help candidates start their career directly as cooks or chefs. Choosing the right cooking school will always have a pivotal role to play in the advancement of your career.

High schools do offer vocational training programs. However, employers in the hospitality or culinary industry mostly prefer those candidates who have received training from trade schools, accredited culinary schools, colleges and other professional institutions. Post secondary courses in cooking and food preparation may vary in duration, ranging from a couple of months to 2 years. To establish career as a widely respected and fully qualified chef, candidate needs to have a working experience of around 8-15 years as a cook. With expertise and managerial skills, professionals can also acquire the position of executive chefs with the responsibility of handling more than one kitchen. For qualification, training and experience, US Armed Forces also provide excellent opportunities. The training programs offered by colleges and culinary schools include subjects like menu planning, food cost control, kitchen equipment care, food preparation, food supply maintenance, storage of food etc.

Supervisory and management skills hold utmost importance in terms of chef training and qualifications. Culinary schools offer such training programs across the whole of America. The American Culinary Federation has accredited more than 100 culinary training programs, apart from providing numerous apprenticeship programs. An apprenticeship program includes both classroom and practical work experience. To excel in the profession, cooks, chefs and food preparation workers need to possess a sense of cleanliness, team playing skills and an avid sense of taste and smell. Chefs and cooks should have excellent communication as well as expert managerial skills. An ability to effectively handle a team and supervise less skilled workers is essential for the advancement of career. Food cost control and waste management capabilities can prove to be great career advancement tools for chefs and cooks. Skilled chefs and cooks can not only establish their career in large hotel chains and high end restaurants, but they can also become restaurant owners. In addition, they have the opportunity to become instructors in high schools, colleges, culinary institutions and other educational institutions.