** 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.

The job of an executive chefs or head cooks includes coordinating the kitchen work and managing a team of 10 or more kitchen staff. Very often, the executive chef is required to handle the management work of more than one kitchen. Core responsibilities of these chefs include directing meal preparation, deciding and planning the menu, controlling food supplies, keeping accounts and supervising other kitchen operations to ensure superior quality of work and meal preparation. While they oversee the operations in the kitchen of a restaurant or a hotel, they are also responsible for assigning tasks to the kitchen workers. All the kitchen work needs to be done within the budget limit that the executive chef has been provided with.

 

Job Description & Responsibilities
The day of an executive chef or a head chef starts with menu planning, which requires a lot of culinary and innovative skills. The chef plans the menu keeping in mind the budgetary considerations of the hotel or restaurant they work for. An executive chef's career happens to be highly demanding, as they do not only incorporate creative culinary skills but also take care of the administrative and managerial tasks. Since they are responsible for handling the food supply, they also need to develop good relationship with food vendors. The executive chef's job also needs them to keep abreast of the latest trends in food, so as to regularly provide appealing menu to customers and increase the client base.

 

First of all, the executive chef's job is to decide the dishes and the menu. Next, they order food supplies and equipments required. Now, the executive chef's job is to assign relevant tasks to the kitchen staff. Food preparation workers in the kitchen perform tasks including slicing poultry, washing and chopping vegetables among others. It is the executive chef that decides whether some food needs to be stored in advance, depending upon the specific requirements of the kitchen and the customers. A customer's menu order is referred to as a ‘ticket'. The executive chef's job, therefore, is to make sure that superior quality control is maintained while the kitchen staff prepares the tickets.

 

Responsibilities of executive chefs may vary a little depending on where they work. Work places can include business establishments, institutions, hospitals, cafeterias, restaurants etc. Though all the kitchen operations are performed under the supervision of the executive chef, it is the chef de cuisines who is accountable to report of these tasks to the executive chef or the head chef. If the executive chef is absent, the sous chef has the responsibilities of making sure that kitchen operations run smoothly and that there are no interruptions or hassles.

 

Education Requirements
A strong passion for cooking is a prerequisite to becoming an executive chef. Many years of training and culinary expertise can pave the way for candidates to become an executive chef or a head chef. An executive chef should carry many years of working experience in different areas of the kitchen. In terms of education, the candidates need to be equipped with a 4-year degree program. Apprenticeship and internships are essential to gain some real world experience and establish once career as an executive chef. Candidates interested in becoming executive chefs can also go for culinary training and job placement programs, offered by various restaurants and hotels.

 

Job Outlook & Salary
Excellent job opportunities await those who aspire to become executive chefs. The food industry has shown a tremendous growth from $379 billion (2007) to $558.3 billion (2008). The employment growth rate for executive chefs is expected to grow at 8% annually through to the year 2016. The national median annual salary of executive chefs is $58,104. Executive chefs can look forward to getting even higher salary as they grow in their skill and experience.

Cultural, social and economic changes happen with the passage in every industry. The field of culinary art too is no exception. The culinary industry is affected by the cultural, social and economic changes that the society faces. Bigger and better career opportunities are always likely to be there. However, a regular shift can be noticed in the requirement of top cooks and chefs. According to the Department of Labor, this shift has taken place from fast food cooks to top chefs and cooks. The Department of Labor suggests more changes that will occur in the culinary industry. As a student of culinary art, you should be well informed of the changes that occur in this industry. Equipped with the latest culinary industry news and happenings, you can make well informed decision while thinking to take up a new career in culinary art.

Due to the cultural, social and economic changes happening to the population, the culinary industry gets influenced in many ways. The demand for culinary careers is to increase more and more. This increase in culinary careers has happened due to the existence of dual income families. Nowadays, more and more families have been noticed to possess two working adults. This leaves little time to the families to prepare meals at home. Consequently, working adults and families are turning towards meals cooked by others. This shift ultimately leads to an increase in culinary careers. Candidates who aspire to establish their culinary career should be prepared to avail the exciting career opportunities.

As per the demographics the disposable income level is also increasing in the average households. Higher income results in greater expectations. With an increase in the level of disposable income, people are turning away from smaller restaurants and fast food joints and moving towards high-end restaurants to satisfy their food and meal requirements. This shift from fast food joints towards high-end restaurants goes in favor of top cooks and chefs. Due to a sluggish economy of late, the shift faced a halt. But, as the economy continues to recover people will turn towards high-end restaurants again, creating an increased demand for highly respected chefs and cooks in the culinary industry.

Another major factor that influences the demand in culinary career is the increasing rate of life expectancy. The age of population increases and therefore the population becomes older. As a result, a greater level of disposable income remains associated with the older generation. As the retired class witnesses a boost in the level of disposable income, the demand for restaurant cooked food is also on the rise. This creates more and more requirement of professionals in the field of culinary art.

The busy younger generation is always looking for convenient food and meal options. For convenience’s sake, the younger generation turns towards restaurant cooked and ready cooked meals rather than home cooked meals which could consume a lot of their valuable time. Educational institutions and hospitals are also turning towards outsourcing in terms of food and meals. Food preparation companies have come into great demand, as they continue to provide cooked meals to schools, institutions and hospitals.

An assessment of the current situation and the changing trends makes it clear that exciting career opportunities await candidates in the culinary industry. The career for culinary professionals like cooks and chefs is really bright. High-end chefs and cooks will reap the maximum benefits. This is also true that the job seekers will have to face a stiff competition to obtain these positions in the culinary art. To have an edge and get ahead of their counterparts, candidates are advised to couple their culinary course with a course in economics, mathematics or business management. This useful combination can provide them the tool to avail exciting career opportunities in restaurant and hotel management. Besides, candidates with such educational combination and business acumen can always decide to establish a business of their own. For the right candidate, equipped with an excellent academic background and culinary expertise, there will never be a dearth of career opportunities in the culinary industry. Dedication, an eagerness to learn and excel and perseverance are the key to a profitable career in culinary art.

So, you have decided to pursue a career in the fast-paced field of culinary arts. Whether you wish to kick start your career as a commis chef or dream to become a line cook or a head chef, it will all depend on the right selection of cooking schools. Even when you want to become a restaurant manager, you need to attend a cooking school, college or university where you could be trained in your chosen field. If you choose the right cooking school, have all the passion and a continued desire to excel, you are never far from making an exciting career in the field of culinary art. But, how to choose the right cooking school is the big question. As a candidate who is willing to begin a career in culinary art, you would need to evaluate the cooking school, the college or other educational institutions in terms of necessary accreditation and reputation. In addition, you should know about the applying procedure and the costs incurred. All these information about cooking school will let you make the right decision, before you set on to pursue a career in culinary art. Given below are some essential tips on how to evaluate and choose the right cooking school for a course or a degree program.

 

Always keep your personal career goals in mind when you are going to select a program at a cooking school or a culinary institute. There are numerous important factors that you need to consider while choosing the right cooking school. First and foremost, decide which kind of culinary course or degree you are actually looking for. What duration of course or length of program you can easily pursue at the cooking or culinary school. Are you looking for an associate's degree, a bachelor's degree or a diploma program? Find out your exact educational requirement. Depending on the degrees or courses you want to earn, you can start looking for a cooking school that offers a program for the same. While you choose a cooking school, you should ensure that your selected training program trains you in the area of culinary art that you are most interested in.

 

Suppose, you have no interest in baking and you get enrolled in a culinary program that has its main focus on baking. Would it be the right program for you? Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you go through the details of the program or coursework and make sure whether it is up to your specific requirements. The field of culinary art is both booming and vast. There are numerous jobs and career opportunities awaiting you in the culinary industry. So, always be sure about the area of study you actually want to pursue and specialize in.

 

Instead of going for one randomly selected cooking school, candidates should make a list of a couple of cooking schools where they can study their chosen subject of culinary art. It is always advisable to make a list of some and then compare them with one another in terms of quality of education, accreditation, reputation, program fees and the duration of the course of the degree at those cooking schools. Another important factor while choosing the right cooking school is the geographical location of that institution. If you wish to attend a cooking school locally, this factor might play an important role. Otherwise, if you wish to go for an online course, the geographical location of the cooking school may not have much importance. Candidates should take the right decision depending on their specific needs and requirements.

 

The cost factor is one of the most essential while you choose the right cooking school. How would you do this to your maximum benefit? Besides going through the course fees details, you can also enquire whether some kind of financial aid or scholarship programs are available at that cooking school. In addition, you need to know about the job and career opportunities that the culinary institution or the cooking school offers. To get a clear picture, you can also get in touch with the graduates from that particular cooking school and share their experiences about the quality of education and career opportunities available among others. Remember, how well you choose the cooking school will always play a role in the success of you career in culinary art.

 

Other important factors that can help you to choose a right culinary school or a right cooking school can include the ratio of students to faculty, comparison of the curriculum and coursework, flexibility in class schedules and the externship opportunities. If you are going to attend a cooking school locally, it can just be right to make a visit to that school to see a cooking class in action. After the class is over, you can also interact with the students at the culinary school and share their study experiences. Not only with students, you can also talk to the cooking school faculty to get your queries answered and remove your doubts.

There are immense career opportunities waiting for those who really take culinary art seriously and dream to make it big in this industry. Culinary institutions, universities and culinary schools have been opened in different places of America and other countries. Not only culinary careers satisfy you, but they also prove to be a wonderful experience for professionals. There are both entry level positions as senior or head level positions are available as exciting career opportunity in the culinary industry. If you really give your best and labour hard, top level positions are never far for you to achieve.

 

A wonderful option for those trained in culinary discipline is to begin as a Commis Chef. But, what is a Commis Chef and what are his responsibilities. While you have been trained as a chef, a Commis Chef is position that you would first be offered. Or, to be more precise, a Commis Chef is an entry level position for all those trained chefs who are looking to make the most of their culinary career as a chef. Those who join the position of a Commis Chef are required to report to the Chef de Partie. There are numerous ways to join as a Commis Chef in restaurants. Even apprentice chefs who begin to work in larger kitchens with the responsibility of learning and operating a station are referred to as Commis Chef. To begin your career in the culinary industry as a Commis Chef, you need to have formally trained.

 

As discussed above, there are many ways that can lead you to become a Commis Chef. Starting as a kitchen assistant of a kitchen porter is also a good option to get the position of Commis Chef. If you keep the target in mind and keep practicing hard, becoming a Commis Chef is no tough job. If you are ready to acquire expert skills in basic works of kitchen like vegetable preparation and taking care of the kitchen, you can soon be promoted to the position of a Commis Chef, which will further pave way for you to join as head chefs in various hospitality establishments. So, even if you start your culinary career from the scratch level, you can really look forward to achieve senior positions. Options are always open as long as you're ready to perform and deliver.

 

Responsibilities of a Commis Chef
Since the post of a Commis Chef is an entry level position, you will have the responsibility of preparing food but under the eye of a more skilled or a senior chef. This will be a golden opportunity to learn a variety of cooking styles from more accomplished chefs. In addition, you will learn how to deal with deliveries and handle stock rotation. The head chef will be guiding you on how to accurately measure the ingredients and give your best. In short, the responsibilities of a Commis Chef will be everything that related to the demands of kitchen.

 

Well versed chefs will always be their to supervise your activities and correct where you go wrong in terms of cooking, measuring ingredients, preparation of vegetables and following higher standards of hygiene. Career as Commis Chef, therefore, would be something like ‘earn while you learn'. As you keep on handling the day-to-day activities of the kitchen, you will become well versed with the hows and whys of becoming a chef. During your work tenure, you will be given the opportunity to work and handle different sections of the kitchen. The time span that you spend in one section of a kitchen may vary from three to six months.

 

Choosing a Kitchen Section According to Your Interest
The career of a Commis Chef also provides you flexibility. A Commis Chef has a variety of roles and responsibilities to perform. They can choose to work in different sections of a large kitchen according to their interest and preferences. The head chef will render the Commis Chef a task or assign him the area of activity keeping in mind the latter's interests. Commis Chefs can avail this opportunity to specialize in their specific areas of interest associated with the activities of the kitchen. There are numerous aspects to a kitchen. Acquire specialization in the area that you like the most and continue to fine-tune your skills.

 

Courses, Working Hours & Salary of a Commis Chef
Though numerous culinary institutions offer courses for making career as Commis Chefs, it may be difficult at times to find a course for the same if you do not have any prior experience. In this case, you can first start as a kitchen attendant and then apply for a training program. Jobs of a Commis Chef are available in shifts. Annually, a Commis Chef can earn anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000. The remuneration would be in proportion to your skill and experience.

The more career opportunities culinary industry offers, the more work challenges it sets forth. A profitable career option in the culinary field is to become a restaurant manager. Anyone who manages the floor, the kitchen or the administration is referred to as a restaurant manager. The difference in the roles of restaurant managers actually depends on whether they are working for local family-run restaurant or a high-end restaurant. While visiting small restaurants, you must have noticed that restaurant owners also look after the overall business operation. They are also restaurant managers. Large restaurants have definitive roles for restaurant managers. In large or high-end restaurants, restaurant manager (also called general managers) take care of the administrative division whereas the executive chef is responsible for kitchen management.

 

While the executive chef takes care of the food preparation in kitchen, the restaurant manager directs the rest of the staff and supervises their work. During this administrative career, the restaurant manager is responsible for smooth functioning of the whole operation and handling the business end, thereby bringing profit to the restaurant. Looking at the job responsibilities that the restaurant manager is required to perform, they must possess a thorough understanding of budgeting, accounting, banking methods and credit policies.

It is only a skilled restaurant manager who knows how to motivate the staff to always work for the better. Whether it is the service standard or the safety guidelines, the general manager ensures that the restaurant staff strictly abides by them. Not only professionally, but the responsibilities of a restaurant manager also include seeing to the well being of staff and providing them job satisfaction. Recruitment of new kitchen staff, maintenance of kitchen equipment, budgeting, work scheduling and surveying are the other responsibilities that these professionals have to shoulder during their career as restaurant manager or general manager in a large kitchen.

 

Educational Background
A high school diploma is the minimum educational requirement to apply for the post of a restaurant manager. A number of junior colleges and universities in the United States offer associate degrees, bachelor degrees and other graduate programs in restaurant management. Career opportunities become more fruitful for candidates who have both college education as well as some previous work experience in business administration. Besides earning a degree in restaurant management, candidates can also opt for various courses in hotel and restaurant administration. The restaurant manager must have strong communication skills, team playing spirit and motivating potential.

 

To kick-start their career, candidates can also enroll themselves in restaurant manager trainee programs. Restaurant managers can join as prospective managers too. These positions may include account manager, food and beverage manager and sales manager among. After spending a couple of years in these fields, professionals can finally become general managers.

 

Career Outlook
Though candidates may need to face tough competition, job opportunities are greater and the employment growth rate is expected to grow as fast as average through 2014. Candidates can easily land a job at small restaurants first. Later with a few years of experience, you can apply at large or high-end restaurants. Those who join leading restaurant chain can be promoted to the position of regional manager or executive manager. The job of a restaurant manager does not only require physical effort, but it gives you mental pressures as well.

Most of the time restaurant managers will be on their feet, attending to customers and dealing with employees. While dealing with customers, patience is the key requirement with restaurant managers or general managers. Working hours of a restaurant manager may vary between 40 and 48 hours a week. Restaurant managers should also be ready to work on weekends and at nights, depending on the type and chain of restaurant they join.

 

Earning from Your Career as Restaurant Manager
The salary you get will depend on the type of restaurant you join and responsibilities you are assigned. Metropolitan cities offer better restaurant manager career opportunities, both in terms of professional and personal growth. Average annual salary of a restaurant manager can be around $42,000. Restaurant managers also receive yearly bonuses. Those employed in leading restaurant chains will be entitled to some exclusive benefits like paid vacations, retirement benefits and health insurances among others.