** 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.

You are blessed with a keen palate. Most of your leisure time, you are in the kitchen and are serious about cooking. But, do you exactly know whether you should enroll in a cooking program? You might have a habit of getting the latest issues of food and cooking magazines. You may also like to read about many of the celebrated chefs and cooks around the world. Even when you have all of this happening to you, it is very essential to know if you are actually ready to enroll yourself in a cooking program. Before considering a career in culinary arts, first and foremost you should of course be passionate about cooking. However, there are a number of other questions that you need to ask yourself to find out whether you are ready to get enrolled in a cooking program. Given below are some important signs that will help you take that much needed leap into the field of cooking and establish you career. Check out the signs and if you fit in with these criteria, you are obviously ready for a cooking career.

You love experimenting in kitchen
You are a tinkerer. That means you spend most of your leisure time in the kitchen. You do not just have a sharp palate but if you are also serious about experimenting with new dishes. Besides being a foodie, you also need to have a keen interest in the field of cooking or culinary art career . If you find yourself interested in adding that personalized touch to a meal and discovering new recipes, you are ready to kick start a career in cooking. Getting enrolled in a cooking program is, therefore, the first step that you should take to start your career.

You are physically strong and can stand kitchen heat
On the face of it, the job of a chef or a cook may look very sophisticated. You need to be physically strong to spend long hours working on your toes. As a cook or a chef, you will be preparing meals as well as taking care of the new orders that keep arriving. You should be ready to stand the kitchen heat and give your best even under a lot of pressure. Expectations are very high when you are working in the kitchen and preparing dishes. If you do not get frustrated, you should head straight and get enrolled in a cooking program or a training program in culinary art.

You are ready to do management tasks
Innovativeness is a prerequisite to becoming a chef. You will be making use of all your creative skills and expertise to deliver your best. However, there are some other tasks that you would require to do while paving path for a successful career as chef. Interest in the management aspect of your job is also very important. As a chef, you may also be required to look after things like budget management, food supply control, negotiation with suppliers etc. By doing all these managerial tasks, you will acquire more expertise in your field, helping yourself in the advancement of your career. If you are ready, a cooking training program is just the right option for you.

You don't mind working extra hours
Though chefs or cooks may find ways to work for regular working hours, they may also need to work at weekends, on holidays etc. If you take your cooking career seriously, you should be ready to put work at the centre of you life. Most of the high end restaurant and five star hotels have chefs working in the evening and till midnight. If you don't mind pushing your limits, a cooking program is all you need to start your career in cooking.

You realize that a cooking program is just a stepping stone to a cooking career
Just a serious cooking habit and a degree in culinary art or cooking program won't make you a chef all of a sudden. Utmost dedication, patience and hard work are key to reach the position of a top level chef. There is no short cut to fame as a cook or chef. If you agree with this and are ready to work hard, getting enrolled in a cooking program is just the right step that you need to take to make your career in cooking.

** 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.

Though the dessert is served at the end of a meal, it is also the most important part. You must have had a wide range of desserts. But have you ever thought whose innovative skills go in the making of breads, chocolates, pies, cookies, ice cream etc. The food service industry has a growing demand for chefs and cooks. A pastry chef (Patissier in French) is one of those careers that have always been required by the food industry. Today, candidates have the benefit of selecting from a multitude of accredited culinary or cooking schools where they can get trained to become a pastry chef or Patissier. The career of a pastry chef is both quite fulfilling and rewarding at the same time. The best part is you will never get bored while working as a pastry chef in a hotel chain, high end restaurant or a luxury resort.

A professional kitchen in a high end restaurant or hotel, there is a whole team dedicated to the pastry department, known as the classic brigade de cuisine. The pastry chef is a part of this brigade and holds the position of the station chef in the pastry department. In charge of the dessert menu, the pastry chef is responsible for performing daily tasks including planning of menu, cost control and food supply control. The pastry department also has a number of other assistant chefs or kitchen workers to help the pastry chef with his dessert preparation task. Besides menu planning, cost reduction and supply control, the job of a pastry also requires him to innovatively develop and create new recipes. The chef is responsible for research, testing and applying new concepts using their working skill and expertise.

It is very important to make well informed decisions when candidates aspire to become a pastry chef or patissier. To excel in your chef career, you should have a strong inclination towards cooking or the field of culinary art. While you join a degree program or a course, you get trained in the art of baking or pastry making. Planning and preparation are the core areas that you will be focusing on while being trained to become a pastry chef. After you have planned the recipe of the dessert and prepared it using all your cooking skills, it's time to make it look attractive to the eyes. Desserts need to be quite attractive so that people may order as soon as they notice them. To make desserts or the sweet dish likeable to all pastry chef has to take into account a number of things - taste, color, size, shape and the presentation.

Candidates, who want to know the secrets of how to become a pastry chef, must be aware of the skills that need to possess for making a great career in this field. Besides having expertise in the art of baking and dessert preparation, pastry chefs skills also include some great artwork. The chef needs to make use of his creative skills to make the desserts look good to the eyes as well. Paying attention to even the minutest details can sometimes make a lot of difference to the dish. The chef, therefore, should have a sense for minute details.

Becoming a pastry chef may look easy on the face of it. The career of a pastry chef, however, demands a lot of dedication, activity, innovativeness and an eagerness to excel always. Pastry chefs may be working on their toes for long hours without losing vigor or interest. Working hours will depend on the type of food establishment you join. Depending on your job or work profile, you may even need to start as early as 3 am or 4 am.

Culinary schools across America offer a number of degree programs, courses and training to train aspiring candidates in the field of pastry art. To kick start your career as a pastry chef you need to obtain a Baking and Pastry Certificate, an Associates Degree in Applied Science Culinary Art or a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Culinary Arts from an accredited culinary institution or cooking school. All these degree programs, training and certifications include both classroom study as well as hands-on experience in baking or pastry making. If you enroll in a course of one year duration or less like the certificate course, you will only be eligible to join at entry level position in the pastry department. A 2-year Associate's Degree in Applied Science Culinary Arts or a 4-year Bachelor of Arts degree will prepare for a successful career in the field of pastry art or baking. Entry level pastry chef positions include entry level pastry cook or helper and assistant pastry chef. A corporate executive pastry chef is a higher level and much respectable position in the culinary field.

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.