** 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.

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