Culinary Arts Advancement Opportunities - Apprentice To Chef

After school, many graduates find themselves somewhat lost, wondering where to go. What comes next after culinary school? What can you expect? We've laid out the many paths you can take after culinary school, so you know how to get started and where you career can take you!

From Culinary School to The Workplace

In school, you probably were mostly focused on the proper and technical facets of the profession. You still need real-world kitchen experience to understand the difference between the educational aspect and what being a chef encompasses. Once you’re able to combine what you learned in school with what you’ll learn by working in a restaurant, you’ll finally be able to put all those skills to good use. Culinary is one of the remaining industries that puts great value on the amount and quality of your experience over your school program’s diploma. But, your culinary training will say to the hiring staff that you know your way around a kitchen, so it definitely can help you in your pursuit of a job.

Chances are, you’ll start in an entry level position after culinary school. There’s a kitchen hierarchy, first established in the 1800s by the renowned French chef, Georges-Auguste Escoffier, known as The Kitchen Brigade. And, there is where you’ll find the path you’ll be expected to take.

The Kitchen Brigade

Ford was to the automobile factory what Escoffier was to the kitchen. The Kitchen Brigade was created to break down the process in commercial kitchens such as restaurants and hotels. Even though it was created over 100 years ago, it’s still used today in most kitchens throughout the world.

Essentially, under the Kitchen Brigade, the order is broken up like this:

• Executive Chef: The executive chef manages all back of house operations. They take care of tasks such as ordering supplies, creating the menu, and supervising staff. Sometimes, if the executive chef works for a hotel with more than one property, he is heading up two or more kitchens.
• Chef de Cuisine: This is the head kitchen chef, and he reports directly to the executive chef. Or sometimes, the executive chef and the kitchen chef are one and the same.
• Sous Chef: The sous chef in next in line in the chain of command. If the head chef and executive chef aren’t in the kitchen, the sous chef will be the one in charge. They are the one that makes sure portioning is proper, preparation is efficient, and all around standards are being met, if not surpassed.
• Area Chef: There are different stations in a kitchen, such as the fish, meat, salad, side dishes, and more depending on the kitchen. An area chef is in charge of that particular station of his specialized skills. Plus, upper chefs may call him to cover their roles, if need be. A junior chef/line cook will usually work alongside an area chef.
• Expeditor: The expeditor is responsible for taking orders from the waitstaff and bringing them to the kitchen. They make certain things are running smoothly, and the plates are presentable to serve to the diners. Sometimes, they may personally drop off a dish to a patron, but generally, this is done by the waitstaff.
• Apprentice: They work under the area or station chef, learning how that particular station works.

The size of the kitchen you’re going to be working in will determine what this brigade looks like. However, most kitchens have some semblance of order; otherwise, it can become quite chaotic, especially in a bustling restaurant.

Put in the time to climb those career ladder steps, learning all you can along the way, and it will pay off for you in the end!

Prepping for A Position

Here’s some real advice: You need to start out in the industry with baby steps. The more hands-on kitchen experience you gain, the closer to becoming a chef you’ll be.

Tips for the aspiring chef:

• Working alongside a distinguished chef, even if it means you’re stocking the pantry and running errands, it can be very beneficial experience.

• Throughout the course of your career, try to develop your palate and have a deep understanding of the ingredients. It will help you in creating your own signature dishes, thus setting you apart from the other aspiring chefs.

• If cooking is your passion, then you may not even want to be an executive chef, because they are the ones doing all the administration work. The chefs under them are the ones cooking, creating the culinary masterpieces and wowing the restaurant patrons!

• Don’t settle for just any job! You have a lot to offer; be sure the place you end up at has something to offer you as well. Is it the type of company culture you can feel comfortable working in? Will the job allow you to grow as a chef?

• Do plenty of research before any interview because the more you know, the better your interview will go. Take a look around the restaurant's website. Use your favorite search engine to learn more about some of the owners, chefs, and other key members of the staff.

Where to Look For Culinary Jobs

When searching for your job, look beyond the conventional restaurants. Chefs and cooks are found in other types of kitchens, and you may have better opportunities aside from the traditional. Resorts, spas, hotels, motels, country clubs, amusement parks, campgrounds, cruise ships have a need for chefs, too. These could provide unexpectedly awesome experiences.

LinkedIn has an excellent job search tool with high-quality leads. Create a portfolio of food and projects you completed in school consisting of photos, videos, menus, and recipes you have created.

There are online job boards all across the Internet, such as Indeed. Monster and CareerBuilder can also be excellent resources. Or, walking into restaurants you’re interested in, seeing if they are hiring, and filling out an application could work just as efficiently.

Culinary Career Specialties

Maybe you have your culinary degree but no desire to work in a restaurant. Don’t worry, your degree won’t go to waste; there are so many other options for graduates of culinary arts where they can still work with food without working in the actual kitchen. Below are six unusual jobs in the food industry:

• Food Stylist: A food stylist does to food what a florist does to flowers. He or she arranges food to optimize its appearance for photo shoots, so it looks its best in the image.
• Food Scientist: Food scientists study the makeup of foods. They use sciences such as biology, biochemistry, and chemical engineering to gain a better understanding of food.
• Food Taster: Food tasters sample foods to explain the ingredients. There are two types; one that does this on a daily basis for a living.
• Culinary Trendologist: This job is heavily research-based. Culinary trendologists help to determine food trends for their clients. They identify the trends and discover what people are going to eat next. That contributes to creating menus that will resonate.
• Forager: Instead of ordering supplies, foragers go to farmer’s markets, fields, or any other place where locally sourced foods are sold. Their days start super early, so that the supplies are given to the chef to begin preparing the food.
• Molecular Gastronomist: This career is a mash-up of science and food. They are food scientists tasked with altering the appearance and taste of foods. This is a growing niche in the culinary world, and there are even certificate programs for it.

Chef Salary Information

The Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that the 2023 average salary for chefs/head chefs was $62,640, with the top 10 percent earning closer to $93,900 or more.

Top 10 Cities For Foodies (and Chefs)

Patrons are seeking out new and exciting culinary experiences. This is good news for those who work in the food industry because, not only do diners want a great experience, they are spending more money eating out than they have in a long time. Quite a few cities around the United States are seeing a rise in the amount of gastropubs and fine dining establishments opening up, which means the need for people working in the kitchen is increasing along with it. According to Travel and Leisure, these are some of the top 10 cities for foodies and chefs alike.

1. New York City, New York is a melting pot of many different cultures, with some of the hottest restaurants in the country. New York has over 70 Michelin-starred restaurants.
2. New Orleans, Louisiana falls in at number two. New Orleans has boasted some of the best, most distinctive American food in the United States for many years.
3. Chicago, Illinois is more than just deep dish pizza. Chicago hosts over 50 James Beard Award winners and over 20 Michelin star restaurants.
4. San Francisco, California is jam-packed with exquisite dining experiences. San Francisco is world-famous for its distinctive sourdough bread.
5. Houston, Texas is one of America's most diverse cities, merging Cajun, Asian, Latin, and traditional Southern cuisine.
6. Tucson, Arizona was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2015 due to the rich history of of Native American and Mexican food in the area.
7. Cleveland, Ohio has an underrated food scene with a strong focus on local foods and innovative chefs.
8. Asheville, North Carolina is giving Raleigh/Durham a run for their dining dollars these days. Its Eastern Carolina-style barbecue is making marks on the map.
9. Louisville, Kentucky is home to the Bourbon Trail, and its food and beverage culture is heavily influenced by it.
10. Greenville, South Carolina is an up-and-coming culinary destination, with unique restaurants boasting everything from fresh seafood to farm-to-table restaurants.

Other top foodie cities include Detroit, Chicago, Nashville, Indianapolis, Austin, Seattle, Los Angeles and more. So, whether you want to find a job at one of the hot spots, or fly under the radar, becoming a chef can be a fulfilling way to pursue your passion.

Sound interesting? Find a culinary arts program near you now.