Recipe For Disaster? 4 Considerations Before You Become A Chef

The food service industry is a fast-growing one, which means that becoming a chef is now a lucrative career path for those who have what it takes to withstand the heat of the kitchen. The whole industry has been glamorized massively by the TV shows and YouTube food shows, but it's not quite like that when you work in the restaurant kitchen yourself.

Let's be honest, here, being a chef? Not an easy job. There are so many things that you must think about before taking the plunge and buying some of those beautiful knife sets that all chefs seem to have. You can have a knack for cooking and a palette to die for, but that doesn't mean that the kitchen life is for you. Here are some of the most important things that you should consider before you start your chef training.

The Downsides

We'll start here because the upsides will make these look so much better!

• The job is a physically demanding one in ways you didn't anticipate. Working in a kitchen, you need the best shoes that will stop you slipping that you can find. It's one thing to be on your feet for at least eight hours; you don't need to slide over in spilled sauce, too!

• The hours? Not so friendly. Chefs work evenings, weekends, long days and early shifts. There's not much room for balance for a chef, and those times that you want to hang out with your family and get dinner are when you are busy serving everyone else who wants to do the same thing.

• To start with, the pay isn't the best. Junior chefs can expect very long hours at around $10 an hour, and that's location dependent. You get out what you put into this career, because the more experience you have, the higher your salary gets.

The Upsides

Now, for the positive bit!

• You get amazing freedom when you choose to become a chef. Maybe not right away, as your experience builds, you'll get to craft your menus and create your dishes. The flavors that you come up with will be your own, without someone else telling you what to cook.

• A foodservice career with the right qualifications hands you a world key. You could work in the restaurants in Thailand or the Michelin-star establishments of London. Your job is on a list of careers that can take you anywhere.

• The team vibe in the kitchen is a strong one, with lasting connections made with the people you cook with on a daily basis. You don't get that in other roles!

Choosing to become a chef is a big decision, and your choice is going to change your life for the better. Take time, research what the role involves and get the right qualifications under your belt before you head into your first job. There are pros and cons to every career; you just have to decide if they are worth it.