You will typically begin your career in cooking by attending culinary schools. You will learn the basics of cooking from these schools which will help you to move through your career as a chef.
Getting hands on experience is critical to becoming the executive chef that you might like to become eventually. Knowing just how the kitchen functions is going to be a necessity in order to carry out the job of an executive chef.
Typically, you're going to have to take on an entry level position. While that isn't very glamorous, it's the best way to accomplish learning all that you will need to know to actually handle an executive chef job.
While it may not be a dream job, each job that you take after will see you one step closer to your dream. You must learn some essential skills such as scheduling staff, overseeing supplies and other things in the kitchen. All of these are things that the executive chef must know.
The positions which are listed below are all ones that you may do after you attend culinary schools and they will help you to build on your skills.
Entry level jobs in restaurants that you might want to consider after you have graduated from cooking school are listed below. If you want to be the best chef that you can be, these are jobs that will help you to be able to do that.
Line Cook-The line cooks are all assistant cooks or chefs. Each one has a specialty that they learn very well. You might want to learn fry cooking, grill cooking or even sautes or sauces.
Garde Manger-You will be cooking cold items such as dressings, salads and appetizers, garnishes and sandwiches. These are all necessary to the smooth operations of the kitchen. Garde Manger are also some times called salad chefs.
Pastry Chef or Patisserier - You will help to coordinate the dessert menu, as well as to prepare these delectable items. This type of position normally requires culinary school before you take it on, because pastries need some formal training. It is not a job that you may get off the street, but it is a position that you can get as an entry level chef. Normally you will be doing your own jobs as well as helping to supervise other kitchen staff.
Each of these jobs will take you closer to where you want to be. An executive chef has to know every area of the kitchen. Knowing what the other jobs entail will make you a more qualified supervisor in the kitchen. Actually working the job will give you vast insight into what the jobs require. This will qualify you well to be the executive chef of the kitchen. You will be working toward an ultimate goal, that of executive chef, so even though the jobs aren't glamorous, they do give you a wonderful foundation.
