How Do I Start?Welcome back to our series on how to become a chef. As I stated before, you must go to culinary school if you are hoping to be head chef or executive chef. There are many avenues that you could chose when deciding where or how you would like to get your training. It really just depends on what kind of credentials you are hoping to get. There are a few places that you can go to get your training. You can choose Colleges or universities, trade or vocational schools and an apprenticeship. To become an executive chef that can work anywhere in the world you generally need an apprenticeship and some credited work behind you. There are the real differences from all of these choices so that you can make the best one for you. Accredited Colleges, Universities & Culinary Academies Going to a 2-4 year college in order to become a certified chef is the best place to start if you are hoping to be accredited nationwide. College courses offer you are more rounded view of the culinary industry and give you much of the skills that you will need in order to excel at your field. Employers at finer restaurants are more eager to hire an accredited chef that has a college degree in the field than a graduate from a trade school. This is also a great way to know that you are accredited all over the world as well. Trade schools may not necessarily grant you the same promise. Naturally, there are some pros and cons to choosing to get your certification from a College or University. Let�s take a look at them. Pros Cons 2-4 year College or University: You are accredited worldwide It takes 2-4 years of study to get your certification You will receive your post secondary diploma The cost is much higher than any other method of training You can often start in a head position in the kitchen It saves you little time to get your hands on experience working in a kitchen You are eligible for a higher starting wage You may not be eligible for an apprenticeship You can make invaluable connections in the business The competition is fierce for graduating with honors You are recognized in the field as a chef once completed Not all colleges offer chef training You get hands on personal help You are still required to apprentice somewhere (time consuming) As you can see the benefits of choosing to get your training in a college or university can have it drawbacks as well as its good points. The best reasons to choose a college is that you will be accredited worldwide which is not possible with other methods. As a college graduate in this field you are recognized in the field as a chef for a lifetime, whereas a trade school will not let you be recognized until you are hired as a chef. Tuition can also be an issue although many colleges and universities offer financial aid if you qualify for it. Most schools that offer you the chance to become a chef can have their tuition range anywhere from $5000 to $15,000 per year. That is quite a bit of money, but the benefits are well worth it. Here is a list of Colleges that do offer Chef training. Le Cordon Bleu at Brown College (Minneapolis Minnesota) Westwood College (Denver, Colorado) Sullivan University (Kentucky) California Culinary College Gibbs College (New Jersey) Kirtland Community College (Michigan) There are many more colleges that can train you to become a chef, but you get the idea. Many culinary institutes are just as good as colleges and Universities, and in some cases better. In addition, Le Cordon Bleu is located in many States and is nationally a recognized school. Culinary academies are basically the same as colleges and universities. The cost is about the same, but you can get your credentials in less time at some of them. Some culinary academies can even get you credited in as little as 9 months. Culinary Academies often let you live on campus as part of your tuition, and cover your food costs. They actually train you while you cook all of your meals. That�s helpful and practical! Be sure to check back for the second part of this article, as we explore more places on how to get started in going to culinary school and becoming a chef. |