Chef roles, training, and professional practices

¶ … Career Opportunities for Chefs in the United States

Letter of Transmittal

Today, interest in becoming a chef has never been greater due in large part to more consumers dining in finer restaurants as well as an increasing number of popular television series featuring charismatic and talented young chefs as their stars. While it is clear that not all chefs enjoy this type of working environment, there are a wide range of career opportunities available for those who enjoy food service and management, but there are some important considerations that should be followed preparatory for entering this career field that should be taken into account. To this end, this paper provides an overview of current career opportunities for chefs in the United States, including relevant educational and special skills requirements, employment prospects and advancement opportunities. An analysis of current and future trends is followed by a review of the salary ranges that chefs can expect to encounter in this career field, as well as gender considerations that may affect an individual's career path within this field. Finally, a summary of the research and salient findings are presented in the paper's conclusion.

Introduction

Review and Discussion

Educational requirements

Special skills requirements

Employment prospects and advance opportunities

Trends

Salary ranges

Specific duties/responsibilities

Gender considerations

Conclusion

List of Tables and Figures

Table 1. Breakdown of chefs, cooks and food preparation workers in the United States (as of 2006)

Figure 1. Breakdown of chefs, cooks and food preparation workers in the United States (as of 2006)

Figure 2. Representative workplace setting for chefs

Figure 3. Representative workplace setting for chefs

Current Career Opportunities for Chefs in the United States

One of the more interesting - but demanding - career fields available to aspiring food service professionals today is that of professional chef. Indeed, there is an enormous amount of interest in this career field at present as the result of more American consumers eating their meals outside the home as well as a growing number of highly popular television series that feature charismatic and talented young chefs as their stars. Although not all chefs will have this type of work experience, these television shows do provide some indication of the very hectic nature of the general work environment that can be expected by those aspiring to this career field. To help those young people considering a career as a chef, this paper provides an overview of current career opportunities for chefs in the United States, including relevant educational and special skills requirements, employment prospects and advancement opportunities. An analysis of current and future trends is followed by a review of the salary ranges that chefs can expect to encounter in this career field, as well as gender considerations that may affect an individual's career path within this field. Finally, a summary of the research and salient findings are presented in the paper's conclusion.

Review and Discussion

Educational requirements

While educational requirements for various chef positions will vary according to the level of responsibility and size, some general guidelines include the need for a bachelor's degree and a working knowledge of computer-based applications. According to Turner (1993), "A bachelor's degree in hotel and restaurant management and a good grasp of computers are recommended" (p. 88). In some parts of the country, on-the-job training opportunities are available that supplement culinary students' classroom studies. For instance, Von Der Heydt (1997) reports the results of a chef training program in New York where a cooperative effort between restaurants and colleges has provided valuable learning experiences for up-and-coming chefs. According to Von Der Heydt, "Students of culinary arts are given 200 hours of sophisticated instruction. Then they are ready to apprentice in a real restaurant. Restaurateurs are each asked to contribute $1,000 toward a scholarship for a student; in return, they receive that student's services for a semester. In this way the student learns on-site from a professional chef" (p. 16). This learn-by-doing approach has resulted in a win-win outcome for the employers and students alike: "Many are offered a permanent position with their sponsor after graduation. All of the students who have graduated from the culinary-arts program are now gainfully employed" (Von Der Hedyt, p. 17). There is also a matter of "paying ones dues" and "learning the ropes" involved in becoming a chef regardless of one's educational achievements. In this regard, one industry analyst emphasizes that, "Despite all the pluses of being a chef, one must certainly be prepared to work long hours for low wages in the first few years. To get the path to the top ranks right, it helps to start out in the line you would like to pursue and that includes getting specializations (through training courses) or working with similar organizations" (Chef salary, 2007, p. 3). While a solid educational foundation and work-related training can therefore help any aspiring chef, there may also be some special skills requirements for various types of chef positions involved, and these issues are discussed further below.

Special skills requirements

The job description for chefs and head cooks provided by Career Planner (2008) states that these professionals, "Direct the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts. May participate in cooking" (Job description for chefs and head cooks, p. 2). These authorities add that the chefs must be "skilled at both hand and machine work and must have some knowledge of processes and techniques that are involved in handling and preparing food" (Food processing occupations jobs and job outlook, 2008, p. 2). Beyond the foregoing general requirements, the experts at Career Planner include the following special skill requirements for chefs:

Determine how food should be presented, and create decorative food displays;

Determine production schedules and staff requirements necessary to ensure timely delivery of services;

Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients;

Inspect supplies, equipment, and work areas to ensure conformance to established standards;

Instruct cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of food;

Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations;

Order or requisition food and other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation;

Recruit and hire staff, including cooks and other kitchen workers;

Analyze recipes to assign prices to menu items, based on food, labor, and overhead costs;

Arrange for equipment purchases and repairs;

Meet with customers to discuss menus for special occasions such as weddings, parties, and banquets;

Meet with sales representatives in order to negotiate prices and order supplies;

Prepare and cook foods of all types, either on a regular basis or for special guests or functions;

Supervise and coordinate activities of cooks and workers engaged in food preparation;

Collaborate with other personnel to plan and develop recipes and menus, taking into account such factors as seasonal availability of ingredients and the likely number of customers;

Check the quality of raw and cooked food products to ensure that standards are met;

Check the quantity and quality of received products;

Demonstrate new cooking techniques and equipment to staff;

Record production and operational data on specified forms;

Coordinate planning, budgeting, and purchasing for all the food operations within establishments such as clubs, hotels, or restaurant chains; and,

Plan, direct, and supervise the food preparation and cooking activities of multiple kitchens or restaurants in an establishment such as a restaurant chain, hospital, or hotel (Job description for chefs and head cooks, pp. 3-4).

Taken together, the foregoing special skill requirements suggest that top-flight chefs certainly earn their money, but all signs indicate that employment prospects for this career field are healthy and advancement opportunities available, and these issues are discussed further below.

Employment prospects and advancement opportunities

Chefs are at the top of the professional food service hierarchy and enjoy healthy employment prospects for the coming decade. In fact, of the 3.1 million jobs occupied by food preparation staff in 2006, just 115,000 (or 3.7%) were chefs. The respective distribution of positions between various types of chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers in 2006 is provided in Table 1 and Figure 1 below.

Table 1.

Breakdown of chefs, cooks and food preparation workers in the United States (as of 2006).

Category

No. Of Employees

Food preparation workers

Cooks, restaurant

Cooks, fast food

Cooks, institution and cafeteria

Cooks, short order

Chefs and head cooks

Cooks, private household

Cooks, all other

Source: Chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers jobs and job outlook, 2008, p. 3.

Figure 1. Breakdown of chefs, cooks and food preparation workers in the United States (as of 2006).

Source: Based on tabular data in Chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers jobs and job outlook, 2008 at p. 3.

About 66% of all chefs are employed in restaurants and other food services and drinking establishments and approximately 15% work in institutions such as schools, universities, hospitals, and nursing care facilities with the remainder being employed in hotels and other settings (Chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers jobs and job outlook). Today, there are numerous job opportunities projected over the next several years for chefs based on the continued growth and expansion of food services outlets; chefs seeking higher-paying positions, though, will likely experience fierce competition (Chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers job and job outlook).

Trends

Based on current trends and growth patterns in the industry, experts project that there will be an 11% increase for chefs during the period 2006 to 2016, with about 351,000 new positions being created during this time (Chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers job and job outlook). Continuing population growth and demand for high quality food in upscale restaurants is expected to contribute to this increased demand for chefs in the future (Chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers job and job outlook). Outpacing this demand, though, will be the need for chefs who can cater to the casual dining consumer. According to the experts at Career Planner:

The number of higher-skilled chefs working in full-service restaurants -- those that offer table service and more varied menus -- is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations. Much of this increase will come from job growth in more casual dining settings, rather than in up-scale full-service restaurants. Dining trends suggest that an increasing number of meals are eaten away from home, which creates growth in family dining restaurants, but greater limits on expense-account meals is expected to generate slower growth for up-scale restaurants. (Chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers job and job outlook, p. 4).

Salary ranges few years ago, one industry analyst reported that, "Entry-level food service positions average at about $20,500, with executive chefs pulling in between $50,000 and $100,000" (Turner, p. 88). Today, "The chef salary is reported to be as much as $80,000 per annum. Depending on the location, experience and expertise the average annual chef salary could vary anywhere between $19,000 to $47,000 which makes it a lucrative career with many wonderful options" (Chef salary, 2007, p. 2).

Specific duties/responsibilities

While every restaurant will be unique, of course, and the setting can range from inner urban to a cruise ship or even to being a private chef for a very affluent client, the results of a telephonic interview with Chef a. Bradley West of Tulsa, Oklahoma provide some interesting insights into the specific duties and responsibilities that some chefs can expect to encounter in their workplace today. Chef Bradley operates a 24-member staff at a prominent Lebanese restaurant with a specialty menu featuring dishes from the Middle East in general and Lebanon in particular and agreed to participate in a brief telephonic interview from his home based on a referral by a mutual friend.

When asked about his specific duties and responsibilities, the chef responded that, "We're a busy location and many of our customers have been coming here for more than 40 years based on our reputation for quality and customer service. it's my responsibility to make sure that everything runs smoothly and people receive their meals prepared they way they want them, hot and presented in an appealing fashion" (a. B. West, personal communication, December 2, 2008). Upon being pressed for some specifics concerning his job responsibilities, Chef Bradley advised, "I'm responsible for budget and menus, as well as training new hires in the correct preparation of Lebanese cuisine. Most of these people have never prepared this type of food before, and we use far more fish than red meat in our dishes which is a challenge for some of them." Chef Bradley added that, "Many of our staff has never seen a lamb before, but Lebanese food uses this much more than the beef that our staff is accustomed to preparing, so this has been another area that needs constant oversight. We also use some different cooking implements in the kitchen that require specific training in their use."