Do you think you’ve got what it takes to be a chef? Are you ready to take those cooking skills your friends always compliment you on to the next level? It’s no easy line of work. It involves very long hours, almost all of which are spent on your feet, with high stakes and high intensity. That all said, those who can handle the pressure always end up loving their jobs. Eating delicious food is one of the greatest simple pleasures we have in life. You could be the facilitator of that pleasure. But the know-how doesn’t happen overnight. You’re going to have to put in long hours and hard work to develop your craft. It all starts here. These are the 5 steps to becoming a successful chef. (Related Topics: Florida Food Handlers Certificates, Florida Food Handlers Card, Florida Food Handler Certification)
Step 1: Get a job washing dishes
You don’t start at the top. If you did, you’d fail immediately. The first step to a career in foodservice is to simply put yourself in the presence of other professionals. You have to witness the way a kitchen operates before you can even think about how to run one of your own. When you’re there, speak to the chefs and inquire as much as you can. Show your interest and try to soak up as much as you can. This not only will give you an opportunity to learn, but also to make professional connections that you can return to later.
Step 2: Practice on your own time
All that stuff you learn at work you should take home with you. Before you cook for strangers for money, you have to make sure that you can cook for yourself. Spend your free time trying to cook what you see your superiors doing at work. Be conscious of time and pay close attention to how they multitask.
Step 3: Practice with friends
Okay, so now that you’ve successfully made yourself a good handful of tasty meals in a reasonable amount of time without sending yourself to the hospital, it’s time to test your skills with someone else. You’re not at the point where you can sell to strangers, but you are at the point where you need the opinion of someone who isn’t you. Ask them to be brutally honest with you. If this is what you want to do with your life, you’ll benefit more from the criticism than the compliments.
Step 4: Get certified
The United States has tight food safety regulations. One of those regulations is that employees must be officially certified to handle food. To get your food handler certification, you can contact Ken Kuscher at 561-369-2622.
Step 5: Apply for the big job
Good luck!
