10 Reasons Never To Become a Professional Chef & 10 Reasons To Go For It
It's Not For Everyone
If you're reading this, chances are you have a passion for food, but whether to pursue that passion professionally or not is a tricky subject. On one hand, it can be an incredibly rewarding career choice with plenty of excitement and creativity but on the other, the long hours and physical and mental toll don't seem worth it to many people. Here are ten reasons never to become a professional chef and ten reasons to go for it.
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1. Long Hours
If you want to be a chef, you need to be prepared to work very long days. It’s not uncommon to spend 12-plus hours at work each day in this line of business.
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2. High Stress
Perhaps the biggest turn-off for many cooks is the stress the job entails. It’s an incredibly fast-paced environment where you can expect a constant rush with ten orders in front of you and more chits coming through the printer every moment.
3. Physical Strain
This is not a desk job–working in a kitchen entails standing all day sometimes hunched over working on a meticulous task. You’ll be in a hot environment, likely lifting heavy items and the physical strain can cause exhaustion and chronic injuries.
4. Evening Shifts
Most chef jobs begin in the afternoon and go late into the night which can disrupt normal sleep patterns. It can also make it tough to maintain relationships with people who work normal nine-to-five schedules.
5. Burnout
Among chefs, the burnout rate is high due to the physical and mental exhaustion that often occurs in this line of work. This leads to career changes later in life that may cause heavy setbacks.
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6. Low Pay
Unless you’re the big cheese in a Michelin-starred restaurant, you can expect relatively low pay, especially for the amount of effort you put into your job. The average hourly wage for cooks in America is around $16.
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7. Hazardous Work Place
Working in a kitchen, you are exposed to many hazards like hot surfaces, sharp knives, poor air quality, and dangerous equipment. Falls, burns, and cuts occur often, sometimes to serious effect.
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8. Tough Competition
There are many opportunities to get a job as a cook, but if you want to make it to the top as a chef, you have to be ready for some fierce competition. You need to work harder and longer than everyone and really hone your craft.
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9. No Benefits
Despite kitchens being tough and dangerous environments, there aren’t many restaurants that offer benefits like health coverage, paid vacation, or sick days to their employees. Be prepared to pay out of pocket for these things.
10. Hard to Keep a Social Life
Although the job itself is social because the industry is tight-knit, you can expect most of your interactions to be with your co-workers. The job often sees you working nights and weekends so you can say goodbye to party invitations and most hang-outs with friends that work regular hours.
Now that we’ve talked about the negative aspects of choosing this profession, let’s go over the reasons to go for it.
1. You Get to Be Creative
Most kitchens encourage each cook to get creative with the dishes which can be highly satisfying. It’s an outlet for you to express yourself and experiment.
2. You Make People Happy
Food makes people happy. It’s as simple as that. Although there will always be disgruntled customers, most of the time, people come to restaurants with the expectation to enjoy themselves, and knowing that you contributed to someone’s joy is very rewarding.
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3. Pursuing Your Passion
If you’re considering entering this profession, chances are you have a passion for food. Getting to live your passion every day is a highly motivating factor for joining the ranks.
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4. Strong Camaraderie
Something you’ll immediately notice when you enter any professional kitchen is the incredible sense of camaraderie. It’s a work-hard, play-hard atmosphere where your co-workers quickly become your closest friends who always have your back.
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5. Potential For Success
Although it’s a long, hard climb with a lot of competition and potential for burnout on the way, if you manage to become the head chef of a successful restaurant, it can be tremendously lucrative. For example, Gordon Ramsay’s salary is around $70 million.
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6. Potential For Recognition
With financial success comes the potential for fame. Many chefs gain celebrity status just from being good at what they’re most passionate about.
7. Highly In Demand
With the restaurant industry growing rapidly, cooks and chefs are highly in demand worldwide. There is always a wealth of new and interesting opportunities that offer growth and change.
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8. Never A Dull Moment
Compared to a basic office job, your day-to-day as a chef is always exciting, with no two days being the same. Although the pressure is high, if you like a constant challenge and always being on your toes, this may be the right job for you.
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9. Travel Opportunities
Once you have the expertise, you can get a job in any kitchen around the world. These skills are universal and portable and the opportunity to live in and learn from different cultures is highly attractive for many.
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10. You Get To Be Active At Work
What’s physically taxing for some is a selling point for others. You don’t need to go to the gym if your day is spent in constant movement, toiling in a hot kitchen.
