Attention: College Grads – Whip Up Your Dream Job!

By: Dorothy Cann Hamilton

We are inundated with bad economic news: thousands of people have lost jobs and companies have filed for bankruptcy. It doesn’t feel like a particularly good time to be graduating from college and thrust into the workforce. However, a down economy can also provide an opportunity for recent graduates to pursue a rewarding career.

The restaurant industry employs more than 13 million people. That number is expected to increase to nearly 15 million by 2019, according to the National Restaurant Association. The Bureau of Labor Statistics cites food services jobs as one of the 10 occupations that will provide the greatest amount of new jobs over the next decade.

So there is a lot to be hopeful about. Here is some advice for recent graduates on making a dream of a culinary profession a reality.

Determine What You Love To Do.

What is your dream job? Understanding what it is that you love to do will help you determine the best career path. If you have an artistic flair, you could be a cake decorator or food stylist. If you like to get dirty, you could be a farmer. If you’re good with a knife, a butcher might be your calling. Good with a pen? A food writer. If you love to travel, a private chef or cuisine ship chef.

Take an Honest Self-Assessment.

It’s essential to take an honest inventory of your skills and interests. What is it that you’re good at? How can you apply existing skills or experience in another profession to the culinary industry? If you’ve spent several years as an accountant, perhaps you can become a chief financial officer or accountant of a restaurant or food retailer. What do you detest? Enjoy? If you’re not a morning person, a baker’s life is not for you. If you’re not comfortable with the intensity of a restaurant kitchen, another environment (school, executive dining room) might be more suitable.

Do Your Homework.

Do some research on the industry. Check out culinary websites like American Culinary Federation, www.acfchefs.org , International Association of Culinary Professionals, www.iacp.com or StarChefs.com.

A culinary education will give you the proper techniques you need to build your culinary career. If looking at culinary school, you should consider the location of the school, the programs, diplomas and certificates it offer, its reputation, the cost, the credentials and experience of its faculty, whether its accredited, who it counts among its alumni, where it helps graduates land jobs. Most importantly, visit the school. Are the students smiling?

Network, Network, Network.

I don’t think people talk enough to other people. Talk to your cousins, parents, friends, neighbors et al and see what kinds of interesting careers and jobs are available. Email your whole list of contacts. Remember there are six degrees of separation.

If you’re interested in becoming a chef, finding work—whether paid, unpaid or part-time– in a kitchen is essential. Perhaps you know of a chef or restaurant owner you can follow for a day.

Look Professional; Act Hungry.

Show up at the interviewed polished and professional. Have one very good outfit to interview in. Wear good shoes. If you’re a woman, get your nails and hair done. If you’re a guy, shave. Look and act organized. One of the key attributes of a good chef or culinary professional is organization. Familiarize yourself with the restaurant’s menu and ask intelligent questions about it. Be hungry for the job.

Prepare to Do the Hard Work.

Your first job out of college, you should expect to work hard! You’ll need lots of stamina working long hours under new and intense circumstances. Despite the hard work, they will be enormous opportunities to learn and grow. Volunteer for the hard jobs. Learn. To be competitive in today’s tough economic environment you need to be more skilled and experienced than your competitors.

Work for the Best.

To build street credibility outside the classroom, you should learn from the best chefs you possibly can. Realize that the first job where you work is similar to going to graduate school. Try to get into the most respected kitchens you can. Not only will you learn from talented chefs, but the experience will add dollar value to your resume.

Be Realistic.

The popularity of TOP CHEF and other TV food shows has clouded the expectations of some who only see cooking as a means to TV stardom. Few very chefs become successful TV stars and they do so only after years of hard work behind the burner. Tom Colicchio, chef-owner of Craft Restaurants and co-host of TOP CHEF began cooking as a teenage and worked his way through various kitchens for 15 years before he opened his first restaurant. It was years after that they he joined TOP CHEF.

The reality of a restaurant chef’s life is long hours, no weekends off, little time with family, and slim profit margin. Perhaps there is another line of work in the culinary industry that is right for you.

Find The Courage.

The most important thing you need to pursue a career you love is COURAGE. You will encounter naysayers along the way you will try to convince you that your dream of a culinary profession is foolish or ill-advised. Don’t listen. Find the courage to pursue your own passion.

Dorothy Cann Hamilton is the founder of the world-renowned 25-year old French Culinary Institute and author of Love What You Do: Building a Career in the Culinary Industry