How to Become a Sous Chef

Working in a restaurant kitchen is demanding, intense and fast-paced. It takes time to work your way up from a prep or line cook to a Sous Chef. But if food is your passion and becoming Sous Chef is your goal, there are a few different ways you can go about doing so.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Enroll in a culinary school. There are many from which to choose, including the world-renowned Culinary Institute of America and the Le Cordon Bleu schools.
2. Get kitchen experience. Sous chefs are generally found in fine dining establishments. Prepare a resume and submit them in person at the local fine dining restaurants in which you are interested in working.
3. Start as a prep cook. Every executive chef, head chef or Chef de Cuisine has, at one time or another, worked as a prep cook. Working as a prep cook can be monotonous, but it will allow you to become more familiar with the food product and proper food preparation.
4. Show interest in advancing your career. If you want to advance from a prep cook to a line cook and up, the executive chef must know that cooking is your passion and not just a job that helps you pay the rent. Ask questions and learn from the executive chef and other cooks in the kitchen to help hone your skills.
5. Stay on top of food trends. Chefs are always looking for new, creative dishes. Show some initiative by staying on top of the ever-changing food trends.

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient. It can take years to become a Sous Chef.
• Take a few classes. If you are not interested in enrolling in a culinary school full-time, take a few classes in areas of the kitchen in which you are weak.
• Make sure you are prepared. Working in the kitchen of a fine dining establishment is hard work with long hours on your feet. If you don't have the stamina, a career as a Sous Chef may not be the right choice for you.
• Don't be meek. Sous Chefs are expected to be leaders. If you don't feel you have leadership skills, either work on developing these skills or get out of the kitchen.

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