How to Become a Certified Chef

If you have a talent for creating delicious, original recipes that win praises from others, you might want to consider becoming a certified professional chef. The culinary arts field has gained wide recognition, due to the popularity of several television chefs, and many people want to mirror their success. In reality, however, most aspiring chefs don't really know all that is involved in the process of becoming a professional chef.

Instructions

1. Make sure you are really committed to becoming a chef. It isn't as simple as some people think it is and requires a great deal of time, training and work. You must possess a lot of patience, be self-motivated and have tremendous discipline.

2. Decide the kind of cooking you want to specialize in. Areas may include patisserie, vegetarian dishes, French cuisine, gourmet dishes, desserts and more. Choosing the specialty you are most interested in will help you focus on learning to excel in that particular field of cooking.

3. Finish high school or complete your GED, which will enable you to get into a college-level training program.

4. Consider going to an accredited culinary school that has a solid reputation. You need to learn how to prepare food in the manner expected of a professional chef, which is a lot different from the way you cook meals at home. A good culinary school can offer you top training, internship experience and more. You can get certification and a degree, after successfully completing the required courses and passing the appropriate examinations. The tuition to such schools can be exorbitant, so you may have to apply for a student loan or scholarship to attend. It may take up to four years to finish your studies.

5. Take cooking classes at a community college, if your budget is limited. It costs considerably less than the fancier schools and you can still earn a certificate. If you complete two years of study, you can get an associate's degree.

6. Get a job at a restaurant. In some cases, the school you attend may be able to provide assistance in getting you an interview with a restaurant, but be beware that there are many competitors for a limited number of positions.

7. Be prepared to work your way up to the top, which may take a number of years, as you gain more experience after cooking school. You may start out in an entry level position, such as a line or station chef, who is responsible for preparing only one food. Subsequently, you may be able to progress to higher positions, like pastry chef, garde manger chef, sous chef and even executive chef. The better your skills and work ethic are, the better chance you have of rising to the top.

Resources

• American Culinary Federation
• Professional Chefs Associations
• Find Cooking Schools and Culinary Schools