Chef Job Description

Culinary Arts Home | Education | Industry | Careers | Cuisines | Find Culinary Schools

What's a Chef Job Like?

Food is much more than a biological necessity. In the right hands, it's an art form meant to be savored. You can't taste a photograph or smell a symphony—and walking into a museum and touching an original Van Gogh will only bring you trouble—but good food is meant to be consumed and appreciated on many different levels.

The culinary artists we know as chefs have mastered the medium of food, producing dishes that can comfort us and remind us of dear old Mom, or energize and inspire us. A good chef can nourish the body and please the palate, leaving us satisfied and wanting more at the same time.

Of course, this is no simple feat. Specialized training and dedication are key ingredients in the recipe for success.

Chef Tasks

An executive chef job involves many moving parts. The duties of an executive chef may include the following tasks:

• Creating a menu
• Deciding on a theme for a restaurant
• Food preparation
• Managing employees
• Establishing and maintaining contacts with vendors
• Marketing
• Overseeing customer relations

Skills Needed

Sensitive Palate – As much as a visual artist needs a good eye for color and composition, chefs need well-developed senses of taste and smell. The best chefs recognize subtle nuances in flavors. This ability allows them to explore bold new flavor combinations and make them work.

Creativity – Truly successful chefs put their own stamp on traditional dishes and create new combinations. Creativity and a flair for experimentation are essential traits of top chefs.

Teamwork – A harmonious meal requires cooperation in the kitchen. Whether you are the executive chef directing the whole process or a line cook focusing on preparing a specific element of the meal, teamwork is essential. Executive chefs have to be able to manage workers, delegate responsibility and work closely with others.

Determination – A chef job offers many rewards. Having a career you're passionate about that feeds people is worthwhile and satisfying. However, aspiring chefs should be prepared to work hard. Chef jobs can require working on evenings and weekends and long hours on your feet. Restaurant kitchens are fast-paced and often stressful. Successful chefs have to be dedicated to their craft in spite of some of the less glamorous aspects of the job.

Organization – Bringing all the elements of a meal together quickly and elegantly takes preparation and organization. The ability to plan ahead will help you keep your cool in a high-pressure kitchen environment.

Is a Chef Job for You?

"Chef" isn't just a job title, it's a lifestyle. It takes more than a love for food and creativity in the kitchen to be a great chef. You'll need passion and commitment. If you have the drive, you can have a successful and fulfilling career as a chef.

Culinary Arts Home | Education | Industry | Careers | Cuisines | Find Culinary Schools