Everywhere you look nowadays

there seems to be a new

television show, online series or
specialty internet video
designed to make you drool
with envy.  From plates filled
with scallops grilled with butter
to platters piled with pastries
and finger sandwiches, the
visuals alone are enough to
make an aspiring foodie…
well..aspire to greatness.

If you’re one of the many

would-be career seekers who
has been swept up in the latest
food trends and cooking crazes,
you should start off with a good,
well-rounded education to
broaden your mental palette.
After you have a few
foundations under your belt, it’s
time to hit the job boards for
open listings for internships or
other entry-level
positions working with food.  

Want to know if you’re ready to

take the next step or simply
wanting to whet your taste
buds?  Putting aside all the
food-related puns, you’re in
luck. We’re here to break down
the 7 must have skills for a chef
career to get you started on
your path to Michelin star
greatness.  
 1.Ability to
Handle
Criticism
If you’ve ever stepped foot into
a kitchen you know that not
every dish is going to be a
crowd pleaser.  Especially when
starting out, aspiring chefs are
going to need to know how to
handle constructive criticism of
their skills and their output.  In
addition to your instructor or
senior chef’s feedback, there
will always be those pesky
customers not enjoying a dish
or two. The ability to take and
learn from criticism is a key skill
for those looking to make it in
the food industry.

2.Passion for the

Culinary Arts
While it may not seem all that
intuitive at first, cooking is
indeed an art much like music,
painting or dance.  While there
is also a hefty dose of science
(bread making anyone?) the
artistic nature of preparing a
creative and unique meal
certain requires a hefty dose of
passion for the culinary.  If you
love all aspects of food from
creation to consumption, you’ll
do just fine on this checklist
item.
 3.Attentiveness
to Detail
Despite what a certain whirling
dervish of a cartoon character
may have taught us about
kitchen skills in our youth, food
preparation requires a great
deal of precision.  Even the
smallest details can create
subtle differences in taste. A
pinch too much sugar or salt
can threaten the taste buds and
the success of an entire dish. If
you’ve got an above average
attention to detail it will serve
you well working with food
prep.
 4.Creativity
The greatest chefs know that
the next best recipe isn’t going
to be found in any existing
cookbook.  Being a success as a
chef often involves a hefty dose
of innovation and creativity.
From plating to ingredients to
preparation and execution,
finding inspiration to put
something on the plate never
before experiences is a handy
skill and certainly one that is a
must for those looking to make
it in the upper echelons of chef-
dom.
 5.Willingness to
Practice
You know that old saying that
your well-meaning parent
harped over and over when
you’re young?  It turns out that
when it comes to a career as a
chef, practice still does make
perfect, or at least as close to
perfection as you can get.
Chefs in training must be
prepared for a solid dose of
failure and be willing to put in
the hard work to overcome the
inevitable hurdle in the road.
Put practice into action and
you’ll be well on your way to
foodie success.
 6.Being a Team
Player
If you’re the type that fears the
idea of being lonely at the top,
never worry about that scenario
with a career as a chef.  Turning
out plate after plate of quality
food in any setting other than
your personal kitchen requires a
whole team of talented cooks,
chefs, and servers working
together in unison.  If you’re not
a people person or don’t enjoy
interacting with others, you
better start practicing now.
Being a team player is certainly
an essential part of any career
in cuisine.
 7.Having a Good
Business
Sense
Our last, but certainly not least,
essential skill for a career as a
chef of often the most
overlooked by would-be cooks.
An empty restaurant or a
bounced checkbook unable to
pick up the shopping list can
make it awfully difficult to serve
up a dish of linguini.  A strong
business sense, with perhaps a
few of those aforementioned
classes focusing on economics
and accounting, will be
fundamental if you’re looking to
strike out on your own as a
chef.

Don’t let our list scare you away

from having fun with your food
and earning a living.  If you’ve
got what it takes, a career as a
chef can be rewarding and
tasty. Just like with any career,
remember that if you do what
you love you’ll never work a day
in your life.  Bon apetiite!