Chef and business owner Ira remembers when she started her career: You’ve got to have a thick skin. Teamwork Some chefs will even take charge of décor, tableware and seating arrangements in the restaurant. They must also be able to work well with others in a team environment and be creative in how they prepare and present food. 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. How to become a successful chef 1. This means you can be master of your own career direction, something which appeals to many budding chefs! Creativity: It is taken for granted that a chef will be creative. If you’re a chef looking to progress, or thinking about entering the industry, take some time to work on these skills to make your life as a chef easier and make you a more attractive candidate to employers. However routine, you need to pay attention to your ingredients and the amounts used. Take the time to tidy up as you go so that you don’t get overwhelmed in your section, wipe your surfaces down and put everything back where it belongs. We ranked the top skills based on the percentage of Head Chef resumes they appeared on. Her favourite article is Effective Restaurant Management Tips: How to Improve Your Food Business. Academic qualifications and passion may land you a job as a chef, but your skills will determine your success. 1. 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. It could also be beneficial for you to obtain a qualification. Putting aside all the food-related puns, you’re in luck. We ranked the top skills based on the percentage of Head Chef resumes they appeared on. It's also important that a chef be logical and have common sense. Anyone can become a chef, but if you are just starting out you must get some experience of working in a kitchen to put on your CV. If your section is a mess then your brain will be too. – Industry Report on Recruitment, Retention & Brexit, Level 3 Supervising Food Safety in Catering Training, Effective Restaurant Management Tips: How to Improve Your Food Business. Ability to work under pressure. As an executive chef, your job is about more than just cooking food. Physically they must be able to stand on their feet for long hours and be prepared to work late nights. Imagine the taste of that chocolate apple gl… The good news is, there are lots of ways you can do this: If you apply for a more senior role, all establishments will want to see that you have experience of working in kitchens. Choosing to start a career as a chef is something anyone can do at any time in their life. Sarah is one of our newest additions to the Hub. Communication. 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. Let's find out what skills a Head Chef actually needs in order to be successful in the workplace. Concentration and Memory Any chef position requires an acute short-term memory and the ability to concentrate on a single task while juggling additional tasks in the back of one's mind. With that being said, these are the talents and skills I think you need if you want to be a chef: Cooking — You should be the best cook in the building at any given time. For example, 23.3% of Head Chef resumes contained Kitchen Equipment as a skill. Now think, that plate belongs on a table with three other mains, plus sides. We’ve worked with chefs to develop a list of top 10 skills, that will help prepare you for a successful career as a chef. What skills does a chef need? For example, 23.3% of Head Chef resumes contained Kitchen Equipment as a skill. Despite the common pop culture image, if you’re an experienced butcher you’ll already know that being a successful butcher is about more than just chopping meat. In terms of the key skills you’ll need to do the job, here are just a handful: Great cooking skills and attention to detail Leadership and management skills The ability to manage a … Excellent cooking skills. While a chef is likely to be the most skilled and experienced cook in his kitchen, the main role of a chef is that of a leader. Working in a bakery is perhaps your best option because you will be able to learn how to bake bread, pastries, cakes and desserts. They also need to be skilled at recognizing flavours and judging the balance of seasonings. 1. Check out these five must-have skills for budding pastry chefs: Physical Strength and Competence Any job in the culinary world requires long working hours. Head chefs oversee restaurants’ staff, food and budgets. If you’ve got an above average attention to detail it will serve you well working with food prep. As a leader, you will also be involved in the following: You know that old saying that your well-meaning parent harped over and over when you’re young? The ability to take and learn from criticism is a key skill for those looking to make it in the food industry. Chefs will frequently receive feedback from other chefs, colleagues and customers on the food they produce, and not all of the feedback will be positive. Many businesses hire multiple chefs; for example, a pastry chef might need less experience than an executive chef. Leadership is more than simply telling people which foods to prepare. At the same time, they need to maintain an upbeat atmosphere in the kitchen. The ability to multitask is a required skill to become a chef because a single dish may consist of foods that need to be cooked different ways. An experienced chef will have excellent stamina to remain focused and consistently produce dishes for customers. 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. A chef will be creative in terms of putting a menu together, how the dish looks on the plate, and how it tastes to the customers. Top 10 Skills Needed for the Hospitality Industry. 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. Being a team player is certainly an essential part of any career in cuisine. 1. If you love all aspects of food from creation to consumption, you’ll do just fine on this checklist item. Everyone loves the breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, and other baked goods pastry chefs create daily. To be a successful chef, there are numerous qualities you will need to have or cultivate, including: Stress management. Chefs must hone their communication, motivation and conflict management skills to balance the personalities of multiple team members in a high-stress environment. Being aware of the key skills needed to be a chef is a step in the right direction. Willingness to Learn You also need to develop and master some key skills. 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. For example, if you want to specialise in French establishments, being classically trained in Cordon Bleu style and techniques will give you the knowledge you need. Demonstrating that you are happy to work the mundane jobs, such as washing up or emptying the rubbish, will prove that you are committed to this career, and are willing to work hard to get to where you want to be. The great French chef Georges Auguste Escoffier served in his country's army during the Franco-Prussian war. There is a lot more required of a chef than simply the ability to cook. Demonstrating these skills will help your application, and you’ll also develop them on the job: Customer service. 24. For a pastry chef, attention to detail is a necessity. Skills Required for a Commis Chef. They have to be able to give direction to their team and maintain an amicable atmosphere in their kitchen. Below we've compiled a list of the most important skills for a Head Chef. While it may not seem all that intuitive at first, cooking is indeed an art much like music, painting or dance. Seán Hughes, Sous Chef at Shears Yard, Leeds. Essential skills you need to become a successful butcher. 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. No doubt, you need to be able to cook, but being a chef is more than putting food on a plate. 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. We know that kitchens can be a very busy environment to work it, and so it is essential that you have the ability to always work clean and tidy. Chefs need to be able to work together in a team - like these happy chaps! 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. Remember, skills like these can take a lifetime to perfect so don’t worry if this list doesn’t sound like you… yet! Results may not be very good if you mistake a teaspoon a baking powder for a tablespoon of baking powder. There can be many elements of food on one plate to make up a complete dish. Chefs need to have good organizational skills and must be able to work in fast-paced, high-stress environments. The sous chef oversees the kitchen when the head chef is away, they work closely with the other chefs and can confidently assign tasks. There is always more to learn with food, so don’t stop trying! Our last, but certainly not least, essential skill for a career as a chef of often the most overlooked by would-be cooks. Excellent understanding of how a restaurant kitchen works . Some of the skills needed are people skills and having the … Line Chef isn't an entry level position, you will need experience working as a chef … Victor highlights the importance of time management; he says this skill has been additionally beneficial to him outside the kitchen. Core skills enable employees to efficiently and professionally navigate the world of work and interact with others, as well as adapt and think critically to solve problems. Some of the best chefs allow their personality and creativity to shine through in every dish that they create, something that you should … Chefs are responsible for delegating various food preparation, cooking and cleaning tasks to among kitchen staff, as well as training and developing team members to be more confident in a wider range of cooking techniques, food safety regulations and other vital issues. While the executive chef is technically in charge of the kitchen, it’s the sous chef who performs much of the hands-on management. Therefore you must have a real desire to be the person who makes other people’s dining experiences special. For those who are keen to progress to managerial roles, or perhaps have dreams of running a business as well as being a chef, some understanding of business management, accounts, and how to use social media to market your business could further help you in your career. The greatest chefs know that the next best recipe isn’t going to be found in any existing cookbook. 3. It is this quality that actually brings in the customers. The most important hard skill chefs need is an ability to cook, as well as knowledge of the kitchen. The creative reputation of a chef is often what brings customers through the door, so don’t be afraid to experiment with your creativity! Put these skills into practice by making a large, fruity Christmas cake. Protecting and encouraging your passion for all things culinary will keep your artistic flair alive, and help you enjoy your work. Article Updated From the Original on April 28, 2018, copyright SimplyHired ©2020 Every successful chef must be a solid manager of people and things. Creativity: It is taken for granted that a chef will be creative. Skills Needed to Succeed in a Career as a Chef. 5. 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. They need to guide, coach and monitor their juniors so that the operations run smoothly. Being a chef in a kitchen is like being a cog in a machine, every person has a role to play for the success of the service. In addition to your instructor or senior chef’s feedback, there will always be those pesky customers not enjoying a dish or two. © 2019 High Speed Training Ltd. All rights reserved. Being able to think about everything at once, and to understand and know what each section of the kitchen is working on, is a skill that is very hard to master. 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. It doesn't take a foodie to enjoy the end result of a pastry chef's hard work. Victor Cardamone, owner of Mise Designs, Pennysylvania. Organizational Skills. Managers are well versed in directing people to accomplish a task, planning and organizing towards results, and trouble shooting problems as they arise. Depending on your skill level, the type of leadership skills you have, and types of food you are interested in serving, you should be able to find employment that suits your needs. Having a good understanding of kitchen safety, food hygiene and awareness of allergens and their importance in the kitchen would also be beneficial. Especially when starting out, aspiring chefs are going to need to know how to handle constructive criticism of their skills and their output. Chefs need to be able to cook precisely and efficiently. 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. Creativity Good communication skills. The position of a chef can be nerve-wracking, and you’ll need to understand how to manage that stress without letting it burn you out. 10 Characteristics You Need To Become A Renowned Chef 1. If that table had starters as well, that’s possibly four other previous dishes that need factoring in to how and when this one dish comes together. Works of art Nowadays there are so many different dining experiences available, from fine dining experiences, high street restaurants, to grab and go eateries, covering all sorts of traditional and fusion cuisines. 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. They may also need to mentor and coach junior staff members during service, whilst ensuring everything runs smoothly. If you’ve ever stepped foot into a kitchen you know that not every dish is going to be a crowd pleaser. Also referred to as an executive chef, this demanding position requires managerial, communication and leadership skills. We’re here to break down the 7 must have skills for a. to get you started on your path to Michelin star greatness. Time management and good organisational skills. When I started out it was tough as there weren’t many female chefs. Organisation Becoming a chef can be a long, hard process and requires specialised training, depending on your area of interest. For pastry chefs, the physical demands are much more requiring early morning duties, possibly at the break of dawn. New ideas and suggestions tasks that will equate to you becoming a better.! Skill chefs need to be the person who makes other people ’ s no need be. Run smoothly taste of that chocolate apple gl… Below we 've compiled a list of the kitchen in. Certain requires a hefty dose of science ( bread making anyone? errors can occur, as! The day-to-day operations to work late nights plus sides, 23.3 % Head. 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