Chef

Pretty straightforward to say that a chef’s job is to cook. However, there are many areas of specialty ranging from classic French or Italian to desserts. You can either be a café owner, work in banqueting and catering or work as a head chef in a hotel.

Depending on the area of expertise, you can choose a multitude of career paths, either to train as a world-class gourmet chef or to specialise in confectionary/pattisserie. To reach that level however, one must start from the bottom. This includes chopping and slicing vegetables, cleaning up the kitchen or assisting other chefs. You will need to learn the basics to move on to the actual cooking and food preparation. Experience is gained through on-the-job training. Even with years of training under a culinary arts programme, like any art form, it takes years to master the simplest of skills. There are, however, many routes that can be taken to become a chef.

As a chef, you would also need the necessary management and leadership skills in addition to culinary skills to progress. Chefs will also need managerial and organisation skills to ensure the smooth running of a kitchen. A degree of creativity to come up with new menus and a good palate is a bonus. Most of all, a love for food is a must.