Culinary School?

[3DisneyBuggs]

Anyone here go to culinary school or are a chef? My DH is thinking of enrolling in a culinary school. He would like to be able to work on weekends and then he can have another career to fall back on. ANy advice on the pros and cons? He is thinking of the culinary degree bu I think a program that includes restauarant management is better. So any chefs out there??

 

[Blondie]

My nephew is in his first year at the Art Institute of Phila. So far, so good. He seems to like it just fine.

 

[LadyyRedd]

I got my Culinary Degree (after my Information Systems degree) and never made the career change. Depending on what level of chef you want to work as, it could take years before he makes it up the ladder. And the pay for entry level work to work your way up is terrible. That's why I haven't made any move into that career field yet. Of course, if he's going to do it part time at first while he works another job full time, that would work well.

Everyone wants experience!

IMO, unless he ever wants to actually do restaurant management, I don't think he'll be any better off with a program that includes it. A good culinary program will include enough of those types of classes that he will understand how it works without necessarily having the "restaurant management" be a core part of the program.

I wish him luck in whatever he chooses! I absolutely loved my time in culinary school.

Kimya

 

[Evil Queen]

My son did the Florida Culinary in West Palm, he now works in a gas station....

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

My father owned a high end restaurant for years and gave this advice to one of my best friends who wanted to attend Johnson & Wales: instead of wasting your money on school, get a job in a nice restaurant and work your way up in the kitchen. You can get a better education on the job in a kitchen and MAKE money instead of paying money to learn the same things. You also come out with years of experience instead of student loan debt.

My friend didn't listen and enrolled in Johnson & Wales for 2 years and regretted it big time. He ended up quitting and going to work for a private club booking banquets. He said if he had it to do over again he would have taken my Dad's advice and saved his money.

I have another friend whose son went thru the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) and loved it but I do know that it was VERY pricey and he came out of that school and started on the bottom rung in a kitchen at a pricey restaurant.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

My DH got his culinary degree as a working adult already in the field and he has never regretted it. Technically, he didn't need it, but it has given him an edge in the job market, extra confidence in his abilities, a broader range of skills than he previously had, and professional respect in his field.

People entering the field as adults should realize, as another poster said above, that entry level jobs don't pay too well. Also, culinary jobs often entail working long hours, weekends and holidays. Good luck.