Get Cooking in Culinary School

When most of us think of food service jobs, we often think of low-paying, entry-level jobs at fast food restaurants that offer little opportunity for advancement. But ask any of the thousands of people enrolled in culinary school, and they'll tell you that they're not studying and working hard for an entry-level job flipping burgers.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nearly 3 million people worked as chefs, cooks and food preparation workers in 2002.

The environments in which they worked varied:

More than 60 percent of all chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers were employed in restaurants and other food services and drinking places. Nearly one-fifth worked in institutions such as schools, universities, hospitals, and nursing care facilities. Grocery stores, hotels, gasoline stations with convenience stores, and other organizations employed the remainder.

Culinary School Can Help You Advance

And while the entry-level food service jobs don't even require a high school diploma, executive or head chef jobs require not only a good deal of experience and dedication to the craft, but higher education such as culinary school.

Depending on the nature of the food service job you want, you may find that you require more education beyond high school. Programs leading to chef jobs come in all shapes and sizes. You can earn an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or simply take the training for a specific aspect that you need to learn, such as accounting or human resources, if you are starting your own restaurant.

What You'll Learn in Culinary School

Naturally, the classes you take in culinary school will vary, but you'll spend a lot of time in the kitchen, preparing meals through actual practice, just like at actual food service jobs.

Courses in culinary school may include:

• Food Handling


• Preparation


• Cooking Procedures


• Sanitation and Public Health


• Menu Planning


• Nutrition


• Inventory


• Food Service Management


• Portion Control

What's on the Horizon for Food Service Jobs?

According to the BLS, chef jobs and other food service jobs should be plentiful through the year 2012. Naturally, competition for the more desirable restaurant positions will be strong.

Turnover among those holding food service jobs is typically high, so there should continue to be openings that way, in addition to actual job growth. Overall employment of chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations between 2002 and 2012.

About the Author
Cameron Heffernan is a writer, editor, and journalist, who has worked for publications such as PC World and a variety of freelance Internet sites. Cam is currently Communications Manager at the University of California, San Francisco. In 2000, he was a founding employee of a company that developed project management software. That firm was later acquired by a technology firm near Sacramento. He has expertise in web content authoring, management of development and maintenance of web sites, and product and service reviews. Cam has a BA in Journalism from Syracuse University's Newhouse School.

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