YOUR CULINARY ARTS CAREER: THE SECRET IS PASSION

As with any career, success as a chef in a culinary arts career will come from the development of skill, the continuous acquisition of new knowledge, and from a small degree of luck. But far surpassing these elements is one that will decide whether you become a dishwasher or a master chef: passion. There's a great deal of misunderstanding surrounding the makings of a great chef. It doesn't happen by accident. You don't inherit the job. It comes from knowing what you want, wanting it fiercely, and going after it fiercely.





More Than Just Cooking
Part of this comes from the somewhat derogatory connotation that those individuals who are culinary specialists are "cooks." While calling a chef by the moniker of "cook" is not a means of purposeful derision, it is an expression of misunderstanding about the sophistication and professional skills that are required to embark upon a culinary arts career and, more importantly, be successful with a culinary arts career. As a side note, success is an important factor with any career, of course.

That Rare Dish: The Chef
A culinary arts career can be a successful career in a number of ways. Success in this field revolves around a very real fact: Great chefs are a true rarity, and as with any profession where the demand for the truly gifted is high and the number of people able to fill the spot are few, one who truly excels in a given field will themselves in a very enviable position. Keep in mind; the key here is an individual who excels. Average skills will limit you to the average outcome that the average cook would receive. In order to achieve great success in a culinary arts career one must make a very concerted effort to become highly skilled at the profession. This development of skill remains the driving force behind all success.





The Role of Passion
Success in a culinary arts career can offer: Lucrative income, as those who are talented and in demand will earn quite a good living; freedom, the great chefs can literally work anywhere in the world; and personal satisfaction, a goal that many desire but do not spend the time to pursue to the utmost of their abilities. That is, while they desire it, they do not plan for it, and thus the goal remains part of their subconscious, not manifesting until it is positive steps are taken, if they ever are. Now, one may say that is a bit of a stretch when one brings up the topic of a culinary arts career, but the reality is that personal satisfaction can only come from a living a life that is truly enjoyed; a career in a field that one loves is part of what will lead to this.