Most chefs and head cooks learn their skills through work experience. To enter the occupation, chefs and head cooks often need a high school diploma and experience. Some attend a culinary program at a community college, a technical school, a culinary arts school, or a 4-year university. Title and school Chef training begins the moment a program is selected.
The school you enroll in and the course you take will determine what happens next in the future. Although it's not a general rule, larger establishments and reputable hotels or restaurants tend to give priority to graduates from top culinary schools when looking for an executive chef. In addition to that, they also prefer those with a bachelor's degree, associate degree, or master's degree in culinary arts. Successful executive chefs exhibit a number of traits that facilitate performance in the range of disciplines inherent to the position.
An executive chef performs the same functions as a head chef, except that he tends to work more in hotels and larger establishments. During this time, new executive chefs learn the skills and techniques needed for their specific job and employer. Choosing the right specialty is always an important step when researching how to become an executive chef. A chef must make wise decisions on simple issues, such as how much coriander should be put on the plate, and more complex ones, such as whether or not to promote an assistant chef.
The most common certification is the Certified Food Manager (CFM) certification, but the Certified Culinary Manager (CCA) certification also appears frequently in executive chef resumes. The ability to motivate and inspire line cooks to perform at a high level is an intangible attribute that an executive chef should possess. Executive chefs exhibit equal experience and academic discipline in their roles as head cooks. While some executive chefs have a college degree, it's only possible to become one with a high school degree or GED.
Becoming an executive chef requires a lot of hands-on training and at least three years of work experience. Once you have all the necessary skills and experience, it takes an average of less than 1 month of job training to become an executive chef. This is a position that is trusted to people who have the potential to lead, supervise and eventually become executive chefs. Getting certified as a Certified Food Manager (CFM) will help you earn more as an executive chef.
Job descriptions vary slightly depending on specific kitchen environments, but the basics remain universal in most executive chef jobs. I'm Ray from India, I just want to be an executive chef and I'm working hard to get admission to the best cooking school.