So you want to be a chef?

The number of people wanting to be a chef seems to have risen in recent years. And it's no surprise, given the number of celebrity chefs appearing on our television screens, in supermarket adverts and in our bookshops.

But the glitz and glamour is only enjoyed by a small number of chefs. If this is one of the main reasons you want to be a chef, you need to think again.

People often have the wrong impression of what's involved in a chef's job. But the role involves much more than being able to cook.

Why do you want to be a chef? If running your own business is the main reason you want to be a chef, remember that it takes many years of hard work to become a top chef.

Many people say that they want to be a chef because they enjoy cooking. But is this a good enough reason? Well, it's a good place to start.

What skills and qualities do I need? To be a chef you need to have a range of skills, including:

• creative skills a flair for cooking that goes beyond just being able to follow recipes. Qualifications and experience are not enough on their own.
• management skills - to be a responsible and effective leader and manage a team
• personnel skills - the ability to recruit and inspire staff
• organisation skills - to be able to organise rotas, deliveries and storage
• planning skills - to be able to plan menus and ensure that dishes are ready at the right time
• financial skills - to be able to negotiate prices and handle budgets

Personal qualities needed to be a good chef include:

• motivation
• imagination
• confidence
• good communication skills

You also need to be:

• hardworking
• practical
• methodical
• able to multi-task
• able to stay calm under pressure

What are the high points? A career as a chef can be very rewarding. Experiencing people enjoying the food you have cooked and building up a number of regular customers can be very satisfying.

A good chef needs to get experience working in different places, so there is a real opportunity to travel. Working in a different country means that you can learn new techniques and recipes, and you will get to meet lots of people.

Work options are quite varied. You can do private work for a famous person, work on a cruise ship, work in a hotel, pub or restaurant and there's also the possibility of running your own kitchen.

What are the low points? On the downside, many chefs work long hours. About 40 hours a week is quite normal and for many chefs at the top end of the scale, the hours can be even longer. And don't forget that the hours are unsociable, too - you could be working early mornings, late evenings, weekends and national holidays.

Salaries for chefs are low. The average salary for a head chef in the UK in 2002 was £22,575, with assistant/commis chefs earning only just £12,200, although a head chef at a top London restaurant can earn up to £80,000 or more a year. This means there are plenty of job vacancies around and staff turnover is high.

You'll also be working in a confined space which can get very hot. You are always on your feet and may have to lift heavy equipment, so ideally you need to be fairly fit. Job hazards include cuts, burns and slips on spilt liquids.

You also need to think how your personal relationships could be affected. You won't get much time to see your friends, and you will need a very understanding partner.

Travelling and moving to different places can be fun, but when you're changing jobs every few years in order to get more experience it can be a strain.

You can train to be a chef at any age, but bear in mind that it can take about 10 years to become a head chef depending on the size and standard of the restaurant.

How do I start? If you're not sure whether a chef career is right for you, why not do some work experience? After a few weeks spent in a busy restaurant, you'll soon know whether you can handle the kind of work.

Contact your favourite chef or restaurateur and say you love their cooking and would like to work under them. You may have to offer to work unpaid, but this is the best way to find out quickly and easily whether you're suited to the job.

Watch people cooking, such as your parents and friends, read cookbooks and experiment with exotic food. These things will help you decide whether you want to be a chef and give you ideas and tips.

Once you have decided that a chef's career is for you, there are various routes you can take:

• doing a full-time course at a college or a professional cooking school
• starting at the bottom level in a restaurant and working your way up as your skills develop
• on-the-job training with days at college
• working in a chain that offers in-house training

A college course will help you understand the basics and background of cooking, covering technical skills, hygiene and safety requirements and practical skills. And, of course, you'll also get a certificate to prove your qualifications. You can choose a course at a university or one devised by a culinary school, although the latter can be rather expensive. Taking a course will also mean that you don't have to start at the bottom when you enter the profession.

Getting work experience means you'll have experience of working in the real world. It's hard to understand the long hours involved and the committment needed unless you have first-hand experience. But without qualifications, you'll almost certainly start in a low position, probably doing a monotonous job such as peeling vegetables.

The best route is probably through an apprenticeship which involves both work experience in a kitchen and studying for qualifications at college. This ensures the best of both worlds. You should ideally look for an apprenticeship with a well-known, well-respected company, which will last about three years. This will give you a good grounding so you can move up the career ladder.

With thanks to:
Gary Klaner, executive chef at the Landmark hotel, London
David Slinger, head of catering school, Blackpool and the Fylde College
Ben Aziz, recruitment consultant, Mise en Place