Changing Gears, Switching Careers
By: Mohit Chawla
Tags: Mohit Chawla, Money Be Chef, Cooking, Cooking Classes, Jobs Of Cooking

Photo by Marcelo Leal on UnsplashChanging Gears, Switching Careers

Title:

Changing Gears, Switching Careers

Summary:

Surprisingly, if youíve been considering a career move, youíre not alone. In fact, many people are unsatisfied with their jobs and want to make a change, but it can be scary if you donít know where to start.

Article Body:

Surprisingly, if you’ve been considering a career move, you’re not alone. In fact, many people are unsatisfied with their jobs and want to make a change, but it can be scary if you don’t know where to start.

For some, it may be necessary to return to school. For others, you might be able to achieve a career transition through other means. In both cases, to make the shift as smooth as possible, it will be necessary to plan ahead before deciding whether or not it’s worthwhile to take the plunge.

Every well-planned change of careers begins with self-assessment. Evaluate your likes and dislikes, your goals, values, interests, and skills. You may be able to enter a new field using the same knowledge base you already possess. For instance, a computer programmer might hate working for an oil company, but he/she can quite easily find a computer programming job in another industry.

But even if you need to make a complete change, the process doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Once you’ve identified your core values and goals, you might have to go back to school to upgrade or add to your knowledge base. For people looking to enter an entirely new field of work, education is a must. Your new goals may require a Master’s degree, for example. In this case, night classes at your local college or university are a good option, especially if you plan on continuing your day job in order to pay the bills. Take the time you need to complete the degree so the transition doesn’t have to be overly stressful or painful. Many people who go back to school mid-career often take the time needed to obtain their degree — not rushing may actually save you time in the end.

Going back to school is necessary if you need to learn entirely new skills and earn a degree or certificate that offers you credibility in the field, but for many people, attending school really is too expensive and time-consuming. Luckily, alternatives exist that make it easier to attend school and keep working. You might try an online school because of the flexibility offered by such institutions. Online learning can also be more affordable because of the low overhead costs associated with learning through your own computer. Or consider earning a technical certificate or undergoing other short-term training in lieu of more expensive choices.

Once you’ve updated your education, the next step is to find a job and get a foot in the door of your new career. If you still work in your old position, you might be able to make a change internally, with the same company. A good way to do this is by taking advantage of tasks that no one else wants to do and volunteering to take on the extra workload. A larger workload can be difficult at first, but it does pay off. After identifying opportunities, network with hiring managers and before you know it, you could be promoted to a new position.

If you’re pursuing opportunities outside of your current employment situation, be proactive. Network with people in the industry, and do everything you can to gain work experience in an area related to your chosen career.

Changing careers may seem like a daunting task, but if you seek positive change in your work life, you won’t regret the effort required to make the transition.

Title:

Chef Career: Let’s Get Cooking

Summary:

If you find yourself right at home in the kitchen, perhaps a chef career would be right up your alley. When the thought of a chef career comes to mind, it may project thoughts of slaving over a hot, smelly grill, flipping burgers and hearing endless orders shouted through a loud speaker. While that may be the scenario for some chefs, there are actually many different options for this occupation.

Article Body:

If you find yourself right at home in the kitchen, perhaps a chef career would be right up your alley. When the thought of a chef career comes to mind, it may project thoughts of slaving over a hot, smelly grill, flipping burgers and hearing endless orders shouted through a loud speaker. While that may be the scenario for some chefs, there are actually many different options for this occupation.

Cooks for fast food and restaurant chains are always in demand because quick employee turnover is almost guaranteed. Many high school students take on these less-paying jobs solely as a summer gig. Others use the opportunity to bring in income until a more profitable job is found. However, restaurant, fast food and short order cooks are still categorized within the chef career spectrum and having the skill of producing high quality, tasty food is a talent that not everyone has. Everyone has to begin somewhere, and working for one of these kitchens provides cooking experience, looks good on resumes, and can act as a jumping off point for beginning a chef career.

If baking will be your forte in your chef career, perhaps a job at a cafeteria or nursing home would be a good job selection. While fast-food workers are constantly frying up and scooping out the same food products daily at a lickety-split pace, an institution kitchen is a more relaxed atmosphere where a variety of traditional, slightly more healthy dishes are prepared.

For instance, many cafeteria kitchens designate two or three items in which an employee is responsible for preparing and baking daily, such as a cook who makes bread products, one who creates casseroles, and others who hand-bread and roast chicken. Having a set food prep schedule gives a cook or chef the opportunity to ease into their specialty and, over time, perfect their craft.

After a few years of experience, it may be possible to advance to a head chef position at a prestigious eatery, such as a steak house or hotel restaurant. This chef career is a bit more stressful, as you are not only in charge of a kitchen full of employees; you are also required to insure the food going out to the paying customers is first-rate and superlative. A chef career at this high status will pay a higher income because cooking skills must be paramount and management skills proficient.

Possibly the most sought-after chef career is as a personal or private household chef. To be selected as a personal chef because of your impeccable cooking skills, creative dishes and flawless meal presentations is the height of honor for a chef after years of hard work and practice.

If you are considering a chef career, knowing how to cook is not enough. You must perfect your craft and stand out from all the rest who are your competition. Enrolling in a vocational school which provides cooking instructions or even a specialty college or institution could help mold you into the cooking expert that will send you on your way to the world of chef careers.