The Job Of An Executive Chef
Executive chefs can be found in hotels, cruise ships, resorts and restaurants. Of all the people working in the kitchen, the highest authority belongs to the executive chef, this hierarchy can be compared to how a chief executive officer is in a corporation. While all the subordinates would just prepare the food, which would take them the whole day, the executive chef would just come in when it is almost meal time to start cooking what has been prepared.
Executive chefs are commonly found in restaurants and in most cases, they themselves own the restaurants. They are also hired by large organizations such as government offices, for rich people and others similar.
While this job is considerably attractive, very few people are qualified for this position. If working for an organization, one would still have to work up through the ranks in order to land at this position. That is also the reason why most executive chefs have their own restaurants.
Job Requirements
In order to become an executive chef, graduation from a competitive school, having the right certifications and having a lot of experience are the main ingredients. While that is so, one would still have to start on entry level kitchen positions in order to arrive at that level. For some chefs, they would work for a short amount of time in a kitchen and when they get the needed experience, they would then start their own restaurants.
While that is the case, having a restaurant business has its ups and downs. Some restaurants can be up at this moment and down the next moment. Because this is so, chefs who have their own restaurants commonly have good educational backgrounds on business or management. While a good background in business is commonly needed for those who would start up their own restaurants, this is recommended for most chefs no matter where they may be working.
Executive chefs should also have the character needed for them to be in position. The basic skills would be excellent cooking skills as well as organizational skills. Exceptional creativity is needed as the executive chef is what gives the food in an institute its attitude.
Job Outlook
It is unclear whether there would be an increase or decrease in the demand for executive chefs. What is certain is that for every major culinary business, there would be at least on executive chef. This is because the food business, although it is a basic need, can also go up and down depending on many things. It is not like how it is in other professions wherein there is a constant rise, the demand for executive chefs would just depend on how the demand for food is.
For those who are really competitive in this field, there is a very positive outlook as there would be many opportunities for chefs whose dishes would really stand out. Those who always have something to present and please their diners have been very successful in this industry.
How Much To Expect
Of all positions in the kitchen, executive chefs are the ones that earn the most. They could earn up to $30 per hour. Those who choose to open their own restaurants generally earn higher than the usual, depending on how successful that restaurant is.