Are you considering becoming a chef?
“Because you have a passion for food.
Because you enjoy spending time cooking in your small kitchen.
Because you love the refinement of dishes on the banquet table.
Because the chef profession is very “hot” and easy to find a job.
Because you are gaining experience in the food and beverage business to open your own restaurant.”...
Whatever your reason, you must always acknowledge that you will have to spend a great deal of effort and time to realize that dream.
Ask yourself some questions and answer them before making the decision to become a “chef.”
1. Are you truly passionate about cuisine?
When doing something, if it doesn’t start with liking and passion, you will easily stop when you encounter obstacles or difficulties. Passion gives you an incredible strength to overcome every hardship and to keep moving along the path you have chosen. I am sure you are old enough to know that no road is paved with roses. Every challenge will help you grow up.
2. Are you always ready to serve others?
When you brew a cup of tea for your father after dinner, do you feel happy?
When you cook for your friends at a gathering, do you feel happy?
When you become a chef — the artist of dishes served to diners, do you feel happy?
It’s a feeling that doesn’t need anyone to acknowledge what you do for them, a silent way but in return you receive a glance, a smile... enough for you to feel “happy.” Working in the service industry, you must take other people’s joy as your motivation to work. You can’t put your ego and emotions too high. “The customer is king” — a very familiar saying, right? Not to mention “everyone else is out having fun” while you’re still hunched over ingredients and food in the kitchen. There are times you truly feel lonely, but the joy you bring to customers is so great that it becomes the motivation for you to keep pursuing your passion.
3. Can you handle work pressure?
The job of a cook can be very stressful but only for a certain period of time, after which everything will “go back to normal” right away.
Imagine that sometimes you’re very relaxed about your work but suddenly a group of unexpected customers comes to eat. This unexpected arrival forces you to be buried in a mountain of tasks with very little time to meet their needs. Oh, it’ll drive you “crazy.” It’s true, this is no joke.
But don’t worry too much, you don’t have to fight it alone; there will be teammates by your side, so learn to work as a team so the work runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
4. Can you keep the word “Tâm” (heart/ethics) in your profession?
Cooking is not just about putting ingredients into heat at the right temperature and serving them. You must consider whether the ingredients are good, whether combinations of foods are harmful, how to cut them attractively, how to cook them deliciously, how to present them appealingly... It's just cooking — does it have to be that meticulous? The answer is “YES.” A great dish nourishes the body and brings positive benefits to a person’s physical and psychological well-being. Be proud: what you do is very noble, so you must keep your “Tâm” shining in your profession.
Choosing a career to pursue in the future is a difficult decision. Learning to cook to become a chef has been an excellent choice for many young people recently. Not stopping at dreaming, we need to act to realize our future career path. Look forward to the next part of the article: “Becoming a Professional Chef at Hai Phong College of Tourism.”
Nguyễn Mai - Lecturer, CBMA Department of Management
