On a scale of one to ten there are levels of commitment to any career and in some cases, there is a place for individuals at each of those levels. One does, however, get out what they put in. So, each of those levels will yield different results and require different levels of sacrifice. A very important question up front is how “in” are you willing to be?

I have had the privilege of working with many extraordinary, fully committed people over a five-decade career and have been honored to work with several exceptional individuals who sought balance as their most important outcome. All have contributed to the profession, all were regarded as truly professional, and all added something important to their place(s) of employment.

A perfect starting point for those just beginning their careers and those who are at the mid-way point is to ask yourself: “What do I want from this career and what am I willing to commit to in the process?”

Let’s look at the give and take. Maybe this will be of help as you look at those years ahead.

Starting at the top:

[]       DO YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR NAME ON THE SIGN OUT FRONT? Okay, ownership is in a whole different league. If you think being a chef is demanding, try being the one who signs the checks. Those who truly want to become a successful restaurateur will marry the business. When you’re not attending to the guest you are hiring, training, evaluating, mentoring, and leading a team of employees. When you are not marketing to fill your seats, you are working with the chef on menu concepts, costing recipes, watching expenses, taking inventories, negotiating with vendors, and keeping a close eye on the competition. Your skill set must expand to cover every aspect of the business. TOTAL COMMITMENT (10).

[]       IS CORPORATE MANAGEMENT/LEADERSHIP IN THE CARDS? If not a restaurateur, then maybe you hope to feel and act like one without the burden of signing the checks. A chef responsible for multi-unit operations must have the same skills as an entrepreneur and the stamina to become one with the business. TOTAL COMMITMENT (9).

[]       ARE YOU AFTER THAT TRUE EXECUTIVE CHEF POSITION? An executive chef (the title is often misused) is responsible for multiple outlets within a foodservice. As an example – a resort hotel with multiple restaurant concepts and banquets/catering. This person will invest 90% of their time with administrative/leadership responsibilities and maybe 10% actual involvement with cooking. They must be a savvy businessperson first. The day-to-day operational preparation of food will be delegated to sous chefs, pastry chefs, bakers, prep and line cooks. The first call to business is effective hiring, training, mentoring, and assessing the performance of those in the chain of command. TOTAL COMMITMENT (9).

[]       IS YOUR GOAL TO BE A PROMINENT CHEF FOR AN OUTSTANDING DESTINATION RESTAURANT? You know the operations – those operations where the chef’s name and reputation of the restaurant are connected at the hip. These are the operations that are on the tip of everyone’s tongue – superb food, impeccable service, unique attention to detail, regimented operations, high expectations from every player, numerous recognitions and awards, etc. These are the operations that cooks clamor to work at just to add the restaurant’s name to their resume. These operations take no prisoners. TOTAL COMMITMENT FROM EVERYONE (10).

[]       WILL YOU BE HAPPY AS A SOLID WORKING CHEF FOR A VERY GOOD LOCAL CAFÉ OR BISTRO? You, simply stated, love to cook. You beam with pride as every dish slides down the pass. You spend most of your day with knife and pan in hand and abhor the time you must attend to administrative work. In fact, you try to pass much of this off on others so that each plate of food carries your signature. TOTAL COMMITMENT – AN Act OF LOVE (9).

[]       DOES A CHEF POSITION AT AN INSTITUTIONAL OPERATION APPEAL TO YOU? Ah…, now we’re getting somewhere. Too many chefs turn their nose up at the thought of working in a hospital cafeteria, an office foodservice, or college feeding. There are plenty of opportunities to be a culinary hero in these operations offering very good compensation for those at the chef or F and B level, more reasonable hours of work, and benefit packages that can’t be ignored. You must have a broad list of skills like that of an owner/operator, but quality and balance of life/work responsibilities make this a great career destination. STONG COMMITMENT WITHOUT AS MUCH SACRIFICE (8).

[]       ARE YOU HOPING TO BE AN EXCEPTIONAL COOK WITH NO DESIRE TO BE “IN CHARGE”? There is and will always be a need for great cooks. For those who hope to be free of the administrative work so that the focus can be on cooking without major decision-making – this is a consistently good option. The compensation and benefits will plateau early on, and the physical demands may shorten the length of a career in food, but this is still a viable option. REASONABLE COMMITMENT, BETTER BALANCE, LOWER COMPENSATION (7).

[]       ARE YOU AFTER IT ALL: POSITION, PROMINENCE, COMPENSATION, WORK/LIFE BALANCE? Let me know when you find such a position. There are thousands of chefs who would be interested.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Match your expectations to your commitment

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