I remember when I realized that this was the industry I wanted to spend the rest of my life working in! It is a very exciting, demanding and fulfilling environment to spend your professional life but it does have it's drawbacks. The industry will chew you up and spit you out if you don't have the guts for it! I spent 12 years working 70 and sometimes 80 hours per week in the under the grind of working as a professional chef. the last 8 years of that time I did not have a vacation (and by vacation I mean more than 2 days off back to back). We work when everyone else plays. Holidays, weekends, evenings, birthdays...This is when there is money to be had!
This sounds God awful but the thing you have to remember is that we chosen few who decided to make this industry ours are passionate, unbending and a little crazy. I loved my time in the industry and I would never trade a day of it for ANYTHING. There are two reasons I am now teaching culinary arts instead of working as a professional chef.
1. I'm a 32 year old 350 lb man with arthritis in my ankles and nerve damage in my lower back from the long hours on my feet for so many years.
2. I got married and my wife (who is also a restaurant personality) decided she wanted to have a social life.
I have to say though that I LOVE teaching! I love instilling the passion for the industry and food that I have into others.
As far as culinary school goes. I've been out for over 10 years now and I'm still paying off my student loans. That being said, I would not go back and make any changes to my experiences. Is culinary school necessary? No, I don't think so. But you have to be willing to work hard, make personal sacrifices and "live the life". I did have the time of my life and met some of the best people I've ever had the fortune of knowing...other restaurant folk!
If you are truly interested in the industry I very strongly recommend reading Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. I love this books so much that I bought the audio book and must have listened to it a dozen times! it never gets old, especially since Chef Bourdain is the one reading it on the audio tracks.
Either way you decide to go, you will only survive the industry if it is in your soul!
I hope this helps and if you have any questions please feel free to ask!
Welcome to our strange world Friend!
Chef B
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