So, you want to be a Chef?

You've been charmed by the bright lights, the glam tv cooking shows, the celebrity chefs and the big glossy cookbook pictures. You're a bit of a foodie and you want to be the next person to conquer the culinary world.
You want a piece of the pie.

It's a pretty common thing nowadays, to want to be a chef, especially given the popularity of the culinary world that is shown in the media.
Who can blame anyone especially after watching it on tv. 
It looks like a great career choice with fame and fortune at the end of it, but is it the right move?

I'm a chef and have worked my way around the world as a result of it, I love the industry.
However, outside of the glam and despite some of the stories you may have seen or heard; If you're thinking about becoming a chef there are a few things you need to bare in mind before you sign up for it.

It's a career, a trade and like any other, you have to dedicate a lot of time to your career. 
If you want to become a chef (well a good one anyway) you're either in or out.
There can be no "oh I'll work one day a week and then I'll get a tv contract and be famous." no, I'm not just talking about being a cook, I'm talking about being a chef, living and breathing what you do, full absorption.

It's a hard life in the kitchen, tough with intense service deadlines and no room for error. 

Chefs can be brutally blunt and the language particularly unsavory which may seem harsh to those unprepared and green but the ability to perform well under pressure and take criticism (however it is delivered) is one of the traits of a good chef.
You'll toughen up but you have to know how to roll with the punches and not to take everything personally. Swallowing your pride is one of the hardest things to learn.
Unless your head chef is an asshole that is, in which case learn what you can from him in the least amount of time then move on to a better one! Be careful how you do that though, they all know each other so be smart about it.

The pay - well there's a whole other story but like any other career, you get paid peanuts when you are in training.
The unfortunate thing is that when you are qualified you still get paid peanuts.
Only the top top chefs get decent pay and even then there's likely to be some sponsorship or endorsement top ups that makes their pay decent.

There are many aspects to choose from culinary wise.

Industrial catering - This area is the one that appeals to those looking to work semi-normal hours.
These kitchens are often based within businesses that have regular working hours and serve breakfast, lunch, sometimes dinner with the odd function thrown in. Weekends off are common.
This doesn't just mean serving up a huge batch of stew in the canteen anymore. Industrial catering is big business now and can have incredibly high standards.

Armed Forces - For years the armed forces have taken the medal spots at the worlds most prestigious catering competitions so don't be fooled by the name.
The armed forces spend a lot of time training their chefs. Sure there's the mess hall to look after but there's also a lot of top brass and a lot of ceremonial events that need high end catering.

Restaurants - This is a pretty vast and vague category. The world is your oyster, you choose which direction you want to go and work hard to get there.
The best restaurants make culinary history but the bad ones often hit the headlines too so be careful which way you go.

Event Catering - Event catering is a lot of fun and pays pretty well although your work load is often condensed with very long hours and they are often very hectic.
You get to see different venues, see different types of events and cook different menus based on the event criteria.
Find a good company and you'll be mixing with celebrities and royalty before you know it!

Airline Catering - You may conjure up visions of partitioned trays and plastic cutlery but airline catering is a science.
Imagine working your way up and becoming the head chef for one of the worlds biggest airlines.
Making menus and choosing dishes for some of the most well travelled and culinary knowledgeable people in the world is a huge challenge. Plus you get travel benefits!

Cruise Ships - If you want to travel and make money this may be for you but you will work your ass off while you do it. Very rewarding though.

Hospital and dietary catering - Difficult places to work now-a-days due to changing and tighter laws but good jobs if you can get them. Especially if you like the dietary side of things.
These jobs also are sought after by those looking for "regular" hours.

So, there's just a few examples of which direction you can go if you want to become a chef.