Do we have any professional chefs here? What's the weekly schedule like for fresh line cooks...

You need to be a special kind of crazy to make a career out of cooking. Your schedule is the opposite of everyone else's, so when your friends are out doing fun things at night or on the weekends, you're working. Your workplace will be loaded with bitching, backstabbing and drama. There's no sitting down with the HR lady to talk about your performance review, Chef just takes you out back and tells at you until you stop being a fuck up. Most of your coworkers will be on something. Many of your customers will be difficult and unappreciative.
Your hands will be covered in cuts and Burns and you will question your love of cooking on a bi- weekly basis. You'll have to deal with arrogant chefs, shady owners and fucked up co-workers for not a lot of pay and miserable hours.
If you've got iron balls, stainless steel skin and a low sense of self-preservation you can last. But to most people it's not a career, it's a job you do for a few years until you wise up and find something better.

Ive been in the industry about 4 years now 2.5 managing a high volume sports bar kitchen that is privately owned. The hours are long and opposite of most people outside of those in the industry and the industry in both BoH and FoH is largely populated with fuck ups and degenerates making it very challenging to have any sort healthy social life. Drug abuse and alcoholism are rampant and no one really thinks twice about it. Kitchens are also very masochistic so if you're someone who cant handle being treated like shit for the amusement of others stay out. The work can be very personally rewarding. The high of busting out a crazy service and the feeling of comraderie that comes from making it thru that with the other guys on the line is a fantastic feeling. Any specific questions feel free to ask.

Also banging waitstaff is fun but not encouraged.

Nothing real specific, mostly just general stuff on my mind right now, but thanks for the offer. I've always liked cooking, but don't think it is a good career choice for me for most of the reasons already listed. Honestly, a bakery might be more my speed and for a little while, I thought it would be super fun to make and sell medieval bread at the renaissance fair.

But right now, I just need to do something to change my life. I'm a security guard now. If I fuck up and hate my new life, I'm sure I can find another security position and be back where I started.

Lmao you should be a chef
come in here and I'll give you some advice
discord

cna8v6

Baking is a different animal than working on the line and one i dont have much experience with. A few years ago I interviewed and was hired for a part time baking gig but declined the position after seeing how tedious and repetitive it would be. My advice for that would be to go to a place that is hiring and have them explain what a normal day is like there. For me it seemed maddeningly dull and boring but I dated a girl who was a baker and she loved it so who knows, could be your thing. But dont expect good pay there either.

Sounds nice. Sous as well, 12-close everyday. But that almost sounds like a corporate gig, 2 sous. 5-6 days a week.

I get to run my own specials. I do orders and talk and meet with reps, supposed to get a tour of that new place down in Louisville. I don't get a bunch of personal time but, I'm happy.

Fortunately, I'm in a position where even my state's minimum wage would be enough to live on for at least a little while, but I have to admit I'm a bit nervous about fucking my resume up too much. If I try and find myself with a string of month or two long gigs, that won't really look good.

Baking's a pretty good gig, actually. You have to show up at the ass-crack of dawn, but unless you're working the register, you don't really have to dick around with customers, or even have tickets coming in for the rush. You show up, you have your list of shit you do every day, and you can mostly fuck off, listen to music, and bust out bread, donuts, and icing without much stress. If you like the creative angle, you can decorate cakes and shit too.

It's easy as fuck, just assert your self as the dominant force from day 1.
Don't take any shit from anyone, kick off hard at the first person to fuck up
You are the kitchen alpha bro.

Don't. I would kill to get out into a well paying cushy job

Louisville? Where ya at now?

>Work 50-60 hour work weeks
>Unless you are a great chef at a high end place. You make almost no money.
>Very stressful job
>Filled with people who all think they are the best at everything so a lot of ego classing.
>Drug use is everywhere.

Honestly, just do it. Short term financial hit for what is a much more enjoyable life. When I look back at how I gave up all social time, at how hard I had to work, at the shit pay and on and on and on, im so glad I chose to do something else.

There are some really easy jobs out there where you sit at a desk all day and barely do anything. They're great if you want to do some kind of text book studying for a qualification.

Someone gave me this advice once. Just get a food truck and do it one the weekends. If you think you enjoy it enough or have enough of success just give it ago.

without going to a formal culinary school, youll end up being a miserable drug addict and/or alcoholic. the cook might be the most degenerate position in the american workforce based on the amount of function alcoholics and drug addicts. i say this solely from experience but even many michelin chefs have dark pasts. the late hours, long work week, and stressful environment will make you depressed. its likely too late for you to into education/fine dining so just enjoy cooking as a hobby and find something else worthwhile as a career.

When I worked in a hotel restaurant I could not believe how much coke was being done.

This is terrible advice. "Just get a foodtruck" like it is that simple or wise to invest thousands into something you have no experience with.

This is correct. Cooked line through college at a national tgifridays tier chain and back of the house is all alkys, burnouts, felons and Mexicans

this. in my state to get a food truck you need to pass tons of inspections, get permits from the city, and have a "home base" where you go to wash all your shit. you can sometimes get restaurants to be your base of operations but if not you need create one like in your fuckin garage full stocked with a sink and shit. its retarded and cannot be worth it.

I'm not, by my girlfriend is, so keep in mind this is on my end of seeing things.

>shit pay...I think she makes $10 or $11 an hour...
>...but goes in from noon-4 for prep, and only gets paid for working 4-midnight
>owner is a very successful ex-heroin addict who is legit bipolar
>manager does nothing but hurl insults at kitchen and trash their work
>co-workers are mostly alcoholics
>they usually act like friends, but bash each other behind their backs
>dangerously competitive...like getting your shit sabotaged
>her hands and arms are covered in scars and burns
>I never get to see her since her schedule is fucked
>gets sexually harassed non-stop by coworkers and diners
>everybody in the industry knows everyone else so if you fuck up somewhere, everyone will hear about it
>sad because she never gets to learn anything new and is stuck doing the same dishes over and over

She cries a lot :(

I worked as Chef and restudied in to coding.

After four years with my current employer, I'm averaging 55-60 hours a week.

In the kitchens I've worked in, adult newbies start at around 25-30 hours, and they usually start mainly doing dishes or doing grunt work (even if they're gunning for line.) The managers will keep close tabs on you to see if you're worth bumping up in position and hours - do you take direction well and find things to do even when you're not necessarily asked? Do you seem flaky, unhygienic, or shady? Is your voice too quiet and your head in the clouds? Things like that.
If you have potential, you'll get bumped to the line pretty quickly. Hours will probably stay the same while people train you, but if you're one to pick things up quickly and show up on time, you should get your 40 within 1-2 months (believe me, it's laughably ridiculous how rare it is to get people who are consistently on time, no matter the restaurant. That alone will automatically put you towards the top if your performance isn't total shit.)

I second in that the pay is not great. I still do it because it's the one job I enjoy... pretty much to the point where I'd do it for free. I have no kids, no spouse or partner, and no pets, so I'm really only paying rent and bills. If you have a lot of financial obligations, be prepared to get a second job.

That all being said, if you're feeling unfulfilled, feel free to try it out. Maybe start at a small mom-and-pop place that's willing to let you dip your feet in and see how it feels for you. But again, don't expect the full 40 right off the bat.

It always surprised me how much casual fucking was done. And gambling. And alcoholism. Hell they did substances I didn't know existed.

Everyone's experience is going to be different depending on where they work, age, drive, etc. You get out of it what you put into it but there is also a fair amount of networking, right place right time, and luck involved. I'm happy to share my experience with you and answer any questions you might have. Its one of the reasons I still come here after almost 11 years instead of sticking to places like ChefTalk.

I love my job and wouldn't change it for the world but I'm the first to admit that while I did work my ass off I was pretty lucky. I worked under some great people and have been pretty fortunate overall. You really do have to be a certain kind of person to make it in the industry and you have to make a lot of sacrifices especially in the beginning.

I'm an ACF certified Executive Chef. I run a privately owned restaurant group. I do the hiring, firing, MenDev, openings, etc for the group as well as catering and things like that but mostly I work out of and run our flagship restaurant which is a fine dining restaurant. I also own my own consulting, private instruction, and catering company mostly focusing on consulting specifically openings and MenDev. The catering arm works in tandem with the catering arm of the restaurant group. I don't get to spend as much time on my business as I would like because of all the time I spend working for the RG. I also had another company a couple of years ago that I ended up abandoning because I just didn't have the time to make it work.

cont

I work at least 70 hours a week most weeks and I'm there every day. That's not counting the time I put in off the clock. I might get one or two half-days off a week. Very very rarely do I get a full day off and even then I usually work at home in some capacity. I took my first vacation in years about 2 years ago and it was a working vacation where I attended a conference and participated in a competition. I haven't had two days off in a row since then.

Working like that has never been a big deal to me but it might be to you especially if you are older and not used to it. I grew up on a farm and worked full time since I was like 14 so I'm used to the hard work and long hours plus I really enjoy my work so I don't feel its that bad. I make good money(salary+stake in company+bonuses), I own my own home on 7 acres which as of a couple weeks ago is completely paid for, I raise rabbits and chickens and have a garden in the spring, I work with a hand picked team of people I am very close with, and I'm doing what I love so overall I'm happy.

On the other hand I've needed to put up new gutters for the last 8 months and haven't had the time to do it. Its also really hard to have a serious long term relationship because of the hours. I work every weekend, holiday, and most evenings. They may say they are okay with it in the beginning but they never really are. As I get older that is probably the worst part about it to be honest. I want to have kids and its extremely difficult even though I make enough money that my wife wouldn't have to work.

cont

Other than that I'm pretty happy with the way things have played out. I've gotten to work for some great people, worked in a few different countries, traveled a good bit for my job, and have a stable income from doing something I very much enjoy. I couldn't be happier with the team I work with both FOH and BOH (which I never thought I would say) I have access to all kinds of fantastic equipment and products, and can pretty much do whatever I like as long as I keep bringing money into the company.

Since you already have a job and if you are really passionate about it my best piece of advice would be not to settle and only work at the restaurants you want to work at. Don't work at some shitty private restaurant or Applebees or other corporate restaurant. You'll hate it, you'll learn a lot of bad habits, and you'll likely be unable to escape once you get in there. I've known quite a few cooks who did this and busted ass so they got moved up the ladder too quickly and ended up hating it but being stuck there. Its really not worth it IMO. On the other hand if all you want is a decent job, somewhat better hours, healthcare, etc and don't have the passion and drive its fairly easy to go career at a corporate place and make a livable wage since most who work those jobs are burnouts, college kids, etc. I'd also recommend staying away from Cschool. Its just not worth it especially these days. I've ended up firing most Cschool kids I've worked with.

Feel free to ask me whatever.

Just wanted to add that its important to remember that working on the line in a restaurant isn't necessarily your only option in the FS industry.

My pastry chef has it pretty great, they make decent money, pretty much pick their own hours, and work down in the basement where its nice and quiet, much less hectic, and not nearly as hot. Baker might be a good job for you.

I also employ a guy who used to be a head chef who now does prep for me. I've offered to move him up many times but he is happy where he is and its much less stressful. He comes in, bangs it out in the basement, leaves in time to pick his kids up from school, and has weekends off so he can do stuff with his family.

One of my former workers left to open up a coffee roasting company and he really enjoys it. With third wave still going strong its fairly easy to get your foot in the door somewhere and learn to roast. You could even start out with just a web store.

Another employee opened up a butchers shop/ charcuterie. That might be a good choice for you. You're still working around food but the hours are much better and its not as labor intensive or as hot as working on the line.

Really there are a lot of different options. It really just depends on what you want and need from the job and how far you want to go with it down the road.

Is there a certain reason you chose the food service industry over everything else? I realize you're not happy with the way things are going right now but maybe something else altogether would be better for you.

What the fuck did I just read. No dude, KEEP your cushy job. Do yourself a favor and get the idea out of your head.

/thread

His "cushy job" is as a security guard.

Not really, it just sounds like they work in a shitty restaurant and probably shouldn't work in the industry in general. Plus, if the pic is where she works, well, that should speak for itself.

>shit pay...I think she makes $10 or $11 an hour...

Even my dishwashers make that much and commis make more.

>>...but goes in from noon-4 for prep, and only gets paid for working 4-midnight

illegal unless they are salaried in which case they do get paid for the 12-4. If its not bullshit they are just retarded. Again, shitty restaurant.

>owner is a very successful ex-heroin addict who is legit bipolar
>manager does nothing but hurl insults at kitchen and trash their work
>co-workers are mostly alcoholics
>they usually act like friends, but bash each other behind their backs
>dangerously competitive...like getting your shit sabotaged

Definitely not typical in my experience. Just sounds like a shitty restaurant and isn't indicative of the industry as a whole; just shitty restaurants.

>her hands and arms are covered in scars and burns
>I never get to see her since her schedule is fucked
>everybody in the industry knows everyone else so if you fuck up somewhere, everyone will hear about it

True.

>gets sexually harassed non-stop by coworkers and diners
>She cries a lot

This is why I have a 100% male BOH. Women can't really cut it in BOH IME and mixed kitchens don't really work all that well. Things run much smoother with a male BOH, competent female FOH, and a male maitre d.

>sad because she never gets to learn anything new and is stuck doing the same dishes over and over

Solidifies the fact that its just a shit restaurant. boohoo, get a different job then.

Chef of 6 years here.

My advice, don't do it, it's a trap.

Unless you seriously have a passion for cooking and don't mind working 40-60 hours a week, weekend, public holidays etc, don't waste your time.