What Draws You to A Job?

Recently, (for a while actually,) there has been a lot of exposure, (too much even,) to Chefs and cooking shows on TV and the rest of the Media. This apparently has also transpired into a rash of applicants to become chefs too. Thus Hotels, Restaurants etc, are seeing a mass increase in the number of young people now wanting to make a career in the Hospitality industry as Chefs. And so there is an abundance of budding Chefs in the pipeline isn’t there?

Well that is how it appears on the surface, but in reality it is slightly different and an interesting trend has arisen. Many people, and young people at that, have seen these shows and the culture depicted on TV and seen where it leads to and see these portrayals as “real life” and an easy shortcut to fame and fortune. Thus they eagerly and in surprising numbers, seek their fame, fortune and futures in the trade schools and businesses of the Hospitality Industry as up and coming Chefs of the future.

Unfortunately, when they actually start out on this ‘New life style’ for them, they find that all is not all that it is depicted in these shows and is in fact a lot of hard work and long hours on low pay; and even then for those lucky few who do make it to the top, it often takes 20 to 25 years of a long hard slog as an apprentice, trainee etc, even long after the official Apprenticeship has officially ended. Thus the hospitality Industry, while currently attracting a huge influx of potential future Chefs, is also seeing an extremely high dropout rate, as many realise it is not as easy as it seems on TV, and the new applicants, just drop out very quickly, leaving very few to continue on in the industry, let alone actually become world famous chefs.

How about you in your own life situation and future career prospects? Are you in a situation now where you think some thing looks attractive and glamorous and a short cut to fame and fortune and you are tempted to take it on?

Well please take my humble suggestion and check it out thoroughly first. Yes before you totally commit yourself to it, check it out first. Get a Summer Job in it, do a course in it, get a part time/ casual job in it and just see if it really is for you, before you find yourself either locked into something you hate, or doing something that will cost you greatly to get out of.

On the other hand if you like cooking and think being a chef might be really up your ally, do check it out too. But do check it out fully before you commit yourself fully. And do have a great career in whatever you choose.