So you’re interested in a culinary career in Orlando? Well, you couldn’t have picked a better place to start your career in the culinary arts. So in this article I’d like to give an overview of what you can expect in the culinary field, why going to a culinary school is recommended, and why choose Orlando as your training ground.
The culinary field employs almost 13 million people in the US, and will add two million jobs in the next ten years (from the National Restaurant Association). Orlando itself has nearly 5400 restaurants along with their overflowing amusement parks and attractions such as Walt Disney World. This makes Orlando an opportune place to start your culinary career.
A culinary career may not be just about becoming a chef (although if that’s all you want to do… that’s great!). But a good culinary school can also train you for restaurant management, pastry chef, sous chef, hotel management as well as others.
If you’re looking for strictly a cooking career… there are basically three types of jobs; Chef, Cooks, and Food Prep. As you can imagine of these three positions, the chef is the top dog, and will consequently be paid the most and have the most responsibility. This also means that there are fewer chef (top dogs) positions available as opposed to cook and food prep positions. So if you want to become a chef some day, you will definitely want to get yourself a culinary degree. It is possible to work yourself up through the ranks without a degree, but it will take you typically 8 to 15 years to do so.
What types of jobs are out there in the culinary field? The statistics are that 60% of all food prep, cooks, and chefs work in restaurants and retail eating and drinking establishments. Another 20% work in institutions such as universities, nursing homes, hospitals, and schools. The remaining 20% work in hotels, grocery stores, and other companies.
As you can imagine, the pay structure varies widely depending upon what kind of establishment you’re working in, and the type of job you have. Without a degree, you could start at minimum wage in a grocery store or cafeteria as a prep cook. If you’re just starting out as a cook, you could make about $9-$18 per hour. Hotels tend to pay more than restaurants. As a chef, you could make anywhere from $20-$50K per year again depending on your experience, and where you’re working. But if you’re the top dog, Head Chef, you could make $80-$100k per year or more if you get a job at a high end hotel or resort. Now that’s something to aim for!
It’s obviously a no brainer that if you want a career in the culinary arts, it really pays off to spend a few years in an accredited Culinary School. With a culinary degree or certificate, you should be able to skip the lower skilled jobs, and start your career off as a cook or chef, and at a better restaurant or hotel than if you didn’t have one. But first, make sure you complete high school and pay close attention to math and business.
Another advantage to attending a culinary school is that they will help you find employment once you graduate. A school with an excellent reputation will have employers knocking down their door to get the next highly skilled chef.
Orlando is a prime location for a culinary school. Walt Disney alone has 100+ restaurants and 40 resorts within its complex, which offers many opportunities for someone in the Orlando Culinary Arts and Management field. The climate is usually warm (no snow!), and is a short distance to the ocean, gulf, or lakes and parks. And if you like fish, the fresh seafood is plentiful!
The most poplular Culinary School in Orlando is the Orlando Culinary Academy, which has the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary arts program. You can receive a degree in as little as 15 months. I highly recommend you checking them out if you desire a culinary career in Orlando.
If you’d like to get started on your culinary career right now, I highly recommend this cookbook that features the actual recipes from some of the top restaurants in the country… Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden, and many more! You can download it now, and start cooking a restaurant quality meal at home!
Culinary-school wisdom — Become a better cook
Hank Sawtelle is a former engineer and patent attorney and a recent culinary-school graduate.
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