With the popularity of chefs such as Emeril Lagasse and Nigella Lawson, the culinary arts have taken on new prestige. In fact, a number of people are trading in their pens and calculators for spatulas and food processors, moving from the office to the kitchen. Such a transition can be quite financially rewarding, since a executive chef can make in excess of $150,000.

While a career as an executive chef may be entirely within your reach, you should be aware of the fact that you’ll have to start out at the bottom end of the sushi bar—figuratively speaking. This will mean working nights, weekends, and many holidays in a fast-paced kitchen. At times, your work day may exceed 14 hours. Chances are you’ll begin your work as a prep cook, which will involve such mundane tasks as peeling potatoes and chopping onions. You can then progress to being a line cook, followed by work as an assistant to the executive chef, where you’ll supervise the daily work of a professional cooking staff.

In order to prepare to become an executive chef, you’ll want to enroll in cooking school, where you’ll learn everything from how to use a knife properly to how to bake picture-perfect pastries. You’ll also master the essentials of nutrition, menu planning, and catering. While a certificate from a culinary school may not be mandatory to work as an executive chef, it certainly will increase your chances of finding a high-profile job in food service.

Eventually, your career as a chef may progress to the point where you can publish your own cookbook and engage in lucrative product endorsements. Then, you may even find a home on the Food Network, cooking up delicacies seen ‘round the world.

L. Charles Fernandez is the creator of the Six Figure Jobs Blog, a guide to finding six figure jobs in unlikely fields.

Source: www.isnare.com