Accelerated culinary degree programs exist to build on the kitchen skills you already have in a way that enhances your education, rather than merely repeating it. With the same final goal as regular culinary school (a degree or certification, advanced cooking skills, better job opportunities), you can finish in less time and with a stronger focus on what matters most to your culinary career—whether that’s a more in-depth look at kitchen management or a shift to nutrition and healthy eating alternatives. In fact, most cooks who attend an accelerated culinary degree program do so in order to focus on one particular subject area, most commonly those of:

• Food and Wine Pairings
• International Cuisine
• Health and Nutrition
• Food Safety
• Menu Development
• Restaurant Management
• Communication
• Cost Control
• Marketing/Business Development
• Kitchen Technology

These types of programs are usually offered in two different formats: at traditional culinary schools and online. Traditional culinary school accelerated programs are often offered in the evening or on weekends, when it’s possible for working chefs to fit in a few extra classes. Online formats are growing in popularity, as well, which is fairly new for the culinary profession.

In most cases, online culinary school courses are very limited. Cooking is very much a hands-on learning process, and no amount of cooking videos and instructional pamphlets can replace watching and learning from someone who knows what they’re doing. For accelerated culinary programs, the focus is less on hands-on skills and more on increasing your background and academic knowledge. This makes it possible to learn through an online course at your own pace—even from distances of hundreds or even thousands of miles. And in many cases, you can still end up with an Associate degree (or higher), which is perfect for those who have their culinary career sights set high.

Depending on where you go to school, you may need to enter school with a core curriculum of classes already under your belt (or the equivalent in experience). There is no national standard in accelerated culinary degree programs, which means that you should always do your research before you sign up for any course.

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No matter where it is you go culinary school, the majority of your time will be spent in the kitchens. Culinary programs are very much a hands-on learning experience, and many schools even lecture in the kitchen, allowing students to sit at their stations and practice as the instructor lectures.

Because so much of your time will be spent in the kitchen, it should be the first place you visit on a campus tour, and it should be what sways the largest part of your decision-making process. Things to look for include:

Clean and Spacious Workstations

You may work individually, with a partner, or as a team—all of these learning styles are common in culinary school. The workstations should be large enough for everyone to work together, and cleanliness should be apparent from the moment you walk in the door.

Updated and Commercial Kitchen Appliances

Learning on outmoded kitchen appliances and tools isn’t going to prepare you for the real working world. Make sure all materials are in keeping with what you find in restaurants today, whether that means traditional bamboo rice steamers or liquid nitrogen for a molecular gastronomy finish. Remember, updated doesn’t necessarily mean cutting edge; it also means in good repair and in good working order.

The Complete Culinary Process

In the culinary world, there are several steps between the delivery of ingredients to the final plating. Make sure the kitchen is equipped to handle the entire process, from prep work through the actual dining experience. Because you never know if you’ll be hired on as a sous chef or a fry cook after you graduate, you need skills in all areas.

Mass Production Capabilities

If you intend to work within a large-scale production capacity (a bakery, catering company, or industrial food production plant), make sure the school has the ability to teach mass production. Cooking one dish is very different from cooking five hundred, and you should be trained in both skill sets.

While your final culinary school decision will depend on a variety of factors, the kitchen should figure in your list—and somewhere near the top. You can only be as well-trained as the materials you learn on, and the kitchen will soon become your home for four to eight hours out of the day.

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What to Expect from a Selective Admissions Process

Although all culinary schools are different, those that are more competitive to get into tend to have a similar set of requirements. These include:

• High School Diploma/GED
• Minimum GPA Requirements
• Teacher/Employer Recommendations
• Application Essays
• Assessment Test Scores (Math and Writing)
• Food Preparation Experience

You might also find that there are long waitlists to get in. This means that you will eventually have a place, but that it make take a few years before your spot opens up.

If You Don’t Get Accepted

If you don’t get accepted to your top choice culinary school, that doesn’t mean your dreams of becoming a chef will never happen. Depending on the reasons you didn’t get in and your professional goals, you might be able to try the following.

Apply for the next quarter, semester, or year. Sometimes, one year’s applicants can be a lot more competitive than the next year’s. If you’re willing and able to wait, you can always try again later.

Re-test. If you didn’t do well on your entrance exam, take some time to study and test again. Most schools accept later test scores if they show a marked improvement.

Get more culinary experience. This one is especially good if you are still on the fence about whether or not culinary school is right for you, or if you’d prefer on-the-job training. Take some time to work in a restaurant or bakery and start building your skills now.

Apply to another school. No two culinary schools are created equal, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a good education at either one. In many cases, what you get out of culinary school is exactly what you put into it—and if you’re willing to work hard, you can get a great education somewhere else.

It’s never fun to fall short of a goal, but the most important thing is to not lose sight of the bigger picture. Not getting accepted to your first choice culinary school might be a disappointment, but it’s not the end of the road. Many great chefs went to smaller schools or even learned on the job and still had what it takes to be a success!

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Attendance at a culinary convention usually takes one of two forms: you’ll either be there to meet other professionals and learn what’s hot and new in the industry, or you’ll actually have a booth that showcases your product/restaurant/skills. The latter typically comes only after you’ve already made a place for yourself in the industry, and can be costly for setting up.

If you decide to attend a culinary convention as a networking opportunity—or if the restaurant you work for is willing to send you—here are a few tips for making it work to your advantage.

Make Yourself Known: Wear your name badge, carry business cards, and go out of your way to meet people. Although you don’t have to walk away with a stellar new job offer or become best friends with a leading chef, you can meet other people who can help boost your career or assist you in building lasting culinary friendships.

Know Your Goals: Oftentimes, there are workshops and courses that you can attend to learn new things. Other times, there are showcase booths that allow you to learn more about culinary organizations in your area and around the world. Know what you want to get out of the convention and plan accordingly. Even though it can be fun to just sit and chat with others, you should walk away with some new knowledge, as well.

Prepare to Take Notes: Okay, so maybe you won’t walk around with a pen and paper in hand, but you’ll most likely get quite a few handouts, fliers, business cards, and other promotional materials. If you can devise a system for organizing all these materials, you should be able to get more out of your experience without too much additional hassle.

Of course, the most important thing you can do is have fun. Culinary professionals are known for their larger-than-life personalities, and the food and wine is often freely flowing at these types of events. Know what you want, get what you want, and then have a good time. Your culinary career is all about finding a place where you feel comfortable without sacrificing your success, and culinary conventions are a great opportunity to put some of these goals to good use.

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What is Food Technology?

Food technology is the application of science to the growth, development, and processing of food. Everything from poultry farms and frozen food factories to canneries fall under this category, and for years, many people assumed food technology had only to do with manufacturing.

Today, food technology is a much broader and more diverse field. In addition to food production, it deals with food safety and nutrition (especially as it relates to bacteria), bioterrorism, food preservation, and even cooking techniques that are new and innovative in the culinary world.

Getting to Know the IFT

Like many other national and international organizations, the Institute of Food Technologists has an annual convention and expo, and a number of prizes that are given out every year. These are typically only of interest to those who are fully immersed in the food technologist field, though everyone who pays the entrance fee is welcome to attend.

Interested in Food Technology?

Food technology is a growing field, and it is a great place to look for a culinary career that straddles the line between cooking and a more industrial and scientific approach to food production. Most food technologists have a background in food science, and work for the government or manufacturers, using their chemistry and biology training to make food safe and healthy for consumers.

Those interested in pursuing the field should look to four-year universities offering food science training. Great as a compliment to an existing business or culinary degree, this field offers a high level of stability and regular working hours. If you are currently a culinary student, you might also find it interesting to network with those who work on the other side of the food counter, bringing ingredients safely and efficiently to your restaurant’s back door.

For more information on the Institute of Food Technologists, visit them on the web at http://www.ift.org/.

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Of course, that’s not necessarily true if you’re a recent culinary school graduate. Competition for the best jobs in large cities can be fierce, and you might find yourself working in an entry-level position where you have to prove your worth.

If you want to get the most out of your culinary degree and enjoy both good employment opportunities and a great local food scene, here are a few cities you might want to consider:

Portland, Oregon: The population in Portland is young, highly educated, and focused on a more environmentally friendly way of life—and they have plenty of disposable income with which to buy good cuisine. This adds up to great potential in the culinary field, especially if you work somewhere there is a focus on fresh, well-prepared foods.

Denver, Colorado: The average chef salary here is a generous $48,000, and the demographic lends itself to a youthful and vibrant food scene. Like Portland, Denver is a hotspot for young professionals who focus on an active and healthy lifestyle. Farm-fresh foods, an eco-friendly atmosphere, and fine dining all come together here to create a unique backdrop. At the same time, because this is a fairly large city, there is plenty of room for continued growth and development.

San Francisco: San Francisco is one of those cities that has seen nothing but economic prosperity in the past few decades. Although the cost of living here is high, California cuisine is world famous as being unique and focused on fresh ingredients. A large proportion of new restaurants only adds to the appeal of living and working here.

Washington, D.C.: Another big city containing plenty of people with disposable income, Washington, D.C. is growing as a culinary center of the country. The average chef salary here hits about $58,000 per year, and there is a huge market for ethnic foods and specialty restaurants.

Of course, most major metropolitan centers are going to be a good place for a culinary career—if only because these are the best places to find enough customers to succeed in the restaurant industry. Going to culinary school in the immediate area can be a great way to find work in these city centers, since you’ll be more familiar with regional cuisines as well as the local top employers.

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Slow Food is an organization that works hard to support this more healthy and sustainable way to view living and eating. This grassroots company has thousands of worldwide members and contributes to many smaller, locally-driven programs dedicated to filling our plates with fresh and healthy options.

Slow Food currently has over 200 chapters in the United States alone. Its mission, “to create dramatic and lasting change in the food system,” is accomplished through a combined focus on food production and policies, and many of their changes start a small level and move up through entire communities and the political systems contained therein. It is this combined focus—on good, healthy food and changes at the political level to sustain it—that makes Slow Food unique.

Their activities include:

• Public education and awareness, especially regarding the risks of fast food
• Protecting biodiversity among both animals and produce
• Advocating for farmers and artisans committed to the Slow Food way of life
• Hosting events that promote local cuisine and customs
• Organizing small-scale processing facilities
• Celebrating food, community, and tradition
• Lobbying against unsafe food practices

Slow Food first started in 1986 by a food advocate named Carlo Petrini. As the name suggests, it was meant to be a simple alternative to the fast food craze and a direct opposition against a McDonald’s going up near the Spanish Steps in Rome. Since that time, there are now more than 100,000 members in the world, represented across 132 countries.

Because Slow Food is still a somewhat new organization, it isn’t well-known in the culinary market—especially in the United States. However, many top culinary schools (including Le Cordon Bleu) have recognized the organization and even include components of it as part of their curriculum. If you’re interested in learning more about the Slow Food movement and where it can be found in your region, visit them on the web at http://www.slowfoodusa.org/.

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Executive Chef (Average Salary: $58,000 to $88,000)

Everyone wants to be the boss, don’t they? In a restaurant setting, this is no less true. If you ask most culinary students what their ultimate professional goal is, the answer will be Executive Chef, managing chef, or restaurant owner. All of these professionals have a few things in common: they get to call the shots, they have creative control over the kitchen, and they are among the top professionals in their field.

Of course, this kind of prestige comes with its own kind of price tag. Even with advanced degrees from top culinary schools, almost all Executive Chefs have to prove their worth through years of hard work and culinary innovation.

Hotel Manager (Average Salary: $68,000 to $124,000)

Hotel managers who have a hospitality management degree from a top university can expect to enjoy large salaries and quite a bit of responsibility. In charge of overseeing hundreds of staff members, dining facilities and restaurants, and the entire hotel setting, hotel managers are equal, career-wise, to professionals like Executive Chefs or hospital administrators.

As is the case with most professional chefs, there is an experience curve in which the more time you put in as a lower-ranking employee, the better your chances of moving up through the ranks. Unlike other culinary careers, however, getting a Master’s degree in hospitality management can help you land a high-ranking job right out of school.

Food Scientist (Average Salary: $50,000 to $76,000)

Food science isn’t technically a culinary career, since there is a very strong chemistry and biology foundation that requires a few years of school at a traditional university. However, if you’re interested in the sciences as well as cooking, this could be a great choice. Food scientists work in laboratories and in industrial food production facilities to help with issues related to food safety, quality, taste, texture, preservation, packaging, and product development.

In recent years, television shows, documentaries, and other inside looks at food manufacturing has put the spotlight on how our food is made and where it comes from. For food scientists, this kind of backseat approach is a daily task, and with the right education, it can be a very rewarding job.

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Among these are cooking positions with government organizations and civil service posts. Whether you become a kitchen manager in a prison or plan menus for an elementary school district, there are great job opportunities and chances to gain experience for those willing to walk a little way off the beaten track.

Why Government Jobs?

Government jobs have the benefit of offering stability, great retirement plans, health insurance, and regular working hours. Because they are closely regulated, you’ll always get paid for overtime and receive compensation and raises in keeping with national standards.

If you want this kind of stability but still wish to dabble in the culinary world, here are a few positions to consider:

School Chefs/Cooks: Cafeteria food has a pretty bad reputation these days, but that doesn’t mean the work is easy. In addition to preparing large quantities of food, many qualified school chefs help to develop menus, oversee staff, and meet nutritional requirements—and all on a very tight budget. This is an especially appealing job if you like working with kids.

Chefs/Cooks for Detention Centers and Prisons: Prisoners need to eat, too—and in many cases, their nutritional options are better than what you’ll find in the school setting. As is the case for school cooks, this is a great position for someone who recently graduated with a hospitality or restaurant management degree, since it is a way to get experience working with large-scale food production. However, if you aren’t comfortable working with the prison population, this probably isn’t the job for you.

Hospital Chef/Cook: In many cases, hospitals and city health services are run by government organizations, and they may offer culinary jobs of varying levels. Whether you cook to meet the nutritional needs of patients, or if you take a job as a nutritionist/food educator in a public health setting, you can make a real difference in people’s lives through cuisine.

Although you can certainly build an entire career out of government culinary jobs, these are especially good positions for new graduates hoping to gain experience and pay back some of those culinary student loans. Oftentimes, having these types of positions on your resume shows that you are not just about making fancy food or knowing how to plate. Instead, you can show that you’re willing to get in the trenches and even take on supervisory or management roles that transfer well into the hospitality industry.

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But that doesn’t have to be the case. Although you aren’t likely to strike it rich right away, a career in catering can be a great way to enjoy your love of cooking while also making a decent wage and enjoying great benefits.

Why Choose Catering?

Catering companies can be part of private restaurant businesses, a hotel or hospitality company, or a package of wedding services. They can also be run out of a successful bakery, or even just as one guy working out of a van. And as is the case with traditional restaurant work, you’ll find everything from five-star cuisine to cheap and easy catering solutions for small parties.

The money in catering is good because it lacks a lot of the prestige of working in a restaurant—and because most catering companies doing the hiring are attached to large hotel chains or very successful restaurants that can afford to offer higher rates of pay. Working in catering also requires a bit of flexibility on your part (you might have to work all weekends and evenings to cover weddings and private parties, or work every holiday in which brunch plays a role), so rates of pay are higher to make up for it.

Catering Salaries

The average salary for working in catering is $37,000 per year—well above the national average for entry-level cooks at around $22,000 per year. Although salaries will necessarily vary due to location, employer, industry, and other factors, most culinary professionals just starting out will encounter higher rates of pay here than they will in traditional restaurant jobs.

Of course, working in “catering” means quite a bit. You could just as easily be making omelets to order on a buffet line as you could be managing a catering staff of hundreds. You might be an executive chef planning menus or a hospitality manager who helps plan weddings and large events. Depending on your level of responsibility, you could earn anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000 per year. As is the case with any type of culinary career, your education and personal goals will influence this number, as well.

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