The Route to Success
The path to success is rarely, if ever a straight one. The most successful people often made detours on their journeys, so make sure that you’re open to all opportunities and don’t lose sight of the BIG picture. For example, you may think to yourself “I want to be a chef in high end restaurant!”, but you don’t have the training or experience. Below are few possible routes you could take to become a chef:
- Work your way up the food chain! Try to secure an entry level position in a restaurant. It will expose you to the industry you want to work in, you’ll be gaining valuable kitchen experience, start building a network, and you’ll get a chance to really observe the inner workings of a kitchen. After doing so, you may discover that you don’t want to become a chef after all!
- Volunteer for soup kitchens and meals on wheels-type programs. You’ll most likely be thrown into the deep end, cutting up and preparing food, while earning karma points AND gaining valuable experience you can add to your resume.
- Post-secondary. A number of schools offer some type of culinary arts programs. You may qualify for a scholarship or bursary, and it’s a chance to gain important knowledge and skills in a controlled environment.
- Or any combination of the above!
So you see, there are a number of possible ways to reach your career goals. When you’re considering your career path, take the time to really map out all of the possible ways of reaching that end goal!