For many people, getting a job working in a kitchen is a dream come true. For others, it’s a fantasy that they are trying to turn into a reality. With so many popular cookery shows on television these days, such as Masterchef and Saturday Kitchen, cooking and food is definitely more fashionable than it’s ever been. So if you are looking for your first job working in a kitchen how exactly can you reach your goal? Well, you can start by following these tips.
Try and get some initial experience
As with any job role that requires a level of skill to complete, you won’t get anywhere unless you have gained some valuable experience in a working kitchen. Try everywhere you can think to try and get some initial work experience – this may mean that you have to work for free for a while but once you have this under your belt and have proved that you can handle the demands of kitchen work, you will already be able to show a potential employer that you are the person for the job.
Put yourself out there
You may struggle to find work experience anywhere, or you may find that this isn’t quite enough to secure a permanent paid position. In which case you need to find ways to promote what you can do to the world. Why not start a blog which tells people about you, or create some videos of you cooking to add to YouTube? If these are liked and shared enough then you may find yourself with potential employers approaching you to gain more experience with them, or they may even invite you to come for a trial shift. The possibilities are endless!
Find a specialist catering recruiter
Sometimes you just need that extra bit of help in finding a job. If you have gained the experience then there are a number of specialist catering recruitment agencies out there who can set you up with an appropriate restaurant, hotel or pub with the job you are looking for. Chefs are usually very busy people who don’t have a lot of time to spend on recruiting, so going through a recruitment agency may just be the way to open that all-important door.
Be willing to put the hours in
People who work in kitchens are often working very long, very hard and often very unsociable hours. However, most do this because they are highly passionate about their jobs and wouldn’t change it for the world. You need to be able to demonstrate to an employer than you are willing to put these hours in, that you are a hard worker and that you can continuously perform in an extremely pressurised environment. Do this, and you may find yourself formulating a successful career!
