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Choosing a Chef Career - PART 1

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As a very soft, easy-to-walk-over type of person, I personally would not recommend a soft person to become a chef. The Chef Industry is made for bulk-seize(am I allowed to say this???) people with a strong personality and a huge BACKBONE. Being in the industry for almost 15 years now, I can tell there is no place for softies. Unless you find the most picture-perfect job (which is almost impossible) just for you.

Choosing a Chef Career- Part 1


Very poor financial growth- What can you show?


After all these years in my chef career, I can officially say that I am very, very dissapointed. From my first job, back in December 2003 right until my recent an definitely LAST CHEF job, I can say out of the bottom of my heart that all the efforts I have put in, didn't at least pay off at all. When graduated from Warwick Chef School in 2003, I made a somewhat personal wow to my career that I would give my utter very best in every job I take on. I will work hard, work extra without any recognition (which is a very common thing for an Aries born star-sign) - weather financially or just a simple’ Thank you’. After each job, and after many jobs where I left with sadness in my heart, I can write here today and tell you that I did give my best- right up until the end.

And basically I don't really have much to show of my chef career. The other day my husband came home, and at our little dinner table we had a conversation about our industry. The conversation was triggered after he told me that on his way back(he work in the Durbanville area- a suburb of Cape Town- and we live in Wellington- a 45 minute out drive to a small town) he felt so sad when he saw a man in about his 40's wearing a chef uniform which car has broken down. He said after he saw that picture he just knew I made the right decision to quit the cheffing industry.

It certainly does not pay off, chefs most of the time drive old cars (which is sooooooooo true- I drove an Uno car- valued at not much more than R 15 000 max) you are always overworked and underpaid. And most of the time these days I can think of very filthy words to describe the employers! Everybody wants to get the uttermost out of you - and if you can manage, be a cleaner, be the dishwasher, be a chef, write, order, plan, work your arse off , use your own computer for their benefit, use your own car for them to benefit , be an hour earlier at the local supermarket to do a huge shop because they want to save up money not to use the slightly more expensive suppliers who actually delivers to your doorstep, take responsibility- yes, there are a lot of others out there who simply doesn't want to that , then you are mostly to get the job. Oh, and of course, how can I forget: If you are the candidate who will work for the least money comparing to all the other candidates, you are mostly to get the job. You should be grateful, after all, it is a job in these days with the high unemployment rate. But can I also warn you, that you will in the interview agree on a salary and when it it salary date, a different, much less salary will be paid into your account- it can become somewhat even HALF of the agreed salary. And when you quit, they would ask you the question: WHY ARE YOU LEAVING?????

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