Thursday, May 24, 2007

Typed Report

My ambition is to be a chef. The reason for why being a chef to me is actually very simple. I love food, I want not only satisfy myself, but everyone with food. To discover the secrets behind a delicious dish, that is my aim. It is not easy for being a chef, you need to be well trained and of course, you need lots of experience in order to become an executive chef.

Industry specific skills that are required for executives include productivity and quality management skills which involve cost management and quality controls, and outlet management skills. In addition, marketing, sales and branding skills such as conducting situational analysis, developing and monitoring marketing public relations strategies are also needed to optimize sales.

Executive Jobs in Demand will be Executive Chefs, Food and Beverage Executives, Operations Executives and Restaurant Managers. Non-Executive Jobs in Demand will be Captains, Cleaners, Commis Cooks and Waiters or Waitresses. For non-executive staff, industry-specific skills required are mainly in F&B services skills such as preparing and serving alcoholic beverages, table-side service, hosting duties, buffet/ catering services and processing payments. Food hygiene skills in terms of following the F&B safety and hygiene standards are also important skills.

Employability skills that are essential for all employees in the F&B industry are customer service, and health and workplace safety skills. Employability skills are foundation skills to help workers become more effective at work. They can also form the critical skills which workers could further build on to acquire industry specific skills.

Restaurant cooks are experienced in all types of cooking and can prepare any item on the menu of a full-service restaurant. A full-service restaurant offers the customer many and complete meals including dishes that require a lot of time to prepare. All the activity in the restaurant kitchen including the work done by kitchen workers is directed by the Working Chef or the Executive Chef. Chefs are responsible for preparing many dishes which are of high quality, day after day and night after night, and within cost. The duties of Chefs are to plan the menu, determine the price and how much it will cost to make the dish. They order supplies, hire cooks and other kitchen workers and supervise the preparation of food. Chefs also have the more difficult cooking duties, prepare the specialties of the restaurant, and develop their own recipes. Large hotels, clubs and restaurant chains hire an Executive Chef who coordinates planning, budgeting and the purchases for all the food operations. In places where there is an Executive Chef, the cooking and restaurant activity is usually done under the supervision of a Unit Chef or a Sous Chef (Under Chef).

Cooks and Chefs normally work an eight-hour shift, five days or evenings a week, including
week-ends and most holidays. Chefs in small restaurants often work a split shift for which they get
extra pay. Additional benefits depend upon how much the restaurant sells. They most often include
meals, professional seminars, health and accident insurance, and sick leave. Other benefits,
such as pension plans, interest-free loans, professional dues, and company cars may be offered.

     Therefore my planned career path will be a Trainee Cook first, get a higher certificate in culinary
 skills to become Commis Cook, advanced certificate in culinary skills to become Chef de Partie,
Diploma in Culinary Management to be Sous Chef and finally it ends with an Executive Chef.
That is what I have decided and I am going to stick with it till I archive what I wanted.