There are many great opportunities to create a career as a professional cook, including becoming a chef, a line cook, a prep cook, or a sous chef. Typically candidates are hired as prep cooks and are trained on-site through cooking and shadowing other employees; they are responsible for preparing all the food to be cooked, including chopping and measuring ingredients. Line cooks and sous chefs are responsible for cooking the food, and chefs are the head of the kitchen, coordinating all employees and making sure everything runs smoothly. Cooks can earn a yearly salary ranging from $30,000 to $65,000, depending on their position.
Working in a kitchen as a cook is a demanding yet very rewarding experience. You do not need to have a college degree to become a cook, but obtaining a degree from a culinary school would greatly help your chances of being hired. As a cook, your hours vary based on the schedule of the restaurant at which you are working, with most shifts scheduled at night and on the weekends. Be ready for a high-intensity atmosphere that encourages hard work, dedication, and a love of creating great food!
