Q&A

What are the pros and cons of being a Chef? I really have a passion to become a pastry chef, however, my mother is telling me it's not the fantasy world I have built in my head. To be honest I didn't even know it was a fantasy world lol. I would just like to know the pros and cons of becoming a Pastry chef, or any chef for that matter. And is there any way I could get hands on experience? Maybe to get a taste of what it's like? Thank you!!

The answers to that one are very subjective, but there are two ways for you to find out for yourself whether or not it’s a fit for you. The first is called an Informational Interview. It’s a 20 minute (more or less) interview you do with someone who is doing what you’re thinking about doing for a living. Drop me an email and I’ll send you a basic questionnaire form and tell you how to tweak it to your liking. The second way is to Job Shadow. Just like the name implies, you follow the person who is doing what you think you’d like to do for a living around for anywhere from two hours to an entire business day. I think three hours is the ideal amount of time, but that’s just me. After you do these two things, if you still think being a Pastry Chef is your cup of tea, go for it! And remember: even if you decide years down the road that you want to change again, you still will have picked up valuable transferable skills you’ll be able to use for other careers.
Smooth Sailing!
Rita