Thanks to online education, it's easier than ever for aspiring food-service professionals to fit culinary school into their busy schedules. Regardless of where you live, an online culinary arts programs provides a guided, well-rounded curriculum that hones your skills and prepares you for the next step in your career.
Often, that next step entails finding your first job out of culinary school. And whether you studied through an online campus or in a physical institution, life after culinary school can be a little intimidating at first. Even for students who have a very precise idea of where they want to eventually end up may struggle in the beginning to navigate the culinary job market, and map a course to that desired destination.
Rest assured, though, many of the world's most renowned chefs had to endure the difficulties of job hunts early in their career. The trick is to be resilient, driven and resourceful. It also helps if you have some idea of where to start. Here are a few stones to turn over first:
Tap into our career services
One of the biggest advantages of any reputable culinary school is access to a faculty of seasoned chefs and industry experts who are willing to vouch for the talented students. This is precisely what the August Escoffier School of Culinary Arts referral program was designed for. We collaborate with food-service industry players to set up recruiting events for students and put our alumni in contact with potential employers while they're still in our program. We also have professional partnerships with the likes of Disney, Thomas Keller Group and Sodexo.
Long after students leave any of our programs, they will continue to have access to our Career Services for life at no extra cost – it's just one of many perks of being a culinary student at the August Escoffier Culinary Arts School. Lifetime job-placement assistance gives all of our alumni access to resources such as industry referrals, networking opportunities, job listings, resume-writing assistance and job interview preparation.
Once a student at our culinary school, always a student.
Are you ready to dip your toes into the waters of the culinary job market?Go through the motions
Whether or not you have the support of a culinary school, there are a few things that any aspiring culinary professional can do improve their chances of landing the dream job. For starters, don't necessarily expect to go straight from school into your perfect position. This is true for all industries, but especially the culinary arts. While having a culinary arts certificate can demonstrate your preparedness to work in a professional environment, you still need to prove it to future employers. That could mean taking a job at a diner, cafeteria or a variety of other foodservice positions you may not have considered. Never stop looking for the next rung on the ladder, though. Keep learning while on the job and try to distinguish yourself every chance you get.
It also helps to know where to look. In addition to ZipRecruiter, Indeed, Craigslist and other traditional job boards, you can look on more specialized sites such as:
Industry events and food festivals that are open to the public also represent great opportunities to get more familiar with the local culinary scene and make some connections.
Also, be sure to keep hotels on you radar. The biggest names in hospitality are always trying to one-up one another and they often use the kitchen as the edge over the competition.
Otherwise, put together a well-structured, easy-to-read resume that contains all the right information and really shows your progression as a culinary professional. Also be sure to practice for your interview (here are a few tips to get you started).
At the August Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, online students get more than a degree: They get an onramp to the career they've always envisioned for themselves.
