Education · 1 of 5

The path

There is no exam and no school you must attend. You get hired and you learn in service.

1. 1

   High school diploma or the GED (General Educational Development) test

   Grade 12

   Useful, and required by some larger employers, but plenty of kitchens do not ask.

2. 2

   Get a food handler card

   A couple of hours

   Cheap and online. Many counties require it before your first shift.

3. 3

   Start in prep or on dish

   3 to 12 months

   Almost everyone starts here. Show up on time, work clean, and you move onto the line in months.

4. 4

   Learn every station

   1 to 3 years

   Grill, saute, fry, garde manger, pastry. A cook who can run any station is the one who gets kept and paid.

5. 5

   Lead cook or sous chef

   3 to 6 years in

   Ordering, prep lists, scheduling and running service when the chef is off.