Advice needed on future

TheShcauld

Need advice on my current situation as I have some pretty important decisions coming up.
Background:

26 years old, pass degree in German and Anthropology (4 year degree that took me 6 to get). Looked for job online a lot over last few years while working in minimum wage job and was unable to get anything, as German not good enough. Couldn’t find anything advertised that I would be qualified to do other than mostly customer service roles involving German (if my German was fluent). So would have to go to Germany for few years to get fluent if I wanted to pursue that direction (don’t really want to). I also was unsuccessful in a few interviews for random stuff, so I figured it would be best to qualify myself as something employable to avoid this cycle in the future.

Interested in doing a culinary course in DIT and have applied through CAO for it. It’s a full time 2 year course and I am looking forward to doing it, but not looking forward to having no money for another 2 years. And would rather just be working full time and studying part time to achieve a culinary qualification. Back when I signed up for the course I didn’t mind as I wasn’t working full time but since then I have been, and like the fact that even though my life is upside down because of poor college choices, at least I am putting money together.

I am working full time at the moment as a kitchen porter in order to gain kitchen experience ahead of the route I intend to go down in terms of my career, but would most likely have to leave the job completely if I do the course. So I don’t know what to do with myself…


Does anyone know anything about a part time course I could maybe get into this late in the year?

Or does anyone know anything about my course DT432?

Is it worth it for me to go back to college this late on, given my difficulties with finding a job? Am I mad??

Or any other general advice would be great thanks..

Mrs OBumble

You're working in a kitchen: start by asking the chefs there for advice. They'll likely know more about local options, and how you might be able to combine study with work.

TrustedApple

Your working as a portor?. Ask to help up with prep of food more and work your way up the ladder.

Being honest there is no need to go to college to he a chef. My dad rather hire a Porter who has chopped veg then someone out of college with no experience in a kation.

Turtle_

TrustedApple wrote: »

Your working as a portor?. Ask to help up with prep of food more and work your way up the ladder.

Being honest there is no need to go to college to he a chef. My dad rather hire a Porter who has chopped veg then someone out of college with no experience in a kation.

Yeah, I know a lot of chefs who basically view people with the "Culinary Arts" degree as being effectively novices because they haven't enough practical experience. Whereas a guy or girl who's worked their way up the ranks in a kitchen and can perform under pressure may not have a piece of paper with their name on it, but they have demonstrated that they can actually do the job.

If you want to work in a kitchen... Go work in a kitchen!

Seriously, work your way up from prep. Do the 2 year course - it's intended to be for people who are actually working in a kitchen. I know someone who was on it a couple of years ago and at the time they actually had to have a job preparing food to be accepted onto the course. You're working as a porter? Great! Ask a chef if you can help with the prep, they're probably going to be happy to offload some of it!

aido79

As others have said try to get some experience with food prep. I worked in kitchens for years and started as a porter, then food prep and then eventually on to practically running the kitchen. You've just got to show that you are genuinely interested and the chef/manager will usually be willing to give you a chance. If they aren't then start looking for a new job.
I also done all of this while studying full-time( a completely unrelated course) by working a couple of evening shifts during the week and most weekends. It was tough going but it's an option that may help with finances.
The experience you can gain by actually working in a kitchen(the busier the better) will be of far more benefit to you than any paper qualifications.

TrustedApple

I will give you a idea. My dad's pizza chef started off washing dishes. My dad started in a fish and chips when he came to Ireland 42 years ago and worked his way up. One chef who has worked for my dad on and off for 20 + years his experience was cutting veg in the army when he was 20 and my dad trained him and at one stage he was one of the head chefs in Harry nicks in London. So what I am telling is being a chef will be hard work but it'd maybe the easy industry to work from the ground up as long as the chef is willing to train you.

As long as your chef does not have a ego 90% of them will take you under there wing and teach you how to do small stuff and before you know it your cooking a full meal.

And as there is barely any chefs around at the moment and very hard to get them up will all ways have a job.