female chef prospects

Ricer6

Hi there, I have a passion for food and really keen to get into a job that I will love .. I've worked in various other sectors but never really found my feet. I did a short cooking course and I loved it- hard work but I loved the feeling of leaving work and having full confidence in my ability.

I am also a single parent of one child. It's important to me that I find a daytime role- I just couldn't do evenings or nights too regularly . I don't mind early morning shifts. I am very interested in pastry chefing. Do people who work as pastry chefs have morning/daytime shifts? I also (might be completely wrong,) have a feeling that this might suit busy parents more, and that a lot of women chefs move into this role, (again if Im wrong let me know.)

I also don't have the means to do the Ballymaloe cooking course, or a level 8 culinary course (because I already have a level 8 degree.), and I wont get funding for it.. I see that there is a commis chef apprenticeship- I have approached hotels but haven't have much feedback,( maybe because I have a child..),There's also a new springboard course with free fees in Tralee IT in culinary skills level 6, link here: https://springboardcourses.ie/details/8183

What kind of roles might I get after doing this course? To get into pastry chefing , what kind of course would you recommend for someone with limited means and unable to pay fees for level 8 IT courses.
What is the salary like?
I just feel at home in a kitchen and really want a job that I am comfortable with...any feedback.. thanks

blindsider

Steer clear of hotels - you (almost definitely) won't get a day time job.

Confectionery, deli, contract caterers etc might be an option....

Apprenticeships are fine - wages are low and it takes a few yrs.

Find a place you'd like to work and approach them - maybe wait a few weeks to let places get back on their feet after lockdown...

skooterblue2

CERT/FAILTE Ireland reps will tell you what you want to hear, all they care about is filling courses to feed the tourism machine. ("Big money, loads of overtime, plenty of skills courses ,competitions, travel"). This is one tough business. You will be chasing pay cheques. Plenty of abuse, early mornings and more. Check where graduates are 5 years afterwards. Most are gone.

I did the course 20 years ago. It was a great course but the industry is crap. There isnt big money and never will be, you are one notch above minimum wage. You arent going to get a permanent job. I had to do overtime for free. You want a skills course? Go do it on your own time with your own money. Its not family friendly. Its a course you do immediately after school and quickly find your true vocation afterwards.

Ballymaloe? Hmmm. You will get a course that is recognised in Ireland. However nobody cares about it outside of Ireland. There are a lot of bored housewifes and kids too thick for real college doing it. There are genuine people doing it. It seems to me to be a brand in decline due to a weak next generation and controversy.

Going for an interview, really they care about where you worked last and what they said about you (they also expect you to have skills like menu writing, HACCP, management (costing, budgeting)). College was like cooking in the morning and theory in the evening. Practical subjects were Food science, Larder and fish, Healthy options cooking, pastry 1&2, Classical (French & Italian), Mediterranean, Asian. Your college placements set the tone for your career.

Can you take your level 8 and use it to change to a masters in either food science or food marketing? These are better paid and more family friendly.

You will hear of many qualifications when you see CVs. City and Guilds 601 & 602, Cert in Professional Cookery (level 6) and now Culinary skills (level 8). Going back to who knows you in the industry and what they said about you.

If I cant change your mind and you are hell bent. Then you need to be looking at commercial catering (used to be Sodexho, Noel recruitment. Campbell catering, etc etc) in factories. The Pharmaceutical and IT companies have the biggest budgets for catering and the best wages.

job seeker

Ricer6 wrote: »

Hi there, I have a passion for food and really keen to get into a job that I will love .. I've worked in various other sectors but never really found my feet. I did a short cooking course and I loved it- hard work but I loved the feeling of leaving work and having full confidence in my ability.

First off, a cooking course and the industry are completely different ball game. Been there, done that! It's awful work conditions/pay/no social life whats so ever! It's a very difficult job and a lot of big egos in kitchens.. That's putting it lightly..

Ricer6 wrote: »

I am also a single parent of one child. It's important to me that I find a daytime role- I just couldn't do evenings or nights too regularly . I don't mind early morning shifts. I am very interested in pastry chefing. Do people who work as pastry chefs have morning/daytime shifts? I also (might be completely wrong,) have a feeling that this might suit busy parents more, and that a lot of women chefs move into this role, (again if I'm wrong let me know.)

In hotels as a pastry chef you be expecting a late shift about 2/3 - 10/11. Pastry chefs are the very last staff to finish up especially with weddings and late functions, it's likely to be close to closing time.

In a family owned restaurant would be much the same shift wise. Although, you'd be expected to be able to do starters and/or mains as well. As, you're not stationed to one area of the kitchen.

The earliest shift that you could get in a hotel/restaurant is breakfast. Which would be approximately 6/7am to 2/3pm.

Sometimes you could be working a split shift. This is 4 hours in the morning, and then off and back in for 4 hours in the evening/night. (I despised them!)

Ricer6 wrote: »

I also don't have the means to do the Ballymaloe cooking course, or a level 8 culinary course (because I already have a level 8 degree.), and I wont get funding for it.. I see that there is a commis chef apprenticeship- I have approached hotels but haven't have much feedback,( maybe because I have a child..),There's also a new springboard course with free fees in Tralee IT in culinary skills level 6, link here: https://springboardcourses.ie/details/8183

To be honest, I would really advise you to try to get practical work in a kitchen and then look for a course and work weekends. At least that way you'd go in and get a feel of what it's really like. Before you'd invest time and money in college. As I said, the industry was a huge eye opener for me. Nothing like I was led to believe. It's not for everyone.

If I was to do it all again, I would have done the apprenticeship or just got a job first. Instead, I done a level 8 degree and I am currently now working in a canteen (Due to the Mon-Fri, 8-4 shifts). I went in thinking this was something that I really thought I wanted. Then I continued to Level 8 to try to have a degree to get out of the cooking side. I don't like it at all. However, what's done is done. Live and learn as they say..

If you want an early shift I would recommend getting a job as a barker. It's a 4/5am start usually. You would get a more in-dept look into the pastry and baking side. I know people who have branched off that way. So that's an option. A job in Lidle/Aldi in the bakery starts at 12 euro per hour as far as I know.

Another option would be a canteen job in a school or a hospital. The hours would be 8-4 or 9-5 them kind of hours. If for example you got a job in the hospital as a catering assistant you would be working for the HSE so you'd have an increase in your wages each year and a pension on retirement. You would also have work all year round so job security is a huge benefit also.

Where as in a restaurant or Hotel it's likely that your hours will be cut during the off season. when then there is no tourist etc.

Ricer6 wrote: »

What kind of roles might I get after doing this course? To get into pastry chefing , what kind of course would you recommend for someone with limited means and unable to pay fees for level 8 IT courses.
What is the salary like?
I just feel at home in a kitchen and really want a job that I am comfortable with...any feedback.. thanks

That's a culinary arts level 6 QQI. So that's essentially a commie chef qualification on paper. Once you get this qualification you could train up to a pastry chef level. Practical skills and experience is far more favorable in the industry over qualification on paper. I know many chefs who started off as kitchen porters and then worked up to a head chef grade, with no culinary qualification at all. Whether things will change in the future is anyone's guess..

I really thing that you need that experience anyway, no matter what degree you have. This helps you gain confidence and learn the valuable skills. Multitasking an being able to do tasks fast and neat is key. It's a race against time. Although once you learn these skills you can progress quickly enough in a kitchen. It's not like a corporate job where you may been a certain amount of time before up skilling.. Entering a kitchen at a commis level you will be given the 'awful' jobs. Prepping veg, washing salad, etc. etc. It can be quite tedious and boring but that is the way things are.

This is the hierachy of the kitchen for a 4/5 star hotel. This will vary though from place to place..
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zdwtf6IxZkM/URoiYg2AEEI/AAAAAAAABBE/y7e1WJDRLjQ/s1600/chart3.gif


Money and wage will vary depending on the place. I have seen so many places pay min wage for a commis chef position. Chefing is considered a low skill job..

Level 7 QQI was when I got a chance to 'specialise' in pastry and bakery. However, A LOT of what we done in college wasn't used out in the industry. Every dish is done on the smallest cost as possible. Corners cut etc to save as much money as you can. Everything on a menu is done on a budget. That's reality. For example, I used very fancy thickening agents in college for a cheese cake once. At work I was mixing Chivers jelly with full fat cream to recreate a slimier dessert for a fraction of the cost.

I realise that I make it sound awful. But this was my experience and I want to be honest. Some people love that line of work and more power too them. If you have any further questions or want to know anything feel free to ask.

skooterblue2

job seeker wrote: »

First off, a cooking course and the industry are completely different ball game. Been there, done that! It's awful work conditions/pay/no social life whats so ever! It's a very difficult job and a lot of big egos in kitchens.. That's putting it lightly...........................................

(Everything in between)
..................................................
I realise that I make it sound awful. But this was my experience and I want to be honest. Some people love that line of work and more power too them. If you have any further questions or want to know anything feel free to ask.

All Gospel. Very few cooks can chef, few chefs can cook, there are few can do both. Producing high quality food under pressure is a crap job. Most are gone 5 years after graduation. I started with a class of 80, end of first year it was 50, and end of second year it was about 35.

job seeker

skooterblue2 wrote: »

CERT/FAILTE Ireland reps will tell you what you want to hear, all they care about is filling courses to feed the tourism machine. ("Big money, loads of overtime, plenty of skills courses ,competitions, travel"). This is one tough business. You will be chasing pay cheques. Plenty of abuse, early mornings and more. Check where graduates are 5 years afterwards. Most are gone.

Failte Ireland paid for the first year of my college fees as nobody wants to get into this line of work. No word of a lie! :rolleyes: F.I. are only looking to fill seats on these courses. There were about 60 students in my year in college. I don;t know more than 7 that are still chefs.

Just to touch on the abuse, I don't know why this industry is like this. It needs to be sorted. There is absolutely no need for the abuse at all. I never understood it.

I did the course 20 years ago. It was a great course but the industry is crap. There isnt big money and never will be, you are one notch above minimum wage. You arent going to get a permanent job. I had to do overtime for free. You want a skills course? Go do it on your own time with your own money. Its not family friendly. Its a course you do immediately after school and quickly find your true vocation afterwards.

Totally agree with this.

Can you take your level 8 and use it to change to a masters in either food science or food marketing? These are better paid and more family friendly.

I would recommend this too! I graduated in 2017 after 4 years in LYIT and I am trying to find away out. I am applying for anything office based in the public sector. It's nice to learn how to cook. Although, it's not a nice job at all.

You will hear of many qualifications when you see CVs. City and Guilds 601 & 602, Cert in Professional Cookery (level 6) and now Culinary skills (level 8). Going back to who knows you in the industry and what they said about you.

My mother done city and guilds like over 30 years ago. Is it still going??? :eek:

If I cant change your mind and you are hell bent. Then you need to be looking at commercial catering (used to be Sodexho, Noel recruitment. Campbell catering, etc etc) in factories. The Pharmaceutical and IT companies have the biggest budgets for catering and the best wages.

I currently work in a canteen through a catering company, which is based in a Pharmaceutical factory. It's okay, I am on min wage and it's grand for the time being. A managerial role in the kitchen could see you earning around 40k. It's a nice place to work and the hours are handy. It's Monday - Friday as I mention in my own post.

job seeker

skooterblue2 wrote: »

All Gospel. Very few cooks can chef, few chefs can cook, there are few can do both. Producing high quality food under pressure is a crap job. Most are gone 5 years after graduation. I started with a class of 80, end of first year it was 50, and end of second year it was about 35.

It's so true. In my 4th year of my degree! (B.A. Honors Level 8) there was 4 of us. one is now working in insurance. One is a head chef, he wants to be come a lecturer as far as I am aware. The other student is still a chef, although she is considering changing career. Just don't know what to change to.. I am looking for a office job in the public sector. Life is far too short!!!

In the first 6 months of 4 year we had a practical savory class that we spent prepping meat for the college canteen! :pac::pac: The definition of free labor..

dartboardio

Female here. Used to be a chef only for about two or three years.

Plenty of job prospects in ireland, in fact most jobs out there are for chefs because nobody really wants to do it.

The best way imo is to work your way up so get into a kitchen as a porter, ask to help with food prep and eventually you'll be doing some cooking here and there and eventually plating up main dishes and you could easily work your way up to head chef there if you had the passion / willing to work hard and put in long hours.

It will be difficult to find daytime but not impossible

I left the job due to unsociable hours, you work when other people rest/have fun etc

But maybe daytime would be a bit better.

Id go back in a heartbeat if I had daytime hours like 9-4 or something. But it can be tedious work too, not all fun and games tasting creations. More like feet and back aches from bending over a grill or a sink, scrubbing a kitchen when it's quiet and clearing fridges.

Im not trying to put you off. Just giving my experience.

If you want to go down the course route you could do so, WIT have a great culinary arts course, I completed it myself, but more aimed towards fine dining like the likes of Mount Juliet, the park hotel in kenmare and basically 5 star hotels.

Best of luck with it!

Some buzz though when you're really in the zone, kitchen is hectic but you feel you can accomplish anything because you're a hard ass working chef! Watch the men be surprised as you work 10x faster than them and skin a fish with your eyes closed :V

I just seen the part about a pastry chef. Could you approach some local bakeries and see if you could do some sort of apprenticeship with them maybe to learn the ropes.

Or get a well known cookbook or baking book for pastry and keep practicing the recipes that could work too :L

Id say the absolute best way is to approach a local restaurant or cafe, show how eager you are, tell them you're a hard worker and will start from the bottom (as everyone does in a kitchen) and you can work your way up from there.

skooterblue2

Be sensible, there is a massive global recession hitting the second week in November.
Many small operators wont make it. All the supermarkets either own their own bakeries externally or have their own in house.
Split shifts will make you old very fast. of course there are plenty of jobs, people want to eat out and want to spend as little as possible.

Go and develop the cake baking business as a profitable hobby on the side. Great advice buying pastry books, learning sponge madeira, chocolate tempering, scones, custards and puddings etc etc. Cheffing is a mean business. You will be better off in the office. There are very few old timers in the kitchen, ever wonder why?

skooterblue2

job seeker wrote: »

Failte Ireland paid for the first year of my college fees as nobody wants to get into this line of work. No word of a lie! :rolleyes: F.I. are only looking to fill seats on these courses. There were about 60 students in my year in college. I don;t know more than 7 that are still chefs.

Just to touch on the abuse, I don't know why this industry is like this. It needs to be sorted. There is absolutely no need for the abuse at all. I never understood it.



Totally agree with this.



I would recommend this too! I graduated in 2017 after 4 years in LYIT and I am trying to find away out. I am applying for anything office based in the public sector. It's nice to learn how to cook. Although, it's not a nice job at all.



My mother done city and guilds like over 30 years ago. Is it still going??? :eek:



I currently work in a canteen through a catering company, which is based in a Pharmaceutical factory. It's okay, I am on min wage and it's grand for the time being. A managerial role in the kitchen could see you earning around 40k. It's a nice place to work and the hours are handy. It's Monday - Friday as I mention in my own post.

CERT/FAILTE Ireland, paid me a grant, uniform, knives, free lunches go top that one!!!
When you are in a low skill job and low paid, you are more open to abuse because it was done to the more higher ups at a different age. Come on you had to be laughing when Jamie Oliver was running "fifteen", and your lad said he couldnt come in because his mam was sick, any other chef would have chewed him out of it.
Its amazing to be able to cook something more than Uncle bens sweet and sour and rice from a jar but its a crap long term life plan.
The old timers are nearly all burnt out they would be City and Guilds. There are a few CERT heads still going around with the 2 year level 6.
Springboard opened last week if you are inclined.

MrsBean

Hi OP, I'm a female who worked as a chef and baker for 6 years.

In my opinion I don't think you need to put in the time and expense of a formal qualification. I happen to have a baking degree but all of my cheffing skills I learned on the fly and developed myself through working. A course only gets you so far, having the real-life experience and skills is a different thing altogether.

I think cafe work would suit the hours you are looking for. Think of somewhere local to you that does food that you like or has an ethos you respect. You could approach them to do one or two days a week on prep to build up your confidence and experience and see how things go. Might be trickier in the current landscape but still worth a shot. You mention an interest in pastry cheffing - maybe think more along the lines of baking if you would prefer the earlier morning shifts. Get practicing your scones.

In one place I worked we had a similar situation - a single mother who approached us to work for free for a couple of hours a week once her kids were in school. She had always wanted to work in a kitchen and develop some skills. She's now employed in one of their sister premises.

We also had a fella come to us who had done the Ballymaloe course and was useless, took him 8 hours to make a soup! So ya know, it depends on the person's confidence, experience and attitude.

MrsBean

Also, just to add I am lucky to have never had the ego-tripping, chain of command type of experiences other posters have mentioned. They are prevalent but more so in hotels and restaurants I believe. Almost all of my cafe chef/baker jobs were with really lovely, supportive and respectful teams. Just want you to know it's not all Gordon Ramsay style screaming and d*ck measuring contests out there!

skooterblue2

MrsBean wrote: »

Also, just to add I am lucky to have never had the ego-tripping, chain of command type of experiences other posters have mentioned. ................ Just want you to know it's not all Gordon Ramsay style screaming and d*ck measuring contests out there!

Gordon Ramsey is just a big girls blouse. I have met some real hard heads in industry, so full of their own crap. Most CVs are full of crap with lads telling you they have been to Oz, Vegas, London and Paris. Most of these lads have never been on the ferry to Rosslare. They have such elaborate stories they cannot be checked. They get found out in the kitchen.

job seeker

skooterblue2 wrote: »

Gordon Ramsey is just a big girls blouse. I have met some real hard heads in industry, so full of their own crap. Most CVs are full of crap with lads telling you they have been to Oz, Vegas, London and Paris. Most of these lads have never been on the ferry to Rosslare. They have such elaborate stories they cannot be checked. They get found out in the kitchen.

I have come across these 'stories' so many times. :pac: It's unreal! It's so true. From joining the army and learning one move to end a mans life! :rolleyes: To working and living in Antarctica, living inside a seal! Yeah sure buddy!!! To literally trowing out a commis chef for dropping a sausage on the floor.. There are so many other, that I could be here all night.. Jesus wept!

job seeker

skooterblue2 wrote: »

CERT/FAILTE Ireland, paid me a grant, uniform, knives, free lunches go top that one!!!
When you are in a low skill job and low paid, you are more open to abuse because it was done to the more higher ups at a different age. Come on you had to be laughing when Jamie Oliver was running "fifteen", and your lad said he couldnt come in because his mam was sick, any other chef would have chewed him out of it.
Its amazing to be able to cook something more than Uncle bens sweet and sour and rice from a jar but its a crap long term life plan.
The old timers are nearly all burnt out they would be City and Guilds. There are a few CERT heads still going around with the 2 year level 6.
Springboard opened last week if you are inclined.

Okay.. You win!

That's shocking it even happens though! It wouldn't happen in the most industries in this day and age to be fair!

Oh ok, I never seen that clip!

Yeah, it's nice to be able to cook alright. It doesn't offer much else though! :pac:

I see, that's pretty interesting..

Not a hope! I am looking for an office job in the public sector! I am finished with college...

JustAThought

OP - 4 people I know have found a oive of cooking and 3 have opened legitimate cottage industries either baking speciality breads for a local restaurant , opening a home cupcake
themed business, baking speciality cakes
for high end birthday parties, with the last doing once off fancy birthday cakes for epecial events which she makes and sells on the black on facebook sites. All work extremely hard and swear it is grinding work and the love has worn off once it became a business with overheads and taxes to pay. But they are all
still in it.

I would say that the covid has changed the entire food /restaurant industry overnight and that the next few years may he extremely
lean and tough for both businesses and the working poor. Will people be asking banysitters into their houses so they can go on a
night out, how many restaurants and hotels
will survive given the restrictions on tablespaces & layouts etc, and how much will the massive unemployment and job instability affect local dining out behaviours let alone the tourism industry and infrastructure it relies on?

No doubt you live cooking and want
utopian role and lifestyle but you will be competing with many highly skilled chefs with years of experience for the dwindling number of PAYE specialist pastry chef jobs.

The course industry relies on your
hope and optimism to sell their business of courses via springboard or other businesses like PLC’s or private schools buy I would be wary. Perhaps using your skills and grit to
open a high end supply bakery or negotiate a contract with a restaurant could be the way to
go but with the whole industry under such massive pressure at the moment I would urge caution. There are wholesale bakeries under extreme pressure with their long term contracts -
I wouldn’t like to be competing with them or investing either time or money in an industry that is effectively shut or selling from behind
locked doors on a take away basis only to scared
customers.

Rubberchikken

Op
Why not look for a chef position in a work canteen/nursing home/hospital.
A lot of these are early starts but finish by 6 ish in a lot of cases.

th283

Ricer6 wrote: »

What kind of roles might I get after doing this course? To get into pastry chefing , what kind of course would you recommend for someone with limited means and unable to pay fees for level 8 IT courses.
What is the salary like?
I just feel at home in a kitchen and really want a job that I am comfortable with...any feedback.. thanks

Hey I was a pastry chef for about ten years, and left the industry a few years ago, to me some of the shorter courses and tv shows glamorise the job to be honest, in reality you will be working long, tough hours for mediocre wages (very little over minimum wage even after years in the job). As other posters have mentioned pastry chefs are expected to be the last to leave and theres no set finish time - it depends on when the last table leaves. I used to start a 12 or 1 and it could finish any time from 10pm to 12am, if you're on a salary you will not get paid for any of the extra hours you work at night and in a lot of places taking a break is actively discouraged. You will be starting off as a commis so the senior chef to you will have priority for finishing early / better daytime shifts. Also as weekends are a hotel or restaurants busiest times you will very rarely get a weekend off.

To get in to the pastry section can be a long process. You will never get placed there in the beginning, you will have to be trained and prove yourself in the main kitchen first, depending on the place this can take months or years ( it took me almost a year to be allowed to train in the pastry section). There are quite a few women pastry chefs, myself included, but this has little to do with the hours/ family life etc. More women actually move to being breakfast chefs to work around family commitments.

Courses are great, the advanced pastry course in CIT is brilliant but it's no replacement for experience, and if I remember correctly from when I did it you had to have 2-3 years minimun experience to get on the course

With regards to the course in Tralee, if you did this course you would be a first year commis, wages for this stage would be about €20,000 a year. The course will give you the basics of food preparation and haccap, which could help you get into a hotel or restaurant. Hotels in my experience are very slow to take someone on into a kitchen with no experience, especially someone who may not be able to work evening shifts.

skooterblue2

job seeker wrote: »

Not a hope! I am looking for an office job in the public sector! I am finished with college...

You nail that civil/public servant job asap! There is a financial tidal wave coming the second week in November from the states regardless of who gets elected. Go off to the continent in future years for holidays for short courses or do night classes.

God bless us. In the days when I was in CIT, they did a Diploma Advanced Pastry one day a week over a year. It was something you hung around Cork for a year after college for. It was focused more on Chocolate, icing presentation. I didnt do it and I dont have a personal connection to anyone who did do it but the stuff coming out of the kitchens looked amazing.

The type who dislike or even hate their job or wish they had done something else are the one more likely to reply to queries here its something to take in to account. Evey job or career has people who wish they had done something else or hate their career.

No qualification is a wast of time.

skooterblue2

mariaalice wrote: »

The type who dislike or even hate their job or wish they had done something else are the one more likely to reply to queries here its something to take in to account. Evey job or career has people who wish they had done something else or hate their career.

No qualification is a wast of time.

I never said that the course was a waste of time. It was character forming when I could afford it. I cant afford to take two/four years out of my life to do a minimum wage job, that the vast majority get washed out after 5 years. There comes a time when you have responsibilities and other people in life you are accountable to, then you have to make responsible decisions. It was character forming I now understand what it is like to work at a minimum wage job so I dont look down on people. If I never knew what it was like to work minimum wage I would have had a totally different perspective.

I cannot afford to that course that will lead me nowhere. There are course that are wastes of time, that dont lead anywhere. Most FAS/Solus short courses that arent paths to other courses or work are. That is why you have to pick sensibly. Any course at university that doesnt pay for itself and give you a livable wage, is a waste of time, let someone else do it and let them live in debt.

Dempo1

Ricer6 wrote: »

Hi there, I have a passion for food and really keen to get into a job that I will love .. I've worked in various other sectors but never really found my feet. I did a short cooking course and I loved it- hard work but I loved the feeling of leaving work and having full confidence in my ability.

I am also a single parent of one child. It's important to me that I find a daytime role- I just couldn't do evenings or nights too regularly . I don't mind early morning shifts. I am very interested in pastry chefing. Do people who work as pastry chefs have morning/daytime shifts? I also (might be completely wrong,) have a feeling that this might suit busy parents more, and that a lot of women chefs move into this role, (again if Im wrong let me know.)

I also don't have the means to do the Ballymaloe cooking course, or a level 8 culinary course (because I already have a level 8 degree.), and I wont get funding for it.. I see that there is a commis chef apprenticeship- I have approached hotels but haven't have much feedback,( maybe because I have a child..),There's also a new springboard course with free fees in Tralee IT in culinary skills level 6, link here: https://springboardcourses.ie/details/8183

What kind of roles might I get after doing this course? To get into pastry chefing , what kind of course would you recommend for someone with limited means and unable to pay fees for level 8 IT courses.
What is the salary like?
I just feel at home in a kitchen and really want a job that I am comfortable with...any feedback.. thanks

Very admirable of you to have a passion and wanting to consider turning such a passion into a possible career.

My initial advice is consider looking at Bakery, High end Deli /Cafe to obtain either experience or insight into what it's like. The catering industry as a whole is a tough environment with little flexibility re hours and choice particularly starting off. You will need to make sacrifices initially as you would starting any career.

The best courses to be honest are at regional techs, Athlone, waterford particularly good and most decent employers that see potential will support you. Being versatile is however the key, I would not focus solely on Pastries, sadly there are few hotels, Restaurants that employ stand alone pastry chefs apart from high end establishments. As for Ballymaloe, it's a fine place and course however devoid of the ability to educate anyone who wants to work in a high pressure environment, fine if you want to develop your own baking business etc but beyond that I wouldn't recommend.

There are opportunities in the industry, it's tough but can be rewarding, it's all about finding the right fit for you.

This all said, after 30 years in the business, I moved on but can say it was fulfilling.

Good luck

skooterblue2

skooterblue2 wrote: »

I never said that the course was a waste of time. It was character forming when I could afford it. I cant afford to take two/four years out of my life to do a minimum wage job, that the vast majority get washed out after 5 years. There comes a time when you have responsibilities and other people in life you are accountable to, then you have to make responsible decisions. It was character forming I now understand what it is like to work at a minimum wage job so I dont look down on people. If I never knew what it was like to work minimum wage I would have had a totally different perspective.

I cannot afford to that course that will lead me nowhere. There are course that are wastes of time, that dont lead anywhere. Most FAS/Solus short courses that arent paths to other courses or work are. That is why you have to pick sensibly. Any course at university that doesnt pay for itself and give you a livable wage, is a waste of time, let someone else do it and let them live in debt.

That is a good point, however, every job/career from teaching to nursing to accountancy to construction and many more have had threads along the line of they dislike or hate their job or careers and are looking for suggestions of some other careers. Becoming a chef does not mean being a chef for life they might move in to catering management or set up their own catering company could be anything.

There is not enough emphasis on the difference between an actual issue verse the grass is always greener.

job seeker

mariaalice wrote: »

The type who dislike or even hate their job or wish they had done something else are the one more likely to reply to queries here its something to take in to account. Evey job or career has people who wish they had done something else or hate their career.

No qualification is a wast of time.

I never said that the course was a waste either! I pointed out that cooking is a great life skill and that lecturers provided this false vision of the industry. Which is totally wrong for them to do so! I think when you're trying to decide something like a career path! It's important to be given that advice is accurate! than to lead someone up a path which is far from the truth!

Of course no industry is perfect. That's so true! But when there are people AVOIDING the industry it's quite a different story!

Have a look here and here Oh and here to if you have the time! Plenty more articles online! Now, tell me why this is the case??? I would be interested to hear your view!

skooterblue2

job seeker wrote: »

Of course no industry is perfect. That's so true! But when there are people AVOIDING the industry it's quite a different story!

Have a look here and here Oh and here to if you have the time! Plenty more articles online! Now, tell me they this is the case??? I would be interested to hear your view!

Both horrible and true at the same time. What colleges are being told is industry is not paying near enough for the crap you have to put up with industry. The compensation isnt enough for effort put in.

Look at all the fairy tale careers, Donal Skeehan, Rachael Allen, Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, these are people who came up the soft way and were shadowed the whole way by media companies. I am not saying they are not good at what they do and what they do isnt someway educational. IT is more real education that master chef and the great british bake off because you do see techniques and learn, the other is drama in a kitchen. Similar with Gordon Ramsey and Anthony Bourdain, all drama and low technical learning.

Real cheffing? Its long hours, low pay, abuse, family holidays missed. Really you arent much thought of by society.

skooterblue2

mariaalice wrote: »

That is a good point, however, every job/career from teaching to nursing to accountancy to construction and many more have had threads along the line of they dislike or hate their job or careers and are looking for suggestions of some other careers. Becoming a chef does not mean being a chef for life they might move in to catering management or set up their own catering company could be anything.

There is not enough emphasis on the difference between an actual issue verse the grass is always greener.

True I know people who want to change out of every career but the vast majority spending 2-4 years to train to get out in under 5 years is bad. It wouldnt be so bad if they were earning the same as investment bankers or could simply diversity. They have to completely retrain again. Many of them may not have the ability to retrain. Chefs also have a certain stigma, I cannot say it is unwarranted or unfair considering what I have seen.

I always deal with ex-chefs in certain way until I know them better. I do not feel any common fraternity towards them.