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The Culinary Student's Career & Job Guide

Thinking about embarking on an exciting career in the culinary arts? Or, have you already decided that cooking is your life's work and are looking for a job? Either way, this guide was built just for you!

Monster Career Advice: Restaurants & Hospitality
A comprehesive guide with information on preparing for the career and getting the job you desire!

Apprenticeship Programs   |   Career Outlook   |   Career Selection   |   Chef Profiles   |   The Cover Letter & Resume   |   The Interview   |   Job Listings   |   Job Search & Resume Advice   |   Miscellaneous

Apprenticeship Programs

• ACF Apprenticeship Programs - A culinary apprenticeship program directory from the American Culinary Federation
• What is Apprenticeship? - Good overview of apprenticeship fundamentals in this article, also from the American Culinary Federation

Career Outlook

• Careers for Gourmets and Others Who Relish Food - A guide for finding the best career path for you in the culinary industry
• Chefs, Cooks, and Other Kitchen Workers - An excellent career overview from the Bureau of Labor Statistic's Occupational Outlook Handbook
• Culinary-related Occupations - Links to the Bureau of Labor Statistic's Occupational Outlook Handbook for job categories related to culinary occupations
• Jobs In The Field - A good article from the Connecticut Culinary Institute on Jobs in the Field, the Job Market and Diversity in the Workplace.
• Opportunities in Culinary Careers - Discusses career paths, educational requirements, and potential salaries
• The Culinary Arts Profession - A short article about the career outlook in the culinary arts from the College of Southern Idaho

Career Selection

• Culinary Careers: A Giant Buffet of Possibilities - So what happens after you get your culinary degree? This article, by Chef Joe LaVilla of Ai Phoenix, covers career planning for culinary grads.
• The Top 10 Steps for Choosing a Career - "Speaks to everyone" or "a bit general," depending on your perspective, but these are some good points to consider if you're not sure what you want to be when you grow up. Assuming anyone ever knows, I mean.

Chef Profiles

• Chef Profiles - Dozens of feature article profiles on chefs from the US, the Caribbean and Europe, from GreatChefs
• Nature of the Work: Bakers - Good, detailed article about being a baker in British Columbia with sections on duties, job titles, education, working conditions and more
• Nature of the Work: Chefs and Cooks - Good, detailed article about being a chef in British Columbia with sections on duties, job titles, education, working conditions and more

The Cover Letter & Resume

• Cover Letters That Knock 'Em Dead - Uses a variety of sample letters to illustrate tips for writing great cover letters
• Dynamic Cover Letters : How to Sell Yourself to an Employer - A step-by-step guide to creating effective cover letters
• Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer - Uses before and after examples to demonstrate how best to write a resume
• Resumes that Knock 'Em Dead - Guide to making your experience stand out when crafting a great resume

The Interview

• How to Handle Job Interviews Successfully - An extensive series of questions to be prepared for in a job interview, as well as questions you may want to ask
• The Top 10 Tips for a Successful Job Interview - Good advice on sticky issues like acknowledging your weaknesses without making yourself look bad
• Ask the Headhunter : Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job - Techniques on handling an interview to make sure it's for the job that is right for you
• 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions - Employs role-playing examples to demonstrate effective interview technique

Job Listings

• Bakery On-line - Search for jobs by company, skills and job duties for bakery industry positions worldwide, or post your resume on the job board
• Chef Desk Career Opportunities - Culinary agencies and job opportunities for the culinary profession
• Chef Jobs Network - All types of jobs that are available and postings for those looking for positions as a chef or in the food service and restaurant business
• ChefJob.com - Employment and small business resources for the food industry, including links to a job board, discussion group and classifieds
• Culinary Job Openings - Jobs offered, jobs wanted, job postings worldwide from the PastryWiz site
• Culinary Job Platform - Job posting for establishments in the hospitality industry looking for staff or candidates searching for a new position
• Food Service Employment Center - Read a little farther than the job seekers and employers at the top, and you'll find salary surveys, job descriptions, books and articles on the food service job market
• StarChef's Culinary Job Finder - Includes a searchable database for the US, culinary jobs available worldwide and other career resources

Job Search & Resume Advice

• Career Guide: Tools for Seeking Success - A lengthy guide to finding employment from the Culinary Institute of America (in PDF format)

Miscellaneous

• How To Run a More Profitable Foodservice Operation - Culinary Software Services offers software to chefs, owners, operators, and other foodservice professionals in the foodservice industry.
• The Online College of Chile Knowledge - A series of articles on business advice for those starting out and experienced in the hot foods industry