{"id":17419,"date":"2021-02-10T13:04:40","date_gmt":"2021-02-10T19:04:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/?p=17419"},"modified":"2025-11-14T13:45:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T19:45:51","slug":"do-you-eat-chaos-for-breakfast-great-youll-thrive-in-a-kitchen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/culinary-pastry-careers\/do-you-eat-chaos-for-breakfast-great-youll-thrive-in-a-kitchen\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Eat Chaos for Breakfast? Great: You’ll Thrive in a Kitchen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Grills flaring, knives flashing, communicating in what seems like a secret code \u2014 working in a kitchen is fast-paced and exciting, but it can be intense!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re the type that thrives under pressure and keeps a cool head, you may excel in the kitchen environment.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to know if the chaos of the kitchen is right for you!<\/p>\n

You Love to Be Part of a Team<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s Saturday night, and the dining room is packed with people. The printer spits out tickets, one after another. The kitchen crew works together feverishly to churn out dish after dish, never letting the happy diners just outside the kitchen door see how much work is going into each meal.<\/p>\n

A kitchen is a special place. The entire squad is \u201cin the trenches\u201d together, fighting the clock while also maintaining high standards of culinary excellence. This camaraderie can turn coworkers into lifelong friends. If you thrive on being part of a hard-working team, you\u2019ll love working in a kitchen.<\/p>\n

\"Two
\nAt Escoffier\u2019s Boulder<\/a> and Austin<\/a> campuses, students get to practice this teamwork as they complete group assignments – although due to the COVID-19 pandemic these may look slightly different. In some courses, students are split into groups for a little friendly competition to see who can complete the dish better. They get to build that sense of camaraderie and collaboration while they learn and prepare for their future.<\/p>\n

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“Everyone at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts campus was so welcoming \u2014 it felt like a family.”
\nBrittney Castro, Austin Pastry Arts Graduate<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

You Don\u2019t Take Things Personally<\/h2>\n

The days of chefs throwing pans and shouting at the cooks are mostly in the past. Chefs these days want their teams to feel valued and appreciated, and many of them work hard to make kitchens welcoming. Plus, with the rise of open kitchens, what used to be behind closed doors is now often out in the open, in full view of restaurant guests.<\/p>\n

\"Jennifer
\nStill, the chaos of working in a commercial kitchen can be stressful<\/a>, and feedback has to be quick. So there may be times when communication is brusque.<\/p>\n

Cooks need to be able to receive feedback \u2014 and not take it personally if that feedback is abrupt. So if you\u2019re the type to acknowledge a correction, make a note, and move on, then working in a commercial kitchen could be a good fit.<\/p>\n

In culinary school, students receive tips for how to improve on a daily basis. They know that feedback is how they learn and get better. Escoffier\u2019s Chef Instructors<\/a> are looking for perfection in everything from taste to aroma to texture, so students get plenty of practice taking criticism and applying it to their next session in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\"A

Chef Instructors provide regular feedback to culinary students to help them improve their skills.<\/p><\/div>\n

You Like to Hustle<\/h2>\n

Put a step tracker on a cook during a busy shift, and you\u2019d be astonished at how much they move, even in a tiny space.<\/p>\n

High energy and enthusiasm are vital to success in a commercial kitchen. The shift doesn\u2019t end when you get tired \u2014 it ends when the restaurant closes and the kitchen is clean and set up for another day.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re the type who likes to go, go, go, and can stay sharp through a busy brunch or slammed Saturday, the kitchen could be perfect for you.<\/p>\n

\"Chef
\nMany culinary students \u2014 especially those attending online culinary school<\/a> \u2014 have part-time or full-time jobs while they\u2019re getting their education. Online Culinary Arts graduate Nahika Hillery, for example, attended culinary school online while running her own food truck<\/a> in Austin, Texas.<\/p>\n

Nahika\u2019s strong work ethic and respect for the hustle have helped to not only start Krey\u00f2l Korner Caribbean Cuisine<\/a>, but also to pivot her service model during the pandemic to focus more on delivery food.<\/p>\n

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\"Nahika“[Escoffier Online] Chef [Instructor] Pablo was pretty surprised that I was running a business and attending school at the same time. He really encouraged me to keep going on the days that I would come in tired during class after working a full day at the truck.”
\nNahika Hillery, Online Culinary Arts Graduate and Chef\/Owner, Krey\u00f2l Korner Caribbean Cuisine<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

You\u2019re Not Easily Overwhelmed<\/h2>\n

Noise, heat, and tickets that just keep coming. Can you keep your cool?<\/p>\n

Being able to maintain focus and think several steps ahead is what helps cooks and chefs to keep pressing through these challenges. And if this isn\u2019t a natural gift, that\u2019s okay. It often comes with time.<\/p>\n

\"Motion
\nThe longer you work in this tumultuous environment, the better you\u2019ll be able to maintain your equilibrium \u2014 even when it feels like there\u2019s no way you\u2019ll be able to make it through the night.<\/p>\n

Culinary school helps students to discover the basics of cooking, so they\u2019ll have their foundational knowledge to fall back on when things seem to spiral out of control. With their hands-on practice in mise en place<\/em>, organization<\/a>, problem solving, and much more, students will come from a place of knowledge instead of confusion.<\/p>\n

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\"joseph-khan\"\u201cBeing at Escoffier taught me to be flexible and to keep pushing through even if everything is going down. [It] taught me how to become the leader and get each task done.\u201d Joseph Han, Boulder Pastry Arts graduate<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

What If This Doesn\u2019t Sound Like Me?<\/h2>\n

If this doesn\u2019t sound like you, does that mean you can\u2019t have a culinary career? Absolutely not!<\/p>\n

First of all, remember that not all kitchens are the same, and the level of intensity can vary dramatically from one to another. So it\u2019s absolutely possible to work in a slower-paced restaurant kitchen.<\/p>\n

\"Male
\nPlus, there is a wide range of alternative culinary careers<\/a> that a culinary education can prepare you for. You don\u2019t have to work in a restaurant kitchen at all, if that\u2019s not your goal. You could be a recipe developer<\/a>, an artisanal food producer, a food photographer<\/a>, a wholesale baker…the list goes on and on.<\/p>\n

Come Prepared<\/h2>\n

In the fast-paced, chaotic environment of a working kitchen, it can be hard to get a good explanation or demonstration of a technique from a supervisor or co-worker.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why a focused culinary education is so valuable. It\u2019s a time when you\u2019re expected<\/em> to be a beginner and ask questions. Chef Instructors are there to help you \u2014 not to serve food to hungry customers. This education can help students to dive right in to the high-speed kitchen setting when they complete their programs.<\/p>\n

Take the next steps<\/a> toward this exciting world with a culinary education from Escoffier!<\/p>\n

Some other articles about culinary careers that you may find interesting:<\/strong><\/p>\n