How to become a professional chef? Know about courses, skills and more

Are you planning to be a professional chef? In a conversation with Republic World, Baleder Singh, Director of the Institute of Bakery and Culinary Arts (IBCA) has answered some basic questions for those who wish to pursue their career in hospitality and want to become a chef. 

What education is required to become a Chef?

A culinary education ending in a degree or diploma is not strongly compulsory when you want to be a chef, but one of these certifications from a qualified culinary college or institute can deeply improve your job outlook and salary potential. “A degree can show not only that you have undergone widespread training, but also that you have the willpower and drive to better yourself as a culinarian”. Earning the label of 'Chef' requires more than just a certificate or degree. You also need knowledge from internships and apprenticeships, training and mentoring, and whatever certifications you choose to back your skills up with.

What skill should a student have to become a professional chef?

Stress management- The position of a chef can be courage wracking, and you will need to appreciate how to manage that stress without letting it burn you out. There are many ways to handle your stress in the kitchen, but having an obviously even character goes far in ensuring that.

Creativity- Chefs must have the fancy and creativity that will keep customers back. This means being open to annoying new food items and improving older recipes.

Multitasking- You need to be able to concentrate on numerous tasks at the same time, from remembering the dishes ordered by guests to cooking a number of dishes together.

Dexterity- Your manual dexterity can show useful in the kitchen when doing complex chopping and treating different devices.
Attention to Details- A chef needs to be accurate in ordering food products, determining the ingredients, or figuring out what time to cook certain food items.
Cleanliness- You need to be familiar with how to keep the kitchen spotless because unhygienic conditions can influence the quality of food, your career, and can even force a restaurant to shut down.

What are the ways to manage the time as a chef?

From keeping track of cooking times to rousing boiling pots or plating tasty foods, the way you handle your time as a chef can split you from everybody else in the kitchen, which could unlock up opportunities for leadership and endorsement. Big chefs are never big on their own. They are all the time encircled by great teams. If you have the goal of leading an expert kitchen someday, you will need to become skilled at delegating. No matter what responsibility you have in a kitchen, leadership starts with leading yourself. That needs discipline, preparation, and great time management.

Organizing a restaurant kitchen is not easy, how do chefs organize their kitchens?

The most important thing for kitchen effectiveness is to remove unnecessary steps. Draft out your kitchen on paper first. No matter what size kitchen you have, you want it to flow in a consistent order. Even if you not serving customers out of a storefront and you are just trying to organize a small home-based business, think like a restaurant and plan your workflow. Organize your kitchen to stream from storage to prep to the line to the pass. If you map out your kitchen in a consistent route, things will move in a level, reliable pattern.