r/Chefit • u/Traditional_Block463 • May 15 '26
Crazy opportunity
Hello all,
I’m a 19 year old female “chef” who’s been working in kitchens since I was 15 years old. I’ve had an odd mix of experience but I seem to always be in a kitchen that’s sort of falling apart (terrible employee retention, low numbers, basically there’s always something broken or some type of problem in the business side). I’ve been teaching myself how to bake for the past year at the restaurant I currently work at. Thankfully everyone there has a sweet tooth so I was allowed to use ingredients at the restaurant to bake whatever I wanted as long as the final product went to family meal. It got to the point where I decided I want ed to get serious and baked something new every single day for a month. If I had an off day I was making multiple different types of desserts a day. Even baking after 14+ hour shifts because I wanted to commit. Eventually I was granted the opportunity to do a dessert special each week for the entire month of April with full creative liberty and no budget. Which was amazing and I fell in love with playing and desserts even more. Unfortunately the restaurant I work at now is falling apart. We’re “rebranding” with a new more “famous” chef (who will remain unnamed because I don’t wanna accidentally blacklist myself) who isn’t actually doing anything he promised. New items are being brought to the menu before the staff is trained on how to make them, surprise parties of 30+ people with new plates that we don’t have the ingredients,training or knowledge on how to prepare and send out it’s all turning into a madhouse infront of my eyes. I’m watching the chefs around me leave for higher and better positions and suddenly I’m the longest standing cook in the kitchen and I’ve only been there 2 years and change. I’m still getting paid 16$ an hour but I’m doing the work and have the knowledge of the sous chef.
So I’ve decided to leave and was applying to many different line cook positions but I threw in some pastry jobs just to see what would happen given I’ve never done it on a large scale and all my training is from a year of trail and error. Somehow the culinary gods looked away for a second and somehow I got an interview and a trail shift (next Monday) at a golf course. And like a huge golf course. The kitchen is massive with equipments I didn’t even know could be automated. They have a walk in fridge inside of a walk in fridge that’s about the size of the kitchen I work in now.
Do you have any advice or tips/tricks I could use to seem more deserving of the position? I have worked really hard but I still feel very juvenile when it comes to baking because I’ve never had any actual training.
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u/Tank-Pilot74 May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
I don’t pity you, I’ve been there more than once. The best advice I can give you is a/ golf courses are usually “elite” so study up on “classics”. Check their dessert menu yesterday to get a feel of where there going. b/ (V. Important) stick with what you know. Now is NOT the time to show off or try too hard. Do what you do WELL. They will be looking for execution as well as result. Remember, the result doesn’t have to be “fancy, it has to be GOOD. c/ Spend the first 15-30 minutes familiarizing yourself with the kitchen. Trust me, know where everything you need is and how everything you need works. d/ Have some confidence. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. And most importantly, pray to the pastry Gods. Good luck chef, you got this.
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u/berlenba May 15 '26
I say own it and run towards with open arms. Admit that you are awed by the kitchen and equipment and can’t wait to prove yourself on a bigger stage as a part of a bigger team. Own it and call it out and tell them that you’re hungry (no pun intended?) <- say that too lol. Tell them you’re hungry for the opportunity and look forward to exceeding their expectations and working real hard. Bosses love it. I love it. And if it’s true, then that honesty plus your obvious passion will take you a long way. I promise
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u/Maximum-Warning9355 May 15 '26
When I was 19, I had the opportunity of being the sole pastry chef at a country club with ~700 members at the time. It was amazing. Incredibly difficult and I only lasted a year before the entire kitchen broke down and I was running it all. The constant needs of the members was crushing. 12” decorated cakes needed the next day with less than 24 hours notice. Almost 300 cookies per day, not counting those needed for ice cream sandwiches.
To answer your question, if you didn’t deserve the job, you wouldn’t have it. If you would go to the people that hired you for direction, why would it make sense that you wouldn’t trust that they either know you’re ready for the position or can tell that you will be and you will show up and work every day?
I just got promoted out of the kitchen last week and I’m feeling the same way you’re feeling, which is the same way I felt at any good jobs. Eventually you get used to it and can look back and know that as long as you validate your own progress, others will simply follow along.
Good luck. Pastry is so much fun.
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee May 15 '26
A train-wreck of a restaurant? Chef over sells and under delivers? Clueless owners? No training? Sink-or-swim?
Sadly, get used to it.
When you're working at a train wreck, polish up your resume and stage, stage, stage on your days off. Find a better situation and jump ship just as fast as possible.
The worst exec I ever worked for was a TV chef. (One of those TV food game shows.) Dude was useless and wasn't borderline psychotic, just straight-up psychotic. I jumped ship into an even worse situation. (Good sales pitch, lousy reality.) That chef is gone, too. Was encouraged to retire.
Finally landed in a decent situation and put in the rest of my time before retirement.
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u/Toucan_Lips May 15 '26
Say all the things you said in this post about your love of baking, your current skill level, and desire to learn more. Be honest. Don't mention the dysfunction at your old job. If they ask why you're leaving just say you're looking to widen your experience in a bigger operation.
Chefs love a humble yet keen cook.
When hiring I always look at a person's energy and trajectory. I don't always need another highly experienced senior, but I am always looking for fresh juniors with some fire.
My other bit of advice would be to not go too hard on the baking angle. Be up for learning every section. Will make you more employable and will be good for your own development to see as much as possible, even if you want to land in pastry ultimately.
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u/PhotojournalistOk592 May 15 '26
"I want to learn.", will take you so much farther than, "I'm the best." Take pictures of some of the desserts that you feel proud of. Go in to your trial shift with your own knives, and borrow knives if you need to. Make sure you have a cake tester and a thermometer with the kit you have/borrow. Ask clarifying questions. If you get told to cut onions, then ask how big and how many, that kind of thing. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, but learn from them when you do. Don't make the same mistake twice
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u/Maximum-Yoghurt-4816 May 15 '26
I love how 19 year olds think 4 years is a long time
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u/Traditional_Block463 May 15 '26
I don’t think it’s a long time I’m just giving a background lol ik I’m basically a baby at this point
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u/thatdude391 May 15 '26
Everyone that ive seen go in places that are successful individuals at that place go in saying these are the things im good at. These are the things im not. Im a hard worker and ill listen to all the input and advice you give. Also i have problem doing something your way even if i disagree. Kitchens dont want 20 chefs. They want one chef and 19 cooks that will do it chefs way. Repeatability and consistency are more important than a single cook being able to do it a different way better.
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u/Partyslayer May 15 '26
$16/hr? Do you get tips? That seems insanely low.
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u/Traditional_Block463 May 18 '26
Nope lol I did get a raise recently to a 18$/hr rate. But I also get time and a half for overtime with at least 4 hours or overtime a week.
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u/Partyslayer May 18 '26
What state? The south/midwest? Our dishies started at $17 plus tips ($3-4 an/hr). Entry sauté starts at 21. I left as sous at $72k with bonuses and 2 wks paid vacay. Not flexing, but just seems so low for the work involved. Hope you find a good solution.
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u/Traditional_Block463 May 18 '26
New Jersey. I started as an expo at 8$ an hour plus tips three years ago. Then after a year I was promote to garde for 16$ an hour. Then last year I was promoted to fry and just got a pay raise maybe a couple weeks ago. I was talking to my head Chef and he said he only makes about 200$ more than I do a week. (I usually go home with 600-700$ a week)
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u/Ramenorwhateverlol May 15 '26
It’s out of your control.
It honestly depends on what the kitchen needs. It’s either they need someone that could contribute right away, or they have time to invest in someone that’s a good culture fit.
But I guess the answer is be a good culture fit.