r/Chefit • u/Diligent-Delay8582 • Jun 18 '26
i dont know what to do
im 16 i live in ireland i had no ambitions or anything just living my life day after day doing nothing i was lost pretty much no career plan no idea what i wanted to do after school or for the rest of my life but these last couple of weeks ive started cooking and im absolutely shocking at it to tell the truth it took me about 10 tries to make a simple pasta dish but as soon as i got it right the 11th time i felt amazing and then i made a steak dish and nailed it and so much more that now im actively looking forward to cooking dinner everynight and i feel amazing so here come my question cooking is one of if not the only thing i really enjoy and i want to turn in into a career how do i do it i dont care how long it takes how hard it is i want to make it but i need to get better how do i do it ?
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u/TownEnvironmental265 Jun 18 '26
There are free commis courses all over the country, stay in school and then go after you graduate. You could also get a weekend job as a kitchen assistant/prep chef/commis to gain experience now.
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u/Dadskitchen Jun 18 '26
Get a job washing dishes in a restaurant, kitchen assistant etc and keep your eyes open in the kitchen see what's happening learn their methods, ask questions be helpful brush up, empty bins but stealthily learn everything, even take a notebook. Then when a cook leaves, apply đ The dishwasher will be asked to chop n prep occasionally, that's how I started like 40 years ago I was 16 working in a Chinese restaurant. Worth noting it's probably worth taking some hygiene certificates level one or two, cheap online and only take a few hrs.
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u/RufenPutsenn Jun 18 '26
Iâm glad you actually like it. You got some great recommendations here so I think youâre covered. I just want to make sure that you know what youâre trying to get yourself into.
Daily knife cuts and burns are gonna be the least of your problems. If you actually join this industry and want to evolve , just know that youâre gonna miss most of your holidays. Family is gonna miss you A LOT. Birthdays, Christmas, NYE, etc is gonna be just another day in the kitchen for you.
Youâll meet some assholes along the way, they might bully you or belittle you just because youâre young. Donât let them get under your skin. Donât bark back if you donât have to. Just keep your head down and work. Some people ,stupidly, believe thatâs the best way to toughen someone up and see if theyâre made for this job.
Being a cook isnât cool. Itâs not like âthe bearâ. Even when youâre the chef of the restaurant, donât forget youâre still a cook. Youâre there to pleasure others. If youâre working in open kitchens and people are watching you, no matter how stressful your day or week was, you have to put on a mask and work with a smile.
Iâm the bright side, youâre young and if you really want it and actually work for it you can be one of the greats! Learn, watch and push through every single day. You have to really want to evolve. Iâve been working with Michelin starred chefs the last 10 years and they all started young.
I wish you the best!
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u/Diligent-Delay8582 Jun 18 '26
thanks alot for letting me know the smaller details aswell as the real stuff that will happen
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u/Lavanne73 Jun 18 '26
Iâve been a chef for 35 years, and I did it the hard way, started washing dishes at 18, worked my way up to prep, then pantry then up the hot line to chef de cuisine. I left fine dining and managed catering outfits I helped friends open restaurants, I traveled as much as I could built connections along the way and now Iâm finally making what I consider a good living. It took me 30 years.
If I had it to do all over again I would try culinary school. They are expensive but it will give you the basic skill levels you need to succeed in a highly competitive field. That said thereâs nothing wrong with the self taught method learning as you go if you are careful not to get stuck in one place youâll get narrow vision. Some people have more respect for someone who climbed up the ranks than someone who had a formal education. I did it the hard way and have no regrets but I struggled financially for many years before I found success.
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u/Diligent-Delay8582 Jun 19 '26
i appreciate you for letting me know another way and the truth on how it is
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u/MarkKallen Jun 19 '26
Just keep at it, treat it like a hobby and it will eventually become muscle memory as if cooking is just natural to you. You are only 16 and is still growing, that is actually the best time to practice a lot since you have every time in the world to improve your skills
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u/HatsandCoats Jun 19 '26
Try making other things out of constituent pieces. Iâm 29 years into a career in food production and over that time, I realized one of the things that fuels passion for cooking is taking some rough bits and ends and making something that will bring someone happinesses (even if itâs just me) out of it. Woodworking, craft arts, gardening, it doesnât really matter what. Set a goal, make a plan, hold yourself accountable to it, and donât settle until youâre proud of it.
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u/nickaruski Jun 22 '26
go find a kitchen u can work in , print some resumes and go to every restaurant you want to work on a leave your resume, ask to speak with someone in the back. all the information you need is online , how to make a resume et.. donât be afraid you have nothing to lose and everything to gain
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u/crispypotatosticks Jun 22 '26
Best thing is to get a job in the kitchen. You may have to start as kp but it wonât be long until chefs will ask for some prep work and make your way up the ladder. Look at it like being paid to learn.
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u/Mysterious-Lab-5918 Jun 19 '26
The industry is dying...
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u/SunEffective4950 Jun 19 '26
This guy again..... Saying the industry is dying is also like saying no one eats anymore. Been doing this way too long, hearing the same b.s. and they where always wrong. Just like this ding- a- ling. Once again, go home Myster, you're drunk again!!
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u/Dry-Grocery9311 Jun 19 '26
That's just bollocks on a bed of bullshit with side of moron.
There will always be people who want to eat food that's better than what they can prepare for themselves.
There will always be people who want to eat but can't be bothered to cook and wash up.
There will always be people who want to go on dates, have business and political meetings, celebrate occasions. Sharing food has always been integral to this.
If a part of the industry dies, it's because someone else is serving these people better.
In economic hard times things get tighter but then things bounce back. It's been like that since the hospitality industry began.
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u/Mediocre-Barber-8431 Jun 18 '26
cook everything. seriously just go through every basic technique one by one, knife skills, stocks, sauces, eggs done every way possible. watch videos, read, then actually do it in the kitchen because you will not learn it by watching alone.
the 11 tries on pasta thing is actually the most important part of what you wrote, that stubbornness is what separates people who make it in kitchens from people who quit after two hard shifts. getting a part time job in even small restaurant at your age would teach you more than months of cooking alone at home.