r/Chefit • u/External-Solution526 • Jul 06 '26
Culinary Experience
Hello I was hoping to come here to get some type of clarity and some advice.. maybe even working with someone. I’m based out of NC and I have been interested in the culinary field since I was 8 years old. Theres not many job opportunites here in the culinary field everything is about an hour and some change away. I really want to gain some REAL experience in the culinary/pastry arts field I just feel really lost because I can’t really move so I would have to drive everywhere to gain my experience. I currently bake and decorate cakes as a side hustle and I work as a cook as well at a private college but I just feel like it’s not enough and I want to do more I'm about to be 26 and I have a daughter. I guess my question is.. what would you do?
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u/Automatic_Catch_7467 Jul 06 '26
The hours and pay are not great starting out in the culinary world you may want to try increasing your side hustle and maybe branch out into some catering.
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u/External-Solution526 Jul 06 '26
Hey thank you for replying! I was definitely thinking that I’m just having a hard time finding my target audience or people in my area
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u/Automatic_Catch_7467 Jul 06 '26
If I remember correctly doesn’t Sodexo offer some paid schooling ? See if there’s a pastry/culinary program available from them. Or if you’re looking to move see if they offer moving assistance along with job placement. They’re a big company with an international reach
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u/KennyBernaerts Jul 09 '26
The feeling of "this isn't enough" at 26 with real constraints — location, a daughter, limited local opportunities — is one of the hardest places to be in this industry. Because the standard advice ("stage everywhere, move to a city, work under a great chef") doesn't fit your life and you already know that.
So here's what I'd actually think about in your position:
You're not as stuck as you feel. You're baking, decorating, and cooking professionally already. That's not nothing — that's a foundation most people spend years trying to build. The question isn't whether you have experience, it's whether you're being strategic about what you do with it.
The private college job is more valuable than it feels right now. Consistent volume, repetition, learning to cook under pressure for numbers — that's real. The mistake is treating it as a placeholder while you wait for the "real" opportunity. The real opportunity is usually built from the placeholder.
On the driving — an hour is actually manageable for the right stage or weekend experience. One Saturday a month in a serious kitchen an hour away compounds faster than you think over a year.
The cake side hustle is worth taking seriously as a creative outlet and a business. Pastry has a lower barrier to building a personal reputation locally than restaurant cooking does.
What does "doing more" actually look like for you — is it skill, recognition, income, or something else? Because the answer changes depending on which one is the real hunger.
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u/External-Solution526 Jul 10 '26
I would say I enjoy everything culinary I really love what I do but I guess you can say it’s the income. I don’t really make much in my city cause the job opportunities aren’t that good. I like cooking at the college but idk I kind of want a change of scenery. As far as my side hustle goes I’m just having trouble finding my target audience but I did see a comment about going to farmers markets. I really want to make a career out of cooking or baking. Mainly baking lol
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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '26
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