I am really interested in becoming a chef. I was just wondering if you can tell me any good restaurants that I could work at.

As an educators, we do not know where you live, how old you are, or what sort of qualifications you have, and therefore we cannot recommend specific restaurants. However, we can help you think about your career path and about how you can best prepare yourself to embark on your career as a chef.

The United States Department of Labor gives some useful guidelines concerning culinary careers. Its website says that there are several...

As an educators, we do not know where you live, how old you are, or what sort of qualifications you have, and therefore we cannot recommend specific restaurants. However, we can help you think about your career path and about how you can best prepare yourself to embark on your career as a chef.

The United States Department of Labor gives some useful guidelines concerning culinary careers. Its website says that there are several different routes to a career as a chef. Some of the ways one can train as a chef include:

Community colleges: Many community colleges offer programs in culinary arts including both certificate and associate degree programs. Often, these include substantial amounts of hands-on training including opportunities to work at campus restaurants.

Four-year colleges and universities: Bachelor's Degrees in Culinary Arts are an especially good idea if you are aiming to own your own restaurant or to move up to management, as these degrees include training in the hospitality business as well as in cooking.

Culinary schools: Although programs at private culinary schools can be expensive, many offer certifications and help place students with restaurants.

Apprenticeships: American Culinary Federation (ACF) and other organizations sponsor apprenticeships for aspiring chefs, which include on-the-job training.

Restaurant Jobs: Local restaurants in your area will often take on people in entry level positions such as dishwashers, prep staff, assistants, or other entry level positions. To look for positions in your area, you can do general internet searches, look at the advertising sections of local papers, or be proactive by visiting restaurants near where you live and asking if they have job openings. Since turnover for entry level positions can be quite high, many restaurants will take and file applications even if they currently have no openings.