A question on my Professional Life.

[BDeCosta26]

It may seem like a strange venue to ask this question, but I've come to know CB as a great place to discuss almost anything so I wanted to know some other people's opinions.

For some back round, I'm a 25 year old professional chef. I got my 1st dishwashing job when I was 13, and I fell in love with cooking. After that, I graduated from a Voc-Tech HS in Culinary Arts and have spend the past 12 years of my career working my way up from dishwasher to prep cook, from prep cook to line cook and from line cook to Sous Chef. I've cooked in every type of environment from little mom and pop diners to high end Boston/Providence restaurants. Over the past 4 years I've been the Sous Chef (2nd in command) at two different high-end country/social clubs in RI and MA. Both of these were good, salaried positions ranging around the 37/45K$ mark.

Now, This weekend I was offered my very first Executive Chef position at a mid-level Providence restaurant. It's easily the best job I've ever had at 64K a year, and it's the perfect opportunity to really put my stamp on a place and take the jump to the next level of my career. It's not exactly every day someone reaches Executive Chef at 25 years old, and if anyone is equipped to do it, it's me. I've worked countless 50-60 hour work weeks, I've killed myself to earn every promotion, every extra dollar or two an hour, and I'm really excited. It's an opportunity I'd be a fool to pass up.

But yet, I have this little voice in the back of my head that's worrying like crazy. I've done most of the things an Exec Chef does, like ordering, inventory, menu planning, kitchen staff supervising, making schedules, etc. but I've never had to do ALL those things at one time in one place where all the responsibility falls into my, and only my lap. I'm starting to almost second guess if I'm really ready to make this step, after all I'm only 25, and most Chefs are lucky to make it to Exec status at all, and if they do it's never before they're 30-40.

So I guess my question is... have any of you in your professional careers faced a similar situation where you were on the precipice of taking one very large leap forward, and found yourself doubting your ability to take that step? What did you do about it? How can you make that seed of doubt go away or otherwise mitigate it? I don't wanna blow this opportunity that's in front of me, and I really don't wanna let a small amount of self-doubt ruin my chance to achieve my highest goals.

I'll take any and all comments and suggestions if they are relevant to the topic. Thanks

[Roy H.]

I had a similar experience in my field. I went from being one of 700+ Deputy Attorney Generals in New Jersey to going out on my own in Maine. It was a better situation, but there were a lot of nerves. Establishing a practice, learning new law, practicing with / against new attorneys in front of new judges. I had nerves, to say the least, and there were some doubts.

The only advice I can give is, just do it. You're good at what you do, and that talent plus hard work will lead to success. There will inevitably be rough patches, but your employer - if they're sensible - just expects good, quality work, not perfection.

Stop thinking about this as something you have to do, and rethink it as something that you really want to do. Your talent and hard work is being rewarded, and you're going to continue to excel.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Congratulations on the opportunity!

Funny this should come up now, because just last week I found myself in a similar situation, albeit in a much different line of work. I spent 10 years as a copy editor for daily newspapers in Central Maine and Southern California, then I became an editor in a university marketing department, a position I've held for 5 years. Last week my supervisors offered me a promotion in the form of a brand-new editor position that they feel is perfectly suited to me.

I've been wanting/hoping for a promotion for a couple of years, and I was excited to be offered this opportunity, but for as much excitement as I felt, I also had a bit of doubt—was I really capable of doing well at this new position? could I handle it? is the timing right? etc. Not to get too preachy, but as a Christian, I felt that this was a God-ordained thing, yet I wanted to be as sure as possible, so I talked it over with my wife, and in doing so I got the sense that this was the right thing at the right time, so I took the position, and I start in a couple of weeks.

I totally get the self-doubt; I think it's natural. Particularly when you're only 25—I'm 40 and still had questions. But, though my knowledge of your situation is limited, I think this is a great opportunity for you and you should go for it. I think your odds of success are good, but even if you fail, the things you learn could work to your advantage in the long run.

[Granath]

Without knowing you or your skills I don't think anyone can give you the answers your looking for. We may, however, be able to give you the right questions.

It all starts with an honest appraisal of your skills and your gaps. I'm assuming you have the cooking skills down pat. What we don't know are your gaps. How effective are you at managing people? How well do you schedule and organize week in and week out? Do you know how to interview and hire people? How are you in tailoring your menus/specials to your style of cooking without overburdening your kitchen with too many choices? Where are your strong and weak points while cooking?

If you can honestly appraise yourself and figure out your gaps then you're probably ready to take the job. If you're already 100% qualified to do a job then you're actually overqualified to do it. That's always important to remember. There's always going to be a learning curve. But the trick is to know where you're going to have to take your lumps and to have a plan to deal with it. Don't forget that you don't do it on your own. You surround yourself with people whose strengths compliment your weaknesses. For instance, if you have a hard time planning wait staff then you bring on someone who can help you with that task.

Now if you outright don't think you're ready then you don't take it. If you're just concerned that you're taking a step up then that's probably fine. My advice is to make a plan of the things you think are the most important and review that plan every single day for the first two weeks. That will keep you focused. Then you revise the plan and review it every single day for the next two weeks. Then you evaluate those two plans and the outcomes after your first month. By then you should have a great feel for the situation and be able to point to some early successes.

[Ilikesports17]

Cant speak on the professional stuff, but much respect for working your way up through the kitchen. Those 50+ hour weeks get pretty brutal. Plus in my experience kitchens are always hot, high pressure environments.

TP.

[trickybilly]

This may sound trite, but if you can find out a lot about the boss (GM or owner) it could help. If they are nazi-like it just might be a crappy job full stop. If they genuinely seem cool, then dive in and own it. (And ask owner to trade for boogie, kthx)

[chilidawg]

Most moves up the ladder mean more responsibility managing people, which to me can be incredibly challenging.  Ask yourself if that's something you'll enjoy and be good at.

Congrats and good luck.

[alewilliam789]

This may sound trite, but if you can find out a lot about the boss (GM or owner) it could help. If they are nazi-like it just might be a crappy job full stop. If they genuinely seem cool, then dive in and own it. (And ask owner to trade for boogie, kthx)

This. If your boss is knowingly adding you to his kitchen knowing you have the skills and enough experience, but haven't yet fully experienced what it's like to be an Executive Chef than to some extent they should know that there will be some sort of growing pains as you grow into the leader and the chef that you and them envisioned would take the position. Either way I say you should take it because it seems like your work ethic alone will help guide you on a path to success. Have confidence in the skills you've attained in your hard work and chase your dreams bud!! Best of luck

[Celtics4ever]

If you think you can handle it, you best go for this opportunity.  If you don't they will find someone who will and you run the risk of regretting it.

[BDeCosta26]

Without knowing you or your skills I don't think anyone can give you the answers your looking for. We may, however, be able to give you the right questions.

It all starts with an honest appraisal of your skills and your gaps. I'm assuming you have the cooking skills down pat. What we don't know are your gaps. How effective are you at managing people? How well do you schedule and organize week in and week out? Do you know how to interview and hire people? How are you in tailoring your menus/specials to your style of cooking without overburdening your kitchen with too many choices? Where are your strong and weak points while cooking?

If you can honestly appraise yourself and figure out your gaps then you're probably ready to take the job. If you're already 100% qualified to do a job then you're actually overqualified to do it. That's always important to remember. There's always going to be a learning curve. But the trick is to know where you're going to have to take your lumps and to have a plan to deal with it. Don't forget that you don't do it on your own. You surround yourself with people whose strengths compliment your weaknesses. For instance, if you have a hard time planning wait staff then you bring on someone who can help you with that task.

Now if you outright don't think you're ready then you don't take it. If you're just concerned that you're taking a step up then that's probably fine. My advice is to make a plan of the things you think are the most important and review that plan every single day for the first two weeks. That will keep you focused. Then you revise the plan and review it every single day for the next two weeks. Then you evaluate those two plans and the outcomes after your first month. By then you should have a great feel for the situation and be able to point to some early successes.

First off, I wanna give a TP to everyone that responded. Any feedback is much appreciated.

As to you Granath, My biggest gap right now is the paperwork/budgetary side of things. I know how to reduce unnecessary food cost spending (Maximizing menu item crossover, limiting amount of total menu items, making from scratch or buying in when neccesary, etc), and I know how to discipline employees from my years as a Sous Chef in charge of 20+ people, but it's a different beast to tackle inventory, budgets, ordering/invoices, menu planning, Kitchen supervision, etc, all at one time. I guess that's where the self-doubt comes in. An Executive Chef is expected to handle all of these things, on top of the daily food service and the standards that food is meant to live up to. So it's a big challenge.

That said though, to AleWilliam and TrickyBilly's point, the GM of this restaurant knows he's hiring me without full Executive Chef experience and he seems like (After 3 meetings and multiple phone convo's at least) like a good guy, so he should expect a certain level of growing pains in relation to the aspects of the job less familiar to regular Kitchen staff (Budget's, Labor, Etc.). I think he's very willing to help me in that department, so that helps. I just hope he's willing to let me have a little time to grasp their POS system and how it works in relation to my budget and ordering procedures.

RockN'Roll, I believed you and me have talked about our personal lives before and as you may remember, we both have children with special challenges. That alone makes it hard to accept a job that takes so much of my time away from my family. But for me, I need to be able to provide a certain level of support for my family to make it work around here, and this job gives me the chance to do just that. I know you can appreciate that. This is the difference between a 2 BR apartment and a 3 BR house for us, so I am fully invested in making the most of this chance.

And to everyone else, thank you so much for your input. I genuinely appreciate it, from Roy to C4E, your words really helped me get my head in the right place.

[manl_lui]

First of all, congrats on the offer, and 2nd. I think this is a great opportunity for you to explore, as you said, 25 is probably a very young age to get exec chef (i don't know anything of the career), but i would see it as an opportunity to pretty up your resume.

For me, there are a couple of factors that I have to consider if I were to take a job

1. opportunity of growth
2. how far I will be away from my friends and family (that's why I usually stay within the Boston/Waltham area for tech jobs).
3. Pay vs cost of living/commute, working in Boston is actually quite cheap for me as I take the Red line vs driving
4. Work environment (would I be happy working with the people there?)

I hope this helps along with other great comments on this thread

Good luck!

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Without knowing you or your skills I don't think anyone can give you the answers your looking for. We may, however, be able to give you the right questions.

It all starts with an honest appraisal of your skills and your gaps. I'm assuming you have the cooking skills down pat. What we don't know are your gaps. How effective are you at managing people? How well do you schedule and organize week in and week out? Do you know how to interview and hire people? How are you in tailoring your menus/specials to your style of cooking without overburdening your kitchen with too many choices? Where are your strong and weak points while cooking?

If you can honestly appraise yourself and figure out your gaps then you're probably ready to take the job. If you're already 100% qualified to do a job then you're actually overqualified to do it. That's always important to remember. There's always going to be a learning curve. But the trick is to know where you're going to have to take your lumps and to have a plan to deal with it. Don't forget that you don't do it on your own. You surround yourself with people whose strengths compliment your weaknesses. For instance, if you have a hard time planning wait staff then you bring on someone who can help you with that task.

Now if you outright don't think you're ready then you don't take it. If you're just concerned that you're taking a step up then that's probably fine. My advice is to make a plan of the things you think are the most important and review that plan every single day for the first two weeks. That will keep you focused. Then you revise the plan and review it every single day for the next two weeks. Then you evaluate those two plans and the outcomes after your first month. By then you should have a great feel for the situation and be able to point to some early successes.

First off, I wanna give a TP to everyone that responded. Any feedback is much appreciated.

As to you Granath, My biggest gap right now is the paperwork/budgetary side of things. I know how to reduce unnecessary food cost spending (Maximizing menu item crossover, limiting amount of total menu items, making from scratch or buying in when neccesary, etc), and I know how to discipline employees from my years as a Sous Chef in charge of 20+ people, but it's a different beast to tackle inventory, budgets, ordering/invoices, menu planning, Kitchen supervision, etc, all at one time. I guess that's where the self-doubt comes in. An Executive Chef is expected to handle all of these things, on top of the daily food service and the standards that food is meant to live up to. So it's a big challenge.

That said though, to AleWilliam and TrickyBilly's point, the GM of this restaurant knows he's hiring me without full Executive Chef experience and he seems like (After 3 meetings and multiple phone convo's at least) like a good guy, so he should expect a certain level of growing pains in relation to the aspects of the job less familiar to regular Kitchen staff (Budget's, Labor, Etc.). I think he's very willing to help me in that department, so that helps. I just hope he's willing to let me have a little time to grasp their POS system and how it works in relation to my budget and ordering procedures.

RockN'Roll, I believed you and me have talked about our personal lives before and as you may remember, we both have children with special challenges. That alone makes it hard to accept a job that takes so much of my time away from my family. But for me, I need to be able to provide a certain level of support for my family to make it work around here, and this job gives me the chance to do just that. I know you can appreciate that. This is the difference between a 2 BR apartment and a 3 BR house for us, so I am fully invested in making the most of this chance.

And to everyone else, thank you so much for your input. I genuinely appreciate it, from Roy to C4E, your words really helped me get my head in the right place.

Good point. I wouldn't encourage anyone, in a vacuum, to spend less time with their family, but quality of life is a legitimate concern, especially where special-needs children are involved, and the housing example you gave involves a HUGE difference, so that's no small consideration.

[BDeCosta26]

Without knowing you or your skills I don't think anyone can give you the answers your looking for. We may, however, be able to give you the right questions.

It all starts with an honest appraisal of your skills and your gaps. I'm assuming you have the cooking skills down pat. What we don't know are your gaps. How effective are you at managing people? How well do you schedule and organize week in and week out? Do you know how to interview and hire people? How are you in tailoring your menus/specials to your style of cooking without overburdening your kitchen with too many choices? Where are your strong and weak points while cooking?

If you can honestly appraise yourself and figure out your gaps then you're probably ready to take the job. If you're already 100% qualified to do a job then you're actually overqualified to do it. That's always important to remember. There's always going to be a learning curve. But the trick is to know where you're going to have to take your lumps and to have a plan to deal with it. Don't forget that you don't do it on your own. You surround yourself with people whose strengths compliment your weaknesses. For instance, if you have a hard time planning wait staff then you bring on someone who can help you with that task.

Now if you outright don't think you're ready then you don't take it. If you're just concerned that you're taking a step up then that's probably fine. My advice is to make a plan of the things you think are the most important and review that plan every single day for the first two weeks. That will keep you focused. Then you revise the plan and review it every single day for the next two weeks. Then you evaluate those two plans and the outcomes after your first month. By then you should have a great feel for the situation and be able to point to some early successes.

First off, I wanna give a TP to everyone that responded. Any feedback is much appreciated.

As to you Granath, My biggest gap right now is the paperwork/budgetary side of things. I know how to reduce unnecessary food cost spending (Maximizing menu item crossover, limiting amount of total menu items, making from scratch or buying in when neccesary, etc), and I know how to discipline employees from my years as a Sous Chef in charge of 20+ people, but it's a different beast to tackle inventory, budgets, ordering/invoices, menu planning, Kitchen supervision, etc, all at one time. I guess that's where the self-doubt comes in. An Executive Chef is expected to handle all of these things, on top of the daily food service and the standards that food is meant to live up to. So it's a big challenge.

That said though, to AleWilliam and TrickyBilly's point, the GM of this restaurant knows he's hiring me without full Executive Chef experience and he seems like (After 3 meetings and multiple phone convo's at least) like a good guy, so he should expect a certain level of growing pains in relation to the aspects of the job less familiar to regular Kitchen staff (Budget's, Labor, Etc.). I think he's very willing to help me in that department, so that helps. I just hope he's willing to let me have a little time to grasp their POS system and how it works in relation to my budget and ordering procedures.

RockN'Roll, I believed you and me have talked about our personal lives before and as you may remember, we both have children with special challenges. That alone makes it hard to accept a job that takes so much of my time away from my family. But for me, I need to be able to provide a certain level of support for my family to make it work around here, and this job gives me the chance to do just that. I know you can appreciate that. This is the difference between a 2 BR apartment and a 3 BR house for us, so I am fully invested in making the most of this chance.

And to everyone else, thank you so much for your input. I genuinely appreciate it, from Roy to C4E, your words really helped me get my head in the right place.

Good point. I wouldn't encourage anyone, in a vacuum, to spend less time with their family, but quality of life is a legitimate concern, especially where special-needs children are involved, and the housing example you gave involves a HUGE difference, so that's no small consideration.

Exactly. When you have a child on the spectrum, those "secondary" factors just aren't so secondary. I've always wanted to be able to give my son some kind of playroom where we could put the kind of sensory toys and activities he needs to help him regulate through the day. As it is right now, he's stuck 9 feet away from a screaming 10 month old baby pretty much all the time, and the baby has to sleep with us. Getting this job means changing all that and making a much less stressful day to day like for my fiancé and our kids. That alone drove me to this point and I sure as heck don't want to stop now.

[BDeCosta26]

First of all, congrats on the offer, and 2nd. I think this is a great opportunity for you to explore, as you said, 25 is probably a very young age to get exec chef (i don't know anything of the career), but i would see it as an opportunity to pretty up your resume.

For me, there are a couple of factors that I have to consider if I were to take a job

1. opportunity of growth
2. how far I will be away from my friends and family (that's why I usually stay within the Boston/Waltham area for tech jobs).
3. Pay vs cost of living/commute, working in Boston is actually quite cheap for me as I take the Red line vs driving
4. Work environment (would I be happy working with the people there?)

I hope this helps along with other great comments on this thread

Good luck!

Well, the way I see it is, the place I'm going to work for is paying me 64K a year to be the Exec Chef. Now, that's the best money I've ever made, but a good Exec Chef in this area averages 75-85K+ if they have the resume to command it, so If I can really make an imprint on this place and turn their buisness into something good I open up the door for my next job to be in the 75K range. Kitchens work that way, you don't go work at a place for 30 years, you work at a place until you outgrow it and are worth more than they can give you.

As far as #2, I'll be about 35 minutes away from my family, which is about average. If you wanna make this kind of money around where I'm from (New Bedford, MA), your gonna have to travel 30-60 minutes toward Providence/Boston, or toward Cape Cod, to do it. So that aspect is fine.

3) Luckily, I live in area where rent hasn't ballooned as out of control as it is in Prov/BOS, so it's worth the drive because it affords my family an actual house instead of an apartment.

4) I'm not sure exactly how the work environment is gonna be. The GM seems cool enough, but the kitchen staff is obviously behind my standards. I'm going to have to put in a weekly cleaning/maintainance sheet to keep up on the equipment, they take no pride in the presentation of the food and they don't use near the best ingredients. I'm not gonna rip them a new hole or anything, but I certainly won't allow my kitchen to operate at such a low standard of care. So it seems I may have a rough start at getting the kitchen staff they currently have behind me. But y'know what? These guys hired me to raise the level of food in their restaurant and raise the standards or conduct in their kitchen. Although it may make for a shaky work enviornment at first, I'd rather replace a bunch of guys than have a bunch that don't believe in what I'm trying to do.

Obviously, It's a complex situation. But I feel like it's my duty to run my kitchen the same way the chefs who taught me ran theirs. Strict, but fair. With an aim to make every chef better at their job every single day.

[PhoSita]

You've made it this far, you'll adapt to the new situation. Just don't get away from the habits and characteristics that got you to where you are.

Don't waste energy worrying that you're not supposed to be in this position. Every person you meet began their current job not knowing what they were doing. Focus on doing good work and improving on your mistakes. Build relationships with the people you rely on in your job and they will want to help you succeed because it'll mean they succeed as well.