How To Become a Chef in 5 Simple Steps

Working as a Chef can be extremely rewarding. Not only does being a Chef pay well, but it allows you to pursue your passion for cooking and enables you to do meaningful work. 

How To Become a Chef in 2024

Many aspiring Chefs start by obtaining a formal education. 

While having a culinary degree can be helpful in setting you up for success, you still need to gain hands-on experience and work your way up through the ranks. 

Below, we’ll explain the five simple steps to become a Chef in 2024.

Step 1: Finish high school

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Chefs need to have at least a high school diploma to enter the field.

Basic education is important in a lot of ways. First, it offers access to other career options in case you decide that this role isn’t for you. 

As exciting as it sounds to be a Chef, this job is labor-intensive, requires working long hours and is mentally demanding. 

Second, a high school diploma meets the basic educational standards required if you plan to become a Michelin-star Chef. 

Michelin stars are world-recognized credentials awarded to restaurants. While it’s the restaurant that receives the award, it’s the Chef who’s usually credited with leading it.

If you learn how to become a Michelin star Chef, you can expect substantial salary benefits and perks, including professional recognition, networking opportunities with established Chefs and the chance to travel the world. 

Third, a high school diploma provides a good foundation for essential skills you’ll need later in your career, such as problem-solving, math and critical thinking.

Step 2: Get an entry-level position in a restaurant

Once you’ve finished high school, start working in an entry-level role. 

Whether it’s front-of-house, such as working as a Food Runner, or back-of-house, like a Dishwasher, these positions help you get your foot in the door. 

Also called a Server Assistant, Food Runners don’t need any formal education. To work as a Food Runner, you need to be physically fit, have strong communication skills and the ability to stay calm under pressure — all of which are skills required to be a Chef. 

Similarly, you don’t need formal education to be a Dishwasher. Dishwasher employers in the U.S. typically only look for candidates with schedule flexibility, the ability to lift heavy items and attention to detail. 

Starting in an entry-level job is a good stepping stone toward becoming a Chef as it gives you a glimpse into real-world settings, helping you decide if it’s the right role for you before fully committing time, effort and resources. 

It also teaches you the basics of kitchen operations, provides practical experience and helps you establish connections early in your career. 

Step 3: Obtain formal education (optional)

[Source: O*NET]

If you have the resources, pursue further education at a renowned culinary school. 

A culinary school helps you master basic culinary abilities such as mise en place, knife skills and knowledge of sanitation and safety standards. It prepares you for the work you’ll be doing in a professional kitchen. 

Culinary schools allow you to make and learn from mistakes in a controlled environment to help you avoid making costly errors in the future. 

Additionally, having a culinary degree gives you an edge over other applicants, as some establishments, especially upscale hotels, resorts and restaurants, may require a culinary degree.

If you can’t commit to spending two to four years in school, you can skip it. Many successful Chefs have made it by working their way up through the ranks. 

Alternatively, you can pursue Chef certifications to add some form of culinary education to your resume without investing significant time.

The American Culinary Federation (ACF), the leading certifying organization in the country, offers a variety of certification options for Chefs, including Certified Culinarian, Certified Personal Chef and Certified Chef de Cuisine. 

Step 4: Figure out what kind of Chef you want to be

There are different types of Chefs and different paths to becoming each. Depending on your preferences and strengths, you can choose the type that suits you best.

Below are just a few of the many variations of Chefs you can become. 

Sushi Chef

If you want to focus on Japanese cuisine, specifically sushi, then you can become a Sushi Chef. 

Start by applying for an entry-level job at sushi bars to learn the menu inside out and eventually master technical skills, such as how to use different types of knives for safety, proper handling of ingredients and preserving the delicate textures of seafood, especially fish. 

Pastry Chef

If you were wondering how to become a Pastry Chef and bread and pastries have always been your passion, you might consider applying for a Pastry Chef job. 

Since baking and pastry-making are more precise than cooking savory dishes, attending a pastry school can be helpful in teaching you baking science, nutrition and cake decorating techniques. 

Private Chef

For those who want to learn how to become a Private Chef and have the ability to build close relationships with clients, finding a job as a Private Chef could be a great fit. 

You can start by developing culinary skills at home. Practice various types of cuisines by watching YouTube videos from famous Chefs, reading cookbooks and experimenting with new recipes. 

If you want to climb the kitchen hierarchy instead of specializing in a particular cuisine or catering to specific clients, continue to upskill and gain experience so you can be promoted to higher roles, such as Head Chef and Executive Chef.

Keep in mind that the path to becoming a Private Chef is similar to how to become a Personal Chef since the two terms are often used interchangeably.

Step 5: Find a job in a Chef-driven restaurant or hospitality group

Brandon Dearden, a Montana-based Executive Chef and social media star who currently manages three different restaurant concepts, advises finding a job in a Chef-driven establishment. 

A Chef-driven restaurant or hospitality group is one where a Chef is 100% in control of the menu. This is regardless of who owns the restaurant.

Dearden recommends Chef-driven establishments for beginners for their potential to offer mentorship, an understanding of what it takes to maintain high culinary standards and career advancement. 

An example of a Chef-driven restaurant is French Chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud’s The Dinex Group.

Advice From an Established Executive Chef

We asked an already established Executive Chef who’s been working in the industry for a long time what his thoughts are on culinary school vs. apprenticeship programs. Below is his testimony and answers.

What would you recommend more — culinary school or apprenticeship programs?

“I personally never went to culinary school. I worked my way up from being a Dishwasher and Prep Cook all the way up to Executive Chef now.

I believe culinary school will teach you all the skills you need to succeed in a kitchen from holding a knife to making a simple bechamel. However, it will not teach you speed or how to develop a sense of urgency. And in a kitchen, those are essential.

There is nothing wrong with culinary school. If you can afford it, go for it. But I know a lot of great Chefs who learned by working their way up and through great mentors in the kitchen.”

David Salazar, Executive Chef