Customer Reviews

Food Jobs: 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and Food Lovers

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Having worked in the hospitality industry for almost 30 years, this book can help anyone considering employment in foodservice. Instead of the traditional thinking of "what job fits my qualifications?", this book demonstrates how to make your place in the world by making a job or finding a job to fit your qualifications; to fit your personality and to fit your passion. For many people, this is a major paradigm shift.

Irena has filled the pages with examples, testimonials and research demonstrating how to make your passion into a rewarding career. So, exactly how many people are out there that hate their jobs? Apparently they never read this book.

This is THE book I have been waiting for! From front of the house to back -- and down alleys you never even thought to explore, Irena Chalmers has created a comprehensive guide for any person interested in pursuing a career in the food industry. Food Jobs covers all the conventional occupations you can think of. PLUS, it goes on to include the unconventional and eccentric jobs for culinary and food study graduates like me that are looking to find their dream job and know it isn't located in a professional kitchen or behind an office desk. Irena has drawn on her years of experience and has done her research, interviewing experts from all arenas: chefs, food stylists, artists, publicists, retailers, farmers, writers, anthropologists, educators...you name it. This book is a must read!

This book is very good for not only the food field but also for other "creative" jobs. I'm a flower designer but I started reading this book and picked up many great hints to extend my work and my career.

I was inspired by the author's knowledge and writing style. I also appreciated learning about not only so many jobs which are involved with food, but also new ways of thinking about the job search process.

Before you get a new job, or change your career direction, if you read this book you'll be sure to pick up lots of new ideas. This is a very interesting book on many levels.

Have you ever dreamed of working in the food industry but weren't sure what kind of job you would like? Do you love food but without a culinary degree you thought you could never follow your passion? With captivating humor and insight, Irena Chalmers has written a guide to help career changers, culinary students, and food lovers explore the many facets of the culinary world.

It takes great skill to describe positions so that people think, "Hey, I could do that." Irena recently wrote, "If you can do crossword puzzles and read a map, you have the kind of brain that would enable you to be a cookbook indexer or a fact checker." I immediately sat up and thought I may have the skills to break into the business after all!

I look at Irena's delightful listing of unusual food jobs as proof that there is truly something for everyone. No matter how esoteric your passions, there is someone out there that needs your expertise. From those who want to cook on the line, to product demonstrators, anthropologists, and cookbook doctors, there is something for everyone.

Start reading this book and your synapses will immediately begin firing. One option after the other, comments from some of the best minds in the business, references to books you should read, organizations you can join, and blogs to follow - the opportunities are endless and the only limitation is your own imagination. Buy "Food Jobs" and start on your path to becoming a happier and healthier person.

Food Jobs: 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and Food Lovers

What a gift this book is! I've been struggling with my love of working with food. Not sure of where to go with it.
Then along came this book and it swung the door wide open for me. There's more ideas and information on working in food than I would have thought possible. By the time I finished reading it everything shifted.

There was an explosion of jobs I never even dreamt of and insights and information galore. I keep re-reading it and get more and more inspired each time. Thanks to the author for changing my stymied world view to one of expansiveness and hope. I'm giving it 5 stars. I wish it were possible to give it more.

There are so many fantastic stories to learn from in this book... it truly lays out the breadth of possibilities in food jobs in a way that's never been done before. I think its best gift is that it is mind-expanding for the food career seeker... that is, many of the "jobs" in this book are due to innovations and entrepreneurial spirit, so they weren't really existing jobs before they were created out of the minds of these folks. So it's not so much a "how to get a job" book as much as a "how to create a job" book, and that is its true gift.

This book is a must-read for anyone contemplating a career in the Culinary Arts or for those in the industry looking for a change. Not only does it give comprehensive job descriptions, it also provides well thought out tips for getting started on finding a job you'll love within this ever-growing field. It also provides interesting and helpful profiles, from well-respected individuals in the industry, that share their recipes for success. Perfect for food lovers, culinary students, and food professionals alike, food Jobs is the ideal one-stop resource for anyone interested in a culinary career.

This is a MUST read for anyone looking to reinvent their own current culinary career or transfer present skills into the culinary world. As we all know, in this business, anything is possible with a little creativity and dedication. I would recommend this book to anyone searching for the inspiration needed to add a little flavor to their work life.

As a food professional looking for other suitable opportunities in my field, I found this book informative, inspirational, and charming. Budding culinary professionals or those seeking a change within the culinary world will find Food Jobs an invaluable read.

Irena Chalmers not only provides sage advice from top culinary professionals, but also includes a variety of food-related websites to explore, and endless hints and tips - from writing the perfect query letter to crucial information on how to put your best foot forward with prospective employers. Food Jobs categorically details information on just about every food job imaginable

A passion for food is a good thing. Turning your passion into an exciting career is even better! Whether you dream of being an executive chef, food writer, or owning your own bed and breakfast, Food Jobs is the ultimate book that gives all the tools you need to make it happen.

In 2003 I discovered a profession that I thought was perfect for my passions and talents, TV chef. I have spent the past half decade trying to reach this lofty, if bizarre, goal. It has been a tough road as, like I have said before, there are no vocational programs or community college courses to prepare me for it. But, finally, there is now an instruction manual.

Award-winning food writer Irena Chalmers (The Great Food Almanac - an IACP Julia Child Award winner) has published a new book that introduces and lays the groundwork for all those foodies who want to make their hobby their vocation: Food Jobs: 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and FOOD Lovers.
Chalmers's career has been unprecedented. She is a renowned and respected food writer, editor, and publisher who has lent her talents to literally hundreds of titles, cookbooks, and guides. In addition to her work with books, she has also contributed articles to at least a dozen different magazines, including Chef magazine, where she served as the "Last Word" columnist for five years. She has also been a guest on over a hundred radio programs.

Upon receiving my copy of Food Jobs, it was hard to resist jumping past the first 136 pages to get to chapter 4, entitled "All Things Media." Alas I was able to keep my personal ambitions at bay and for almost 15 minutes, too. The first section of chapter 4 deals with food writing. The list of food writers who have progressed from written page to small screen is impressive, like Michael Ruhlman, Jeffrey Steingarten, Anthony Bourdain, and even Chalmers herself. As the chapter unfolds you also get looks at less glamorous but possibly more rewarding food media careers like publishing, food styling and restaurant reviewing. And there are eight more chapters!

But the real magic of Food Jobs is that I discovered a lot of jobs that I had never thought of before. Professions like culinary tour guide, olive oil tester, and even fortune cookie message writer (somebody's got to come up with that stuff) are all discussed, as are more conventional occupations like cruise-ship chef, menu designer, or product demonstrator. Chalmers's work is perfect for those of you contemplating a career change or are just jazzed about food in general. Don't be surprised if Irena Chalmers is toting home more hardware after the culinary awards festivals next spring.