Opportunities in Culinary Careers [Paperback]

Mary Donovan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997 | Series: Opportunities in ...

Discusses the background, training, and experience necessary for a career in the food industry, and describes becoming a chef, working in hotels, restaurants, and institutions, and pursing related types of work.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Your passport to a successful and rewarding career

Are you looking for the latest information to open the door to the career of your dreams? The nation's largest career books series, VGM's Opportunities in . . . series gives you the inside scoop on more than 100 professions, as well as on all the essential aspects of your potential career, no matter how specialized the field. From the latest training requirements to current salary statistics to the lowdown on life on the job, each book is packed with comprehensive, up-to-date information to help you confidently pursue the profession that's right for you!

In this revised edition of Opportunities in Culinary Careers, you'll find:

• Tips on determining if you have the skills, qualifications, and temperament to make it in culinary arts
• Reliable resources for professional apprenticeships, cooking schools, and certification programs
• Detailed descriptions of job duties and responsibilities for a wide variety of positions, from pantry cook to dining room manager to executive chef
• An expansive overview of possible job settings, including food testing labs, restaurants, hotels, spas, nursing homes, even private yachts!
• The latest information on the earning potential for freelance and salaried workers
• Strategies for launching a career and keeping it alive, including running your own restaurant, lunch stand, or private catering service

Take the stress out of the career selection process with this indispensable guide that functions as your own personal vocational counselor. You'll find enough expert advice to make an informed, intelligent choice about your career--and your future.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Mary Donovan is an editor and author and has been active in the field of culinary arts for the past twenty-two years.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844223344
• ISBN-13: 978-0844223346
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,829,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lightweight and disappointing, December 12, 2005

By 

Perri Kennedy (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Opportunities in Culinary Careers (Paperback)

This guide to culinary careers is terribly overpriced for the information it contains. The quick descriptions of different culinary careers have some value, as do the appendices listing culinary publications and organizations. However, the career descriptions are quite short and the advice is unremarkable. On the topic of finding a culinary mentor, for example, the author advises you to find one. That's pretty much it - no discussion on how to choose a suitable mentor, or how to convince an experienced professional to take you on as a protege. The book mentions the apprenticeship system but doesn't explain how to find an apprenticeship. The section on choosing a culinary school/vocational program is much better, though.

Something trumpeted in both the book description here and on both covers of the actual book is the inclusion of up-to-date information on salary statistics and earning potential for the spectrum of culinary professionals. It must have been printed in invisible ink, because I don't see it *anywhere* (and yes, I have this exact edition). This promise was my primary motivation for getting the book, so I was very disappointed (disgruntled, even) that this information is NOT in the book after all.

Don't spend money on this book unless you're just looking for a quick overview of the career possibilities. That's the one thing the author does well - it describes (in brief) a wide range of culinary careers beyond the obvious white-linen restaurant ones.

This book could have been greatly improved if it had expanded on the career descriptions, perhaps including short interviews with actual culinary professionals, especially those in roles like institutional cooking or food research. Of course it also would have been much better if it had actually included the promised salary information, too.

It's a good book to have in a library or career center, but it's not much use for your home reference bookshelf.