Career Guide is a series of occupational briefs which aims to provide information on hard to fill and highly-in-demand occupations identified during the 2006 National Manpower Summit and the 2007 National Human Resource Conference. The Career Guides contain such information as the nature of the job, its education and competency requirements, earnings, employment and job outlook.

Chef

Chefs plan and direct food preparation and cooking activities, and prepare and cook meals and specialty foods.

Tasks

Plan and direct food preparation and cooking activities;
Plan menus, ensure food meets quality standards;
Estimate food and labor cost;
Supervise activities of cooks and other kitchen staff;
Demonstrate new cooking technique;
Instruct cooks in preparation, cooking, garnishing of food displays;
Plan the requisition of food and kitchen supplies.

Basic Educational Requirement

There is no specific educational requirement for Chefs. However, most employers prefer to hire high school graduates, with course in commercial food preparation.

It is recommended for those planning a career as a chef to enroll in culinary courses offered by various culinary schools.

Skills and Competencies

Coordination;
Management of material resources;
Management of personnel resources;
Instructing;
Planning and implementation ;
Oral comprehension;
Number facility.

Physical Attributes and Characteristics

Oral expression;
Manual dexterity;
Neat;
Physically fit.

Salary/Compensation

Salaries of chefs vary considerably according to the type of food services establishment in which they work. Salaries are usually highest in elegant restaurants and hotels.

The monthly salary of chefs for entry level starts from P9,000 to 18,000.

Prospects for Career Advancement

Advancement opportunities for chefs depend on their training, work experience, and ability to perform more responsible and sophisticated tasks. A number of them may advance to Sous-chef and Executive chef, supervisory or management positions particularly in hotels, clubs, and more elegant restaurants. Others go into business as caterers or restaurant owners, while others become instructors in culinary schools.

Employment Opportunities

Employment growth will be spurred by increases in population, household income, and leisure time that will allow people to dine out and take vacations more often. In addition, growth in the number of two-income households will lead more families to opt for the convenience of dining out.

There are likewise opportunities for overseas employment in large hotels and on board luxury liners.

Cost of Education *

A 4-year course in B.S. Hospitality Management major in Culinary Arts cost around P860,000 to 900,000 , inclusive of the materials (utensils and ingredients) that will be used during the whole course.

A 14 month course in Culinary Arts (with diploma) is also being offered and this cost around P290,000. There is likewise a 7-month course offering at a lesser cost of P99,000. Both are inclusive of uniform, hand-outs, course folders, and ingredients for practical hands-on and demonstration.

Another course offered is a non-degree course in Basic Cooking. This consist of 12 modules costing P1,200 per module (one module = 4 hours). There is also a one-month course

Professional Cooking for a fee of P20,000. Certificates are given after completion of training.

* Based on tuition fee rates for school year 2007-2008