So you want to be a chef?

There you are watching all the latest episodes of "Iron Chef", reading Gourmet Magazine and your family went bonkers over your last Thanksgiving dinner and now you are telling yourself; heck, I can be a chef, I know how to cook, it is cool to be a chef nowadays and I'll make a hundred grand a year, is that so? Let's us present to you a good dose of reality with a couple of dashes of real facts.
Here's a couple of sobering statistics for you in case you are considering investing in a culinary education:

45-50% of students enrolled in a culinary program will drop out before graduation.
65% of students earning a culinary degree will not join the industry due to financial hardships.
Less than 20% of students graduated from a culinary program will get to see a Sous Chef position.
A small handful of graduates will make it to Executive chef and beyond.
Contrary to what most culinary institutions will tell you, you will start at the bottom coming right out of school, even with a four year degree.
The average pay by the hour for a kitchen worker (non management) ranges from $8 to $12 per hour. (consider that in todays economy)
You will have to work long hours
You will be required to work all weekends
You will be required to work on most holidays
You will work when your friends and family parties
Cleaning is part of your job.
Unless you work for a reputable corporation chances are that you won't get any benefits.

Culinary education is now a big business in America, and like any other business these institutions need students in order to survive and stay profitable. Culinary schools will promise you anything to get you a seat in their classroom, so be aware!
Our best advice for you is to start working in the restaurant industry before you enroll in any of these programs, get a job and get a feel for what it is, then decide if it is worthy of your sacrifice.
And here's another statistic for you:
"Celebrity Chefs" makeup for less than 1% percent of the overall amount of professional chefs in America. And no, we are not pessimistic but we think everybody deserves a little dose of reality before they invest their time and their money.