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This question is about executive chef.
It takes 8 years of professional experience to become an executive chef. That is the time it takes to learn specific executive chef skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 11 to 13 years years to become an executive chef.
There are certain skills that you need to obtain in order to become a successful executive chef. Some of the most common skills are listed below. Along with each skill, we provide an actual example of how someone included the skill on their resume:
Food Safety -- Received certification in food safety manager, Florida restaurant and lodging association and SafeStaff-contracted food safety provider.
Food Preparation -- Ensured customer service standards by identifying and resolving problems, identifying needed system improvements and implementing production and food preparation changes.
High Volume -- Utilized all creative and administrative skills in this high volume/fast paced independently owned and operated full service restaurant.
Customer Service -- Trained employees in customer service and food preparation procedures in line with high-end establishment standards, effectively expedited dinner service.
Kitchen Equipment -- Supported research and development efforts to improve menu offerings and also to upgrade kitchen equipment in alignment for corporate requirements.
The education needed to be an Executive Chef is normally a Associate Degree. Executive Chefs usually study Culinary Arts, Business or Hospitality Management. 56.0% of Executive Chefs hold a Associate Degree and 26.0% hold a Bachelor's Degree. We found these by analyzing 54103 Executive Chef resumes to investigate the topic of Executive Chef education more precisely.
The most common colleges for students to pursue their goal of becoming an Executive Chef are Culinary Institute of America and Johnson Wales University. We also broke down what colleges provide the best overall education for an Executive Chef. Students have a great path to earning their Executive Chef qualifications at the following schools:
If you're interested in getting a college degree in an affordable college for Executive Chefs - Inter American University of Puerto Rico Barranquitas is an excellent option for you. If your SAT or ACT score aren't as high as you'd like, you can look at Life University, as the admission requirements aren't too selective. On the other end of that spectrum are the Drexel University, Boston University and University of Cincinnati.
For those who would rather stay in your pajamas during the day, we prepared some online courses that can help in Executive Chef education paths.
The Certified Food Manager (CFM) certification is most common among Executive Chefs. This certification is awarded by the International Food Service Executives Association. This certification is great to have as it shows an improvement in your competency to perform your role. You can earn this certification at the beginning of your career, as it often doesn't require a minimum education level and work experience. To become a certified Executive Chef with Certified Food Manager (CFM), You need to pass the exam. This certificate requires more than two years of work experience. Renew certification every 3 year.

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