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Want a Food-Focused Career? Do This
Do you want to build a career in the food industry as a chef, restaurant owner, corporate manager, hospitality worker, catering service owner, or meal planner? If so, the time to start is now. In addition to the right education, you'll need to acquire some real-world experience, choose an industry niche, figure out how to pay for school, work with a mentor, and explore the idea of one day owning a franchise. Here are details about how to get started on your food-related career.
Select a General Field
If you like the idea of having options, a culinary-related career has you covered. Choose from varied career paths like chef training, hospitality management, hotel operations, tourism, catering service ownership, the restaurant business, and science-based jobs like food engineering and testing. You can even start a food blog and turn that into a career. Try to select a general area of study before selecting a college.
Financing a Degree
Getting a college degree is the central component of an effective plan for building a career in the food industry. Unfortunately, there are significant expenses along the way, like tuition, books, fees, and many more. Even for those who plan to take out student loans or finance part of the degree themselves, it's essential to explore scholarships first.
The good news is that there are literally thousands of offers available for eligible candidates. But, how can you know which ones you qualify for and have a chance of getting? The answer is to use a full-service online service to submit common documents, like essays and applications, to numerous scholarships at once. When you take advantage of this method to searching and applying, the initial step is brief and simple. It consists of filling out a personal profile and submitting it to the site so you can see which scholarships match your qualifications. Then, you decide which ones to apply for. Using the features, you can submit dozens of applications at once without the need to compose multiple essays and other documents because all your compositions are saved on the search site.
Spice Up Your Resume with Relevant Experience
Before, during, and after school, attempt to add as much industry experience to your resume as possible. There are dozens of ways to do this. Consider working in a restaurant, interning with a corporation in the food industry, taking a job as a cook, or opting for a position in a hospital kitchen. Seek diverse opportunities so your resume reflects several skills and exposure to a wide variety of occupational experiences.
Find a Mentor
After choosing a career path in the industry, search online for a mentor. It's best to work with someone whose career is similar to what you plan to do. Check with mentoring websites and avoid paying membership or scouting fees. The better mentor locating sites do not charge a fee. Meet weekly at first, and be sure to keep notes when holding online or in-person discussions with your mentor.
Consider Franchising Opportunities
After the initial phase of your career, consider purchasing a restaurant franchise. You'll need excellent credit, a solid work history, and the funds to pay initial expenses. Most people who acquire franchises have several years of industry work behind them and have saved a significant amount of money for a down payment on the business.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the businesses in question before making your plans.
