Article Reflection
The name of the article in the study is “So You Wanna Be a Chef” by Anthony Bourdain. In the article, the author shares a personal memoir of what it is like to work in the frontline of a restaurant business. Bourdain shares his experiences as a chef. For instance, Bourdain shares how working as a dishwasher influenced him to become a chef because he noticed that the chefs were treated like gods. Also, the culture in America granted a perfect opportunity for Bourdain to become a chef because there was limited competition. After all, there was no wide variety of foods to be prepared as opposed to the current world. Likewise, Bourdain’ family played a critical role in his career since he wondered how dining made him his parents leave him in a car for up to three hours. Also, the author gives his opinion concerning the American chefs where he describes them being possessed with egos, lazy, and undisciplined, among others. Lastly, the author talks about how it was hard to work in a restaurant business in the 1970s, where the hotel industry lacked proper regulations, and this resulted in the exploitation of immigrants.
The above article brings about essential ideas about what it takes to become a perfect chef, plus the hidden secrets in the hotel industry. For instance, Bourdain argues that a chef’s career is greatly influenced by choice of school. Hence a person must choose a reputable institution because employers look for professional chefs from great schools such as the French Culinary Institute or Culinary Institute of America. Likewise, Bourdain raises concern about student loans, and this reflects the cost of education in developed countries such as the US. Hence, a person can get stressed when they take a student loan that they must repay, and this proves difficult when one struggles to find a job. However, the author argues that a chef career can be rewarding, especially when one gets a job in one of the greatest kitchens in New York or Europe, and this relies on a post-school apprenticeship.
The other point that stood out for me is that a person’s age plays a pivotal role in the hotel industry. Hence, it might be difficult for a thirty-year-old who is planning on joining a school to become a chef. By the time they will be graduating, no employer will be interested in granting them a job. This is because old chefs are presumed to be slower, get easily injured, call in sick often, and also have family lives and responsibilities which affect their job productivity. Also, a person’s body plays an essential role in the chef’s career. Hence, one should not be overweight because the working environment is too demanding; for instance, individuals have to run up and down the stairs, bend for hours, and carrying pans loaded with food. However, culinary schools do not mention the above factors because they would not want to be discriminatory. Furthermore, everyone has a right to education, while some institutions’ motives are to make a profit by enrolling as many students as possible.
Additionally, Bourdain advises young graduates on how to have a successful career in the hotel industry. First, one must never work close to their homes, friends, and families, because this creates comfort. As a result, one never encounters challenges and get tempted to think that their career is successful. Instead, one should work in a new environment, where there are no favors, and at the same time makes maximum use of the available resources. A culinary degree is helpful, but increased experience and travel grants a person with adequate knowledge. Moreover, Bourdain argues that anyone can become a successful professional chef, but the young generation faces a series of challenges due to their age. For instance, most millennials are exposed to drugs and alcohol. However, this is a threat to one’s career due to the effects associated with drug and substance abuse. This might be a bit risky compared to other careers because a kitchen involves a series of activities such as exposure to fire, and handling equipment such as knives. More so, drug and substance abuse is always associated with reduced job productivity, and undisciplined cases and this can lead to job loss.