Need some advice please.

[Shakduhn]

Before I begin, this is gonna be a long read, I'll put a TL;DR version at the bottom but really, in order to truly grasp the situation please read the whole thing.


Well, for starters I am currently a 27 year old guy, living in Venezuela. Anyone who actually reads international news would know this place is an incredibly shitty place to live, quickly on its way to become either Cuba 2.0, or North Korea 2.0, frankly I can't decide which fate would be worse, but we can all agree both would suck.

Due to coming from a previously poor background, I never was able to go to college when I graduated from highschool, so I worked at a warehouse mostly. Pay was way below minimum wage, and they would not even give me 40 hours a week in order to avoid paying me benefits. Eventually my father got a better job, and was able to afford a higher education for me so I can have a better job as well, and now I am starting to think I chose poorly.

See, I love to cook, its one of my 3 passions (The other 2 being reading and playing/talking about videogames) so I went to a really nice culinary academy to be trained as a chef, or professional cook. Graduated at the top of my class. My goal was to get into a restaurant, get some work experience, and once I had accumulated enough money and experience (say...... 3 to 5 years) move to the United States.

Why the US? well...... why not? I have friends (That I've met through wow) and family there that love me a lot and could help me during the first few chaotic months, either with a roof on my head until I get a job etc. I'd like to clarify (just in case) that I'm not a leech, I want to be self-dependent instead of living off of someone else, no matter how well intentioned they are. Its one thing to accept their help at the start, and another entirely to continue to depend on them for the rest of my life.

Sadly, my plans have not gone as I imagined them to be for a couple of reasons. For starters, the food industry in venezuela is just horrible. I got a job at a really fancy restaurant on a yacht club, THE most expensive restaurant on the State of Zulia, only to find out that not only was the pay miserable (minimum wage for Kitchen assistant, slightly above minimum wage for line cook, and about double-minimum wage for their one chef) but the working conditions were horrible.

That kitchen was a safety hazzard, the job was unbelievably stressing, and physically exhausting beyond belief. I'd arrive home completely drained. Then there's the usual abuse of having to work unpaid overtime hours, and the fact that we had to work all year long, holidays included, we only get 1 week of vacation time per year and that's after working an entire year back-to-back. The job offered absolutely zero additional benefits. Just your paycheck and that's it.

I was constantly under pressure, and no matter how fast I did my job, I was constantly rushed to do it faster. Eventually the pressure and stress accumulated to a boiling point, and I briefly passed out in the kitchen, hitting my head on a stove getting a large burn on my face. The restaurant, unwilling to pay for the medical bills, elected to just fire me.

So, I got thinking, "is it THIS bad on the United States too?" so I did some googling, and found out that at least according to a couple of pages (that I can't link due to being new The name of the website is LivingWage) , being on the Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupational Area, are among the worst-paid jobs in the US.

So here I am, thinking that I made a poor choice of career, electing one that simply pays a pretty miserable wage (Who the hell can live on minimum wage and not starve? that's a universal truth in venezuela and everywhere else, Minimum Wage means having to work 2 jobs and pretty much have ZERO time for yourself. Ever. You wake up, go to job 1, finish shift, go to job 2, finish shift, arrive home more dead than alive, go to sleep. Wake up, Rinse&Repeat. That doesn't sound like a nice life. Here in Venezuela, as bad as things are, I have the safety net that are my parents, and as long as I live with them, minimum wage is still enough, since we pool together our 3 salaries. On the US I'm gonna be all alone, and I need to be able to support myself all alone)

Now, what's the point of telling this long story?

Mostly to ask 2 questions.

The first is addressed to anyone in these forums that works, or has worked, at the food industry in any way, be it as a cook, pastry cook, baker, etc. I'm mostly looking for other points of view. Anyone who's ever worked at a kitchen either in a fast food place, or a restaurant, or a hotel, or a bakery, or a deli, etc.

Is it really that bad? both in pay and in work conditions?

The second question is addressed to anyone else.

Should I seek to study another career? if so, which one should I choose? what jobs in the US offer a decent pay, and decent working conditions?

Thanks to anyone who took the time to read this and offered some insight.

TL;DR: Studied to become a chef, found out that the food industry on my country is awful, I'm trying to move to the US, having a crisis of faith regarding my career choice. Unsure if I should stay my course, or try to study something else. If I study something else, I'm unsure what to study. Basically I dunno what to do with my life T_T but I don't want to depend on my parents forever because I know they wont be with me forever, and furthermore, they're not gonna be there for me when I move to the US.

[Deleted]

Kitchen staff have a hard time everywhere you go, expect long hours, shit pay and asshole customers creating trouble just to get a free meal.

[Deleted]

We can't really tell you what to do, it's your life

[Deleted]

Read your entire wall, I don't live in the US, I'm from Europe (Belgium) and I've worked in restaurants for years (be it kitchen, bartending or serving).

When I first started at age 17 I made 7,5€ an hour (9.5USD)

The most I made working in a small kitchen as a sous-chef, I made 10€ an hour (+/- 12 USD).

I don't know the situation in the US because I've never even been there, my suggestion? Come to Western/Northern Europe if you want to work hard and be payed a decend wage. We have lots of immigrants working in kitchens and they are not treated any worse then normal native workers. (Depending on where you work, I can't speak for all restaurants, obviously there are bound to be bad ones). Learning the language is not necessary, if you only want to work, English will get you far enough. If you want to live here, be prepared to learn a new language.

Also, we have socialism and our healthcare is top notch, if you save up a few years, you might even get cheap/advanced education in whatever field you're interested in.

Good luck!

[Shakduhn]

We can't really tell you what to do, it's your life

=/

I know that man. You're kinda pointing out the obvious. I'm not looking for someone to tell me what to do, I'm looking for different points of view.

Say, you don't work in a kitchen, you could tell me what do you do for a living, what kind of studies you had to do to get there, and would you personally recommend that career to someone else?

[Deleted]

=/

I know that man. You're kinda pointing out the obvious. I'm not looking for someone to tell me what to do, I'm looking for different points of view.

Say, you don't work in a kitchen, you could tell me what do you do for a living, what kind of studies you had to do to get there, and would you personally recommend that career to someone else?

Do you have any other interests you could pursue while you work part time in a kitchen? Kitchen staff are a dime a dozen in most countries unless you really manage to impress the right people, getting a work visa will not be easy for that profession.

[Aeno]

Find a different career unless you want to take a leap of faith and start your own business. The average career changes people make is 3...which is definitely just an average. I know people who changed 7+ times. There's no shame in it.

[Spalding]

Have worked ina few kitchens in Australia paying anywhere between $17 per hour to $25, minimum being 10 (cash work lol)

getting a working visa as a chef is gonna be hard, and if you do decidedecide to study where you are and move overseas, or to the US, you'd want to make sure that whatever qualifications you'd get are internationally recognized.

My two cents? try to change your field of expertise. you love cooking but your job sounds shit, its putting your skills to shame mate, save your cooking for a sweet lady and your family - people who'd appreciate a great meal.

Id say find a country you're keen on moving to, find out what jobs would get you a working visa, and pick what you can from there. Not saying it's easy but heck, long term gain for short term pain.

[Independent voter]

I read this book about the restaurant industry Kitchen-Confidential-Anthony-Bourdain-ebook it's written by a real life chef. I think he exaggerates sometimes but not much. He talks about how you have to separate the Equadorians from Guatemalans on the line or they'll fight. How some restaraunts are just owned by rich people who run them as hobbies, the crazy people you meet in the food industry, etc. I liked reading it.

He also shares a lot of interesting things about restaraunts like how a chef would know spies who work at neighboring restarants and these spies would report back to the chef to tell him what the enemy restaraunt was doing and how the chef would reward these spies with gifts or jobs.

It might be a little better in the US.

[Shakduhn]

Have worked ina few kitchens in Australia paying anywhere between $17 per hour to $25, minimum being 10 (cash work lol)

getting a working visa as a chef is gonna be hard, and if you do decidedecide to study where you are and move overseas, or to the US, you'd want to make sure that whatever qualifications you'd get are internationally recognized.

My two cents? try to change your field of expertise. you love cooking but your job sounds shit, its putting your skills to shame mate, save your cooking for a sweet lady and your family - people who'd appreciate a great meal.

Id say find a country you're keen on moving to, find out what jobs would get you a working visa, and pick what you can from there. Not saying it's easy but heck, long term gain for short term pain.

Thanks. Currently I have no idea what to choose from though. I initially based my choice on what I like to do (Cooking) but since that was a poor choice, now I'm pretty much incapable of choosing. And career counseling over here SUCKS.

Anyways, thanks to those who took the time to read and respond.

[Ayporos]

We can't really tell you what to do, it's your life

Pretty much this. It's not up to the internet to live your life for you.

[Blueobelisk]

I only read the Too Long Didn't Read but I think you're fine. It's not easy being a chef, you have to be on your feet in the kitchen for 12+ hours. It's definitely not for everyone, but it's still a very viable option.

I think you should continue, being a head chef seems fun. What you should do is work in kitchens and try to master the different stations (fish, garnish, meat, etc.), improve your cooking skills, and work your way up until you're the main guy giving the orders in a big restaurant. If you have the skills a good restaurant will pay well.

If you truly did spend a good time studying then I don't think this was a poor move. It's fine to want to move to a different area but if your country has any high quality (high priced) restaurants then you can stay there.

[belfpala]

TL;DR: Studied to become a chef, found out that the food industry on my country is awful, I'm trying to move to the US, having a crisis of faith regarding my career choice. Unsure if I should stay my course, or try to study something else. If I study something else, I'm unsure what to study. Basically I dunno what to do with my life T_T but I don't want to depend on my parents forever because I know they wont be with me forever, and furthermore, they're not gonna be there for me when I move to the US.

The food industry can be cruel. There's no way around it. You'll have ridiculous hours. Depending where you're working, you might have to deal with organized crime. You'll have to deal with assholes like me.

It's rewarding if you like it.

[Cthulhu 2020]

Find out what it takes to become a sous chef and not just a line cook. It's mostly just requiring experience and demonstrating that you are able to cook their menu perfectly, while being able to manage all of the line cooks. The positions don't open up often but apply to every one. If you're better than everyone there you'll get better pay and benefits at least, can't speak for the stress though.

[belfpala]

Find out what it takes to become a sous chef and not just a line cook. It's mostly just requiring experience and demonstrating that you are able to cook their menu perfectly, while being able to manage all of the line cooks. The positions don't open up often but apply to every one. If you're better than everyone there you'll get better pay and benefits at least, can't speak for the stress though.

I have one thing: show up on time every day, every day. I don't care if you're doing drugs, drinking, whatever, after your shift if you're here and ready to work whenever the schedule says. On-time person will be promoted before anyone else. My current best sous started as a dish washer. I threw him on the line once because I was short. Dude just kept stepping up. Now he's God when I'm absent.

[Blueobelisk]

I have one thing: show up on time every day, every day. I don't care if you're doing drugs, drinking, whatever, after your shift if you're here and ready to work whenever the schedule says. On-time person will be promoted before anyone else. My current best sous started as a dish washer. I threw him on the line once because I was short. Dude just kept stepping up. Now he's God when I'm absent.

Are you a head chef?

[belfpala]

Are you a head chef?

Chef/Part owner, yes. Why?

[Blueobelisk]

Chef/Part owner, yes. Why?

:O I wonder what % owner you are.

[belfpala]

:O I wonder what % owner you are.

30% me, 30% another guy, and 40% a third guy. I run the kitchen. Second guy runs the bar. Third guy has money.

[Blueobelisk]

:O That's pretty cool. I wish I had good partners to start a business with...