I am going to finish up scholl in about 5 weeks and i am starting to get place calling me for interviews and i need some idea of a salary. I have been working for a caterer for about a year and will have a pastry chef degree. One of the places is an very class country club. can any one tell me what i should ask for?
o I live in Houston Texas.
Thanks to all.
DR

By Cvincolorado (Cvincolorado) on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 08:24 pm: Edit

Drew, first piece of advice I can give you is to spell check letters before sending them. If you are trying to get a professional chef position you have to look(and write)like a professional.

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 11:14 pm: Edit

ask for $70,000.00
just keep reminding them about that Pastry Chefs Degree

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Monday, May 16, 2005 - 10:42 pm: Edit

take what they are offering and stay there for two years.
work your butt off and make yourself better.
THEN ask for a raise.
and I'll bet ya 10. bucks you'll get it.
good luck.

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 - 07:06 am: Edit

Get that dictionary with the first paycheck though, or find the spell check button!

By Drewr81 (Drewr81) on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 - 09:23 am: Edit

Sorry to all about the spelling. It was about 3:00am and I always read what I type but I did not this time, Sometimes my fingers type to fast. You will not find this again.
Thanks
DR

By Snuffaluff (Snuffaluff) on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 03:32 pm: Edit

I know you're new around here, so I'll handle it for ya this time...

SHOOSH!!

Ok, now you're on your own. good luck

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 10:20 pm: Edit

Drew81..........
You went to the LeNotre Family Culinary Institute ?
From the same family ?
Are you any good ?
what kind of grades did you get ?
What did your teachers write about you and your talent ?
I would think, if you were a stand out student, having gone to THIS school, from THIS family and your Chef/Instructors thought highly of you, I don't see why you could not write your own ticket, with-in reason of course.
Have you any instuction on going to a place that is maybe screwed up, meaning having to fix a bunch of stuff right away in the Pastry shop ?
How are you with people ? Can you teach others what you want from them as far as production ?
Organization ?
If I were you, and I was very good, with excellent letters from my instuctors and near perfect grades, I would contact a headhunter company and find the very best place to work in, under someone with the talent like that of your Pastry Chef Instuctor at school. Whom I'm sure is excellent.
I would do this for a couple of years and then move on.
You see, I happen to think that LeNotre, was one of the finest Pastry Chefs EVER.
Hearing about this school has renewed my faith that there are teachers and schools that are continuing his level of excellence.
Thank God.

By Drewr81 (Drewr81) on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 10:33 pm: Edit

CHEFSPIKE,
Thank you for those words and the time you took to write me. My grades for the first two semsters where 97% and a 98.5% and i have and had a great relationship with all my chefs. I will get them to write a letter as well as Mr. LeNotre. Thanks again and will keep you updated.
P.S. I went back to the nice Country Club and asked ffor $45,000. a year and since this is a new postion they are looking at only paying between $10.00 - $15.00 per hour. Is this the norm?

DR

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 12:08 am: Edit

Yes, sadly this is the norm.
With your school and grades you should be able to do better.
Try the headhunter thing.
This one....
Executive Search, in Florida,Boco Roton( I think) they placed me in The Helmsley Hotel, NY. in 1980
I was Mrs. Helmsley's Pastry chef, and she wanted only the best and bought anything I needed.
It was a great job and they got me a great salary, and I lived in the hotel for ever.
Before that they had me fly to Dallas to interview at the Lowes Anatoil(sp) Hotel.
Things to remember with the headhunters.
Make sure if you fly someplace to interview, you get the return ticket! LOL!
Make sure that you can go for 2-3 days so you can check out the city.
Talk about living at the hotel until you can find an apt. and this is NOT part of the salary.
and make sure its in writting, and you have a couple of months to find an apt. OR they will pay for a service to find an apt for you.
This is nothing for a hotel, and they do it for the chef's all the time for out of town hires.
If your not happy in the city, your not going to be happy in the job.
if your single, stay that way. Dealing with broads and a new job is a pain in the as*
Make sure you meet everyone in the shop and get a get idea what they are like, chances are one or two will leave shorty after you get there cause they wanted the job you got.
If you get a pastry gig, find one good baker or one good asst. these two positions are life savers to a pastry chef. Even if they don't have the school you have, and just the years, you can always work with them and teach them the stuff you learned.
Don't drink, party, or sleep with anyone in the kitchen. I can tell ya, its NOT good ! LOL!
Other than that....kick a*s.

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 12:43 am: Edit

Oh and country clubs and places like that might be seasonal and want to "cut back on the staff" after the busy season, why bother with this?
hotels and good rest's with a good chef who will give you some leeway to do different things. Chances are you can learn from him too.
thats the ticket when your starting out.
nothing under 35,000. + health complete.

By Guavagirl (Guavagirl) on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 02:14 am: Edit

As an 'Assistant Pastry Chef,' equiv. to a sous-chef on the hot line, I work in one of the busiest (and best!) restaurants on Capitol Hill in D.C. I make about $35k/year--after five years of working in several high-end (check avg. $125 pp for all food, no bevs.) restaurants and a few years as a personal chef.
Right out of school I made $10/hr for about three months, then bumped to $12...but quite honestly, nothing over $15 is really ever available. Usually by that time the mgt. wants to put you on salary so that you can work 70 hours a week and they don't have to worry about overtime. But then again, you have to balance the lack of overtime with the benefits you may be receiving, like a parking space, gym membership, health ins, profit sharing, etc.
Right out of culinary school, you may have the necessary skills and an understanding of technique, but you don't have any experience (none mentioned, anyway) in managing a staff of pastry cooks, working up your production, producing specials, keeping your parstock interesting, and working with the savory line to produce desserts that will accurately and excitingly complement the menu--and also produce any items that they may need for service (vol au vents, brioche, garniture, pissaladieres, etc.) Please don't expect to just become the head pastry chef right out of school! Take the $10/hr--or try a hotel, they usually pay better, if you can put up with the bureauracracy that governs hotel employees.
The best advice I have is, find yourself a great pastry chef who needs a 'right-hand man.' Find yourself a mentor who will guide you into learning the big picture. Excellent grades or not, you will need to learn how to operate in the restaurant environment.
Cheers!

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 12:08 am: Edit

"and working with the savory line to produce desserts that will accurately and excitingly complement the menu"...

THERE IS A GOD !!!!!!!!!

Guavagirl, Marry me, I think I love you!!
Do you know how long it's been since I've heard something like this from a pastry person.
It's so wonderful, and the rest of your advice was Very Good.
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE ?
Be mine, and I'll give you everything my neighbor's own.

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 10:37 am: Edit

Oh, oh, run Guavagirl, run......
Spike, do you know what a guava is?????

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 09:17 pm: Edit

its a fruit.
what are you saying?
her name is Laurel, thats not a guys name, is it?
guys don't go around calling themselves "fruit girl" do they?
come on, its gotta be a girl.
she just likes guava's
(now for the life of me I can't remember what the hell they look like...THANKS A LOT MANNY !!!
YOU JUST SCREWED UP MY WHOLE FANTASY!
IF GUAVAGIRL TURNS OUT TO BE A GUY, I'M COME'IN DOWN THERE TO FLORIDA AND KICKING YOUR BUTT.
Geez, ya can't even have a good fantasy anymore these days.

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Sunday, June 26, 2005 - 08:10 am: Edit

They are almost round, about the size of a walnut, maybe a little bigger, green, yellow when it's ripe....very sweet, lots of eatable seeds.....and yes Laurel is a girl, Loren, may be a boy or girl depending on the pronunciation and continent.
You'd know this if you showed up for class regularly instead of cruising the beaches for girls with the dog!!!!...I know it's a chick magnet and all but education is important!!!!!

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Sunday, June 26, 2005 - 12:38 pm: Edit

I showed for class.
stood in line.
check the face to see no stubble
palms up, palms down, show the finger nails.
back of head for hair length.
pencil, paper, notebook.
school-ing/ education sometimes is overrated.
now....cruising the beaches, theres an education!
LAB.

By Pastrycrew (Pastrycrew) on Monday, May 08, 2006 - 12:33 am: Edit

I'm just curious what ever happened to Drew?

By Armycook (Armycook) on Monday, May 15, 2006 - 11:05 pm: Edit

Doesn't matter I'm still taking Spike's advice once I get out.

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 12:57 am: Edit

Whatever did happen to Drew ?
I know where the Army cook is, he's at Camp Stryker, south of Bagdad airport.
He gets out in 21/2 months.
Were gonna get together when he sobers up.