Posted by Donna on December 21, 1998 at 09:06:09:
In Reply to: Young chefs and the struggle for respect... posted by Glenn Messick on December 16, 1998 at 12:44:28:
Age has nothing to do with ability.If you are truly talented and can stand out alone, your superiors will take note real fast, then, up the ladder you'll go.
Anyone who runs a kitchen, welcomes smart and energetic young cooks as it sure does take the stress off when trying to accomplish 15 different jobs.
Does your boss:
Have to ckeck every little detail of your work?
Do you run for answers?
Do you use imagination?
Can you take charge of a work station?
Can you work well with co-workers?
How about clean up?
Can you cost a job?
Do you give suggestions?
Do you stay late-come in early?
If you are talented, my friend, you will shine and respect comes with talent, not age.
: I also feel at times that I am seen as inferior purely from an age stand point.I make no attempts to even PRETEND to have mastered ANYTHING, I dont call myself a chef.I am a cook. I think a damn good one.I dont say that with any sort of attitude or pretension, but at the age of 23, I have 11 years in this business, from dishwasher all the way to "chef".I put in 90 hour work weeks, prepping from 9am, jumping on the line til 12:30 am.I went through probably the closest thing to a traditional European apprenticeship as I've ever seen in the States. I resent being seen as a know it all because I attended culinary school, because I had 7 years in the "biz" before I even set foot in a culinary lab.I also resent being looked down upon as a hotshot who isnt worth a righteous salary because of my age.I resent all these things, BUT, I don't walk around demanding respect from these people, because I won't get it.Respect is something that you command without verbally requesting it. I'm not harping about " Aw, man, these old guys don't know what theyre doin, man I went to culinary school so Im a chef", thats not my attitude at all, what I am saying is that for every idiot who graduates culinary school and thinks hes Fernand Point, without ever seeing a real restaurant, theres his/her counterpart who paid the dues , came up through the ranks, and busted their ass to get to where they are.I think respect should be given where it is deserved, not dictated by age or job title.There are men and women who I will call Chef until the day they die because of the tremendous respect I have for them, and their chosen craft.Enough blabbering, I gotta get to work.