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Advice for cooks!
A word of advice: even if you have, or think you have a close relationship with someone at work, it does not mean that you are immune against harassment lawsuits. Although it is one of the most popular subjects in professional kitchens, sexual jokes and/or simple comments can cause you serious trouble. Trust me on this - always use proper etiquette when you talk to your coworkers, bosses or customers. Harassment complaints can really put a stop to your career progress.
Beware: although it sometimes feels good, getting angry solves nothing! Deal with every issue as if you were talking to your mother or father... respect will get you to your goal. As a cook or a Chef, whenever possible, don't deal with issues while they are still hot. Wait instead until things cool down before bringing it up again. These tricks will often save your ass from being fired because you told the boss to piss off!
Heads up, if your boss gives you your pay cheque and asks you if you can wait until next week before cashing it in, beware! When money is tight in a restaurant, the first dollars made should go to employees. Some restaurateurs will try to con the employees into accepting a deal "just for this week", then one more week, then one more week, then you show up at work one day and it is locked up...and you need to look for another job.
If you have the right personality, supervising a kitchen can be challenging, fun and very rewarding. It's great to see your team reach a higher level of skills because of your leadership. If you don't have the right personality, managing a kitchen can be your worst nightmare, and it can really make you fed up with cooking, to a point where you may even want to become a computer geek. As for women in the kitchen, unfortunately even today, the kitchen is still mostly a man's world. There will be extra challenges for you to get respected. "I have no doubt that my little girl can do it."
Leading is not for everyone, and that's just fine! A word of advice: only take a supervising position when you feel ready for it deep down in your gut, and you know that your executive Chef will be supportive and a great mentor. Ultimately, it is in your Chef's best interest to set you up for success, as you will represent his will in the kitchen.
A word of advice: It is up to you to make sure that no mistakes are made on your pay cheques. Even accountants make mistakes. Depending on where you work, you may have to use an electronic punching clock, or a computerized magnetic card, or some other device not invented yet. Trust me when I say this: Always keep track in writing and on a daily basis of the hours you work. These tricks will save you many arguments with the payroll person. One forgotten hour a week at $10 an hour for a year will add up to $520 at the end of the year.
Watch out - injuries happen quickly and often in the kitchen, so make sure you know where your first aid kit is located anywhere you work. It's not a bad idea to have a Level One first aid course under your belt before starting on your culinary path.
The fewer cooks there are in a kitchen, the harder it will be to take sick days. As a rule, unless you show up to work holding one of your bloody lungs in your hands, or missing a foot, you will be asked to come in to do your scheduled shift.
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"My Daughter wants to Be a Chef!
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