Proliferation of hotel and restaurants industry has opened a wide spectrum of job opportunities for those, who have inner quest to prepare delicious foods and wining hearts.


Career as Chef

The growth in hospitality industry has given rise to a growing demand for professional chefs. As a chef, one not only gets the opportunity to spice up palatable dishes, but also make a fortune by way of it. It is the chef, who holds the recipe for the success of an eatery or a catering business. If one nurtures the desire to win a million hearts by serving people with good food, a career as a chef is the right answer.

Course Details
A degree or a diploma certificate in Hotel Management and Catering Technology open up many interesting employment avenues. There are four-year degree programs and three-year diploma courses available in hotel management. A two-year diploma in Culinary Arts and Kitchen Administration is also available. The minimum qualification to enter into these courses is 10+2 pass. These courses are offered by various hotel management institutes across the country. For the degree course, an entrance exam is conducted by the National Council of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT). Short duration certificate courses are also offered in food production, food processing and cookery science. Besides, specialization degree in any of the three areas like cold kitchen, hot kitchen, and bakery & confectionery may open up better job opportunities.

Career Prospects
Professional chefs may find jobs in hotels, restaurants, air catering, food processing companies, catering in confectioneries, cruise liner, corporate catering, etc. Departmental catering services of defense and railway departments are also open to them. Besides, they can work in canteens operated by universities, colleges, and private schools. Chefs can later become food writers or food journalists. A two-year post graduation degree from IHM institutions can offer them to join as faculty members in government or private institutions, conducting hotel management courses. And, of course, they can become an entrepreneur by setting up their own business. In addition to all, they can find a job abroad as Indian chefs are lately high in demand in countries, like UAE, USA, Australia, and Canada.

Top Colleges Offering UG/PG/Other Courses
Courses in hotel management and food processing are offered by several institutes in India. The most important among them are: Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition at New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Goa; Indian Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad; The Welcome Group Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal; The Oberoi Center of Learning and Development, New Delhi; Government Institute of Hotel Management and Catering at Dehradun and Almora; The Oriental School of Hotel Management at Mumbai, Delhi and Vadodara; National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology, New Delhi; Delhi Institute of Hotel Management, New Delhi; State Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Thuvakkudi; Amity School of Hospitality, Noida; and Lakshay Bharthi International Institute of Hotel Management, New Delhi.

Remuneration
Even though the pay scales may vary from place to place, the differences are not too many. A new entrant can earn about Rs. 10,000 to 15,000 per month. After gaining 5-7 years of experience, one can easily earn up to Rs.50,000-60,000 per month. As you reach the top and become an Executive Chef, your salary can be anywhere between Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh per month.

Related Courses
• Bachelors
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