Job Shadow Experience Paper

              The person I chose is someone I grew up with, someone who has a quirky personality and love for small furry animals as I do (her 2 wiener dogs keep her quite content, as do my fur balls.) Her career has nothing to do with animals, however. She went to The Culinary Institute of America in New York, which was ‘quite the experience, where I learned how to be a real chef in a real chef’s world, the kitchen’. She now works at Café Diablo as a Sous Chef, and loves every minute of it.

My first question was: “What exactly is a Sous Chef?”

“Basically, I am in charge of directing and planning food preparation in the kitchen. I supervise a great deal which I love because I have always been a leader and liked to be in charge (as you well know). I also get to discipline certain people who don’t do their jobs correctly, just like I did you in dance class.”

My second was: “What is your daily routine like?”

“Well, I’m up at the butt crack of dawn and am preparing and checking protocol for the day. I’m there pretty much before everyone else, and I like it that way. I make sure that we have everything we need, and do inventory. Then I start prepping for the day, including making a meal for my lovely co-chefs and coworkers that we can inhale later. Then just before lunch I check to see how many reservations the café has and make sure that we have enough food for all of the tables. Around that time, the Executive Chef comes in and we discuss what we need for the day, and any changes that are necessary. I ALWAYS make sure that each plate looks perfect and the way it should before it leaves the kitchen. Who wants to eat something that looks like hell, anyway? After lunch, I begin to make preparations for dinner, and finish up my day while the Executive Chef takes over. I usually wrap everything up and do inventory once more for the following day. Once I have finished, I come home to my lovely wieners and enjoy my wine and relax.”

My third was: “What kind of problems do you come into contact with, and how do you handle it?”

“The real question is, what problems DON’T I encounter?! Goodness sake I deal with idiots on a day to day basis and have to remind myself that I have wieners waiting for me at home who are counting on me to bring home the bacon (both literally and figuratively). What I have to do is to keep a level head and be prepared for the worst at all times (Say, burning the delicacy I had prepared the day before.)

My fourth was: “How did you know you wanted to be a Chef?”

“I have always been fascinated with food and how it tastes and is presented. Cooking with my mom and all of her creative renditions started my love for cooking, and then back in high school home-ec was my favorite class in the cooking section. I loved making food and having other people enjoy it.  Now I get to get paid for it and enjoy it every day.”

 My fifth was: “What is the work atmosphere like?”

“Each day is different. One day can be very relaxed and fun and the next hectic and hair pulling madness. It just depends.”

My sixth was: “Do you love what you do, or are you thinking of a change?”

“Of course I love what I do! Otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing it, would I? Sheesh. You ask stupid questions. I do have to admit, that some days I wish I could just relax with the wiener’s and not worry about whose crème Brule tasted better and what spice I SHOULD have used.”

My seventh was: “How often do you get sick of the routine?”

“Every once in a great while I do, but usually every day is different and presents something new to me, mainly by the Executive Chef that I both have to learn and accept without using my lovely flamboyant tongue we both know I have.”

My eighth and final question was: “What work values are strongest in this type of work?”

“What I value most about this type of work is the stability, income, and my ability to do what I enjoy every day. I love the constant interaction with people, and my status of being a leader.”

Overall Impression:

I was impressed by how much she loves her career choice. I originally did the job shadow because it seemed to be a great form of artistic expression. I really didn’t see much of it and found that the amount of stress and leadership and communication skills involved really made this career not so appealing after all. To each his or her own, but this is definitely not a career choice I will be pursuing.