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Even in this economy, there are job openings for chefs.

        According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 115,000 chefs and head cooks in 2006. That number is projected to grow to 124,000 by 2016. That’s an 8-percent change, or about the same rate of growth projected for most jobs.

        In addition to new jobs, there is turnover in current jobs, and that could create opportunities for chefs. Nina Tuthill, director of career services and externship coordinator for the Oregon Culinary Institute, says chefs change jobs for several reasons.

        “The pay scale has stayed low over the years, so a lot of our students and grads are moving around to find better-paying jobs,” she says.
        The BLS notes that the median annual salary for chefs in 2006 was $34,370.

        She points to another reason for employee turnover.

        “If you are working as a chef, you are putting in many hours,” she says. “That’s why there are so many job openings. People get burned out.”

        To try to prevent burnout and to decrease turnover, employees and employers are eager to make sure they have the right fit. So in addition to the question-and-answer interview, some upscale eateries ask prospective chefs to pass an audition in the kitchen. The process is called a stage, pronounced in French, “stäzh.”

        “It’s a French term that means to perform in the kitchen,” Tuthill says. “So many people can put anything on their applications or their résumés, and this way they can walk the walk.”

        The applicant first comes in for a brief interview. If that goes well, the person comes back to work a few hours or a full shift to show that they have knife skills, they know how to prepare certain foods, and they know how to plan a menu or come up with a new dish for some ingredients. The applicants who don’t get the job are compensated with a gift certificate.

        Tuthill says sometimes the applicant, not the employer, suggests doing a stage.

        “A lot of creative chefs now want people to see what they’re doing,” she says. “They want to do a stage in front of an audience.”

        Her advice: Even if you don’t have to do a stage, when you interview, highlight your stability in the industry.

        “If you can show you have been working in the field, they will hire someone with experience,” she says.

        Job opportunities vary by region, and some cities have more opportunities than others.

        “If you graduated from culinary school and you want to work, you should be able to find a job,” says Gina Novak, assistant director of career services and a culinary career advisor at the Art Institute of New York City.

        “There is the right job for the right person,” Novak says. “Not everyone will be able to work in a four-star restaurant, but four-star restaurants are not for everybody.”