# is it to late???



## mikefly (Jul 30, 2005)

hey all,
i have been in this lovely profesion for 13+years have cooked in 7 different states including alaska,PA,nebraska and i have worked with some of the greatest chef's you will ever meet at 22 i was made a SC and at 25 was EC i am now 32 have owned my own place (bad choice there)and i am now helping my cousine get a coffee house/beistro off the ground and i am doing some menu consulting with 2 other places.... i have never had a problem getting a job and even when people ask what school i went to and i say the culinary accademy of hard knocks they laugh and we go on and i most of the time get the job!!!!
my piers and co workers refer to me as chef(other names as well but i think those will appear as #$%#@ here)
i checked in to a couple of comunity college programs and not trying to get a big head or anything but new more then the teachers on all of the hands on stuff they had me on some of the book stuff but felt it would be a wast of time my wife is the type that lets me do as i wish(shes a tattooist)and i feel maybe i should check in to a higher class academy and i just want to get a few opinons....


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## liv4fud (Jul 14, 2005)

are you serious man!

with the kind of experience you have, you should be teaching us newbies, not going to school with them.

don't know how important it is in the food industry but from where I come from, if you have proved yourself in the industry, you don't really need any other proof. your experience is your proof not a piece of paper that states blah blah academy trained you.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Unless you want your own place, that piece of paper can become a paper ceiling keeping you down too.

Phil


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## liv4fud (Jul 14, 2005)

phatch, u mean its necessary for mikefly to get a degree??


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## mikeb (Jun 29, 2004)

With your experience there probably isn't much you can learn from a culinary school. What exactly are you looking for? Obviously not a job, seems as though you've had luck getting them. If you're looking to learn something maybe do a stage or two with some world-class chefs? Travel somewhere, change of scenery and perspective?


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

With your experience I don't think you need to waste time or money on getting a culinary degree. I don't feel that it is that important. One thing you might want to consider though (and I can't believe I am saying this) is you might want to consider getting ACF certification. It might open those few doors that are shut to you because you lack a "formal" education. There are those places and people (few, but they are out there) that will only hire chefs with offical looking certifications whether it is a degree from a culinary school or certification from the ACF. I think it would be a wiser use of your money, and a lot less waste of your time to consider the certification route as opposed to schooling.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

mikefly,
This topic comes up frequently. Some of us have been sucessful in the industry with a formal education and (like yourself) some of have been sucessful without.
I think culinary schools have changed since I attended 30 yrs ago. Back then the instructors came right out of the field. It felt more like an internship. Now some of the instructors are products of the school ( just what I hear).
I think mikeb and pete give you some good advice. The AFC route will give you some more options, like teaching and such. Working with world class chefs with quench your thirst for knowlege.
pan
I would like to see a vote thread on formal education vs field education


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## mikefly (Jul 30, 2005)

i guess it was just me being wierd my last job i was hired by some one younger than me, i mean i was his SC but it was just weird cuz he was a graduate of brown in min. and 5 years youger dont get me wrong chef tyson was great he acctuly gave me some ideas on my current situation and when i left him he was excited for me so it really has to do with me not him and i would love to teach the new age chefs comming up 
NOW IM NOT TRYING TO PICK A FIGHT IN ANY WAY so dont take it that way...
i have overseen some internest at a few places in PA and i felt the instructers from there schools were a bit to easy and nurturing and the students didnt have a real grasp on a high volume kitchen and the real world of culinary arts....
so if theres any waY I can help teach urgency,multi tasking and how to remain cool under fire im there...
so i guess after all of that jaw jabbing i want to teach!!!!!! 
BTW TY to all of you that responded before this post it made me feel really good about my choices 
hey panini let me know what you need as far as web services thats my seditive to slow my brain down at night lol


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