Senior Chef. The main part of my job is prep, service, menu work, inventory and supervising the kitchen.

My field is Food & Hospitality.

I've been in this position for 13 years.

Most of it is prep, service, menu work, inventory and supervising the kitchen.

Basically, the organization needs someone responsible for this area so problems don't just get passed around. It depends a lot on who you're working with.

Other people build on what I do, so mistakes can travel pretty far. Good work saves everyone time later. That's been pretty consistent for me.

Mornings are normally planning and messages. After that I try to get a decent block of time for prep, service, menu work, inventory and supervising the kitchen.

Yes. Reviews and documentation repeat a lot. The actual subject of the work changes. That's how it works on my team.

Depends on the season/project. I wouldn't call every day high pressure. It took me a while to get used to that.

I'm on-site most days. The exact mix changes from week to week.

I use knives, ranges, ovens, thermometers and inventory systems.

It depends on the task. Some things need three departments; other things I can finish without talking to anyone.

The common path is kitchen experience; culinary school is optional.

Not necessarily for every employer. Licensing is different though; if the role legally requires one, that's non-negotiable. I didn't really understand that until I started working.

Problem solving. A lot of the day is figuring out what to do when the obvious answer doesn't work. That changed a little once I had more experience.

My hours move around a little, but it's a full-time schedule. That matters more than I expected.

The schedule is set more by the work than by me. Some coworkers would probably answer differently.

Work-life balance depends more on the employer than the title, in my opinion. It depends a lot on who you're working with.

Mostly my immediate team and people from two or three related departments. My last job handled it differently.

I've seen people move into leadership, consulting and specialist roles. That's been my experience anyway.

The path isn't perfectly standardized. People branch into technical and management tracks. Some coworkers would probably answer differently.

Project management is a common move. Consulting is another. That matters more than I expected.

Entry-level can be crowded even when the overall profession is growing. It's not something I thought about before I started.

Keeping up with new tools while still doing your regular job takes effort. That's been my experience anyway.

The field should still be around. Some entry-level tasks may look very different. The job description didn't really explain that part.

AI will probably save time on first drafts and repetitive tasks. I don't see it removing the need for judgment. That's the part I notice most.

Entry-level pay and experienced pay are pretty different. Location also changes it a lot. That's been my experience anyway.

Benefits are pretty standard where I work. Bonus depends on the year. I learned that pretty quickly.

Practice writing and presenting your work. People underestimate how useful that is. That's been my experience anyway.

Shadowing somebody for a day would be useful. A normal day, not a special tour. It depends on the project, though.

I changed direction after college and ended up liking this more than my original plan. That matters more than I expected.

I like that I still run into problems I haven't seen before. It's not something I thought about before I started.

Scheduling. I spend more time coordinating calendars than I expected. That changed a little once I had more experience.

A lot of people assume the software/equipment does most of the thinking for you. It doesn't. It's not something I thought about before I started.

You don't have to be the loudest person. You do need to communicate when something is wrong. I learned that pretty quickly.

People who want instant answers can struggle because some problems take days to sort out. I didn't really understand that until I started working.

I was surprised that experienced people still ask each other basic questions. Nobody knows everything. It depends a lot on who you're working with.

I would learn Excel properly. I kept running into it everywhere. It's not something I thought about before I started.

I wish I'd known that your first employer shapes how you see the career. One bad job doesn't represent the whole field. The job description didn't really explain that part.

There was a difficult deadline we met without cutting corners. I was proud of the whole team. I didn't really understand that until I started working.

The biggest change is that people now come to me for answers I used to ask somebody else for. That changed a little once I had more experience.

Weekends happen during busy periods, but not every week. It depends a lot on who you're working with.