Should I Do What I Love? - Recently Updated Pageshttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/pageSearch/updatedRecently Updated Pages on http://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.comen-usinfo@wetpaint.comFri, 14 Sep 2007 12:21:32 CDTFri, 14 Sep 2007 12:21:32 CDTwetpaint.com60Should I Do What I Love?/wikis/shouldidowhatilove/img/itm_headerSite.pnghttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.comCareer Advice wiki: Career Advice for Creative Types. Online career advice wiki for job seekers to share ideas & inspiration on how to transition to creative jobs (chef, writer, fashion designer, etc)How I Made the Switch to a Creative Careerhttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/How+I+Made+the+Switch+to+a+Creative+CareerTemlynWritinghttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/How+I+Made+the+Switch+to+a+Creative+CareerMoving story below instructionsFri, 14 Sep 2007 12:21:32 CDTEveryone needs to be inspired every once in a while. Help your fellow ladder-climbers with stories--the good, the bad, and the ugly--highlighting your journey from office-dweller to creative tour de force.

  • (Click EasyEdit to start typing on this page!)

Noelle Boughanmi shares her experiences with doing what she loves: Editing: A Passion for the Written Word

Charmvoodoo says:

My situation was somewhat extreme and I have been very lucky for my past experiences leading up to being my own boss. I was working hard in the corporate world and had been saving a lot of money. I finally had all the cash needed to take a long trip to S.E. Asia (to find myself). I spent 5 months there and found string voodoo dolls. They were without personalities but they had so much selling potential. We chose 120 different dolls and I got to create all their personalities and names. I got to create the logo and all the marketing information. The products are a lot of fun to be selling and as I had originally thought, people are going crazy for them. I feel like I'm a part of creating a new trend in North America. It has been the easiest thing I've had to sell (because they're unique, cool and above all handmade)

I am so happy that I don't work in a corporate office anymore. I go to the beach in the middle of the day and I get out of bed when I want. I work a lot harder than I ever have in my life but it is my own choice and that is priceless.

]]>What I Was Born To Dohttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/What+I+Was+Born+To+DoTemlynWritinghttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/What+I+Was+Born+To+DoPrevious content was completely deleted.Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:05:12 CDT
At the time of highschool graduation, I told my teachers, counselors, family and friends, I wanted to be a teacher. No one encouraged me, citing reasons like poor pay, difficult students, and a demanding workload. In my heart of hearts, I could not see me being anything but a teacher. My parents did their best to dissuade me and, finally, I relinquished my dream.

Most of my adult work history has entailed generic secretarial, clerk, receptioninst type jobs. And, I've had a few stints in waitressing and sales. I was never really comfortable with what I was doing. I never really went "up the ladder" with any of my work experiences, though I had opportunities.

It wasn't until later in life, around 30, that I had an opportunity to work with children in a child care setting. I had three children of my own and I worked as a preschool teacher. What I did out of necessity became an ephiney experience for me, I discovered my passion for the education of young children.

I have been in the business now for over fifteen years and have found that working as a preschool teacher gives ample opportunity for me to indulge my creative abilities and feel that I am doing something very necessary and worthwhile. Now over 50, I have some college experience and hope to return to school in the near future with the intent to get my degree in this particular field.

Often times, when discussing field of work, others tend to minimize my occupation. I just tell people I program computers, organic computers. I absolutely love my work and know that I will be doing something in this field the rest of my life. My only regret is that I allowed others to persuade me from following my dreams. I can't recoup the years that I lost or regret that I've yet to acquire a degree. The work satisfaction and excitement that I have doing my job is worth very much to me, especially when I know I am investing myself into the lives of young children.



]]>Job Advicehttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Job+AdviceTemlynWritinghttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Job+AdviceSat, 12 May 2007 23:29:38 CDT

What advice do you have for those wanting to find jobs doing what they love? Just click "EasyEdit" to add your thoughts!


]]>Jobs That Inspirehttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Jobs+That+InspireTemlynWritinghttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Jobs+That+InspireTue, 08 May 2007 19:25:44 CDT Some of the careers we have (or want to have) in creative venues
  • Sometimes all it takes is hearing about someone else's dream career to start thinking of your own. Inspire us with your job here.


Party Planner

Wedding Planner

Freelance Photographer

Illustrator for children's books

Sous chef

Freelance writer/journalist

Copywriter

Graphic Designer

Graphic Artist

Architect

Stay at Home Mom (Definitely need creativity to do this!)

Work at Home Mom (Hey-- you get to have a home business and raise your kids! It's the height of creativity!)

Work at Home (anyone!)

Magazine Editor


]]>Are You Ready for a Change?http://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Are+You+Ready+for+a+Change%3FAnonymoushttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Are+You+Ready+for+a+Change%3FTue, 01 May 2007 21:51:00 CDT When You Don’t Know What You Want to Do
First things first, don’t psych yourself out. So you don’t know what you want to do. I say, good for you. It would be really narrow-minded to formulate too laser-like a goal so early in life. Being open to what might come along or what opportunities you create for yourself is a wonderful quality. After all, part of real intelligence is acknowledging how much you don’t know.


The Real Score on Drug Rehabilitation

Drug addiction is one of the prominent iconic symbols and a pressing
predicament that perpetually induces grave problems on the 21st century
society. It is true that despite numerous efforts by the government and
various independent social institutions, apparent and significant drug
abuse-related problems continue to linger on within the crevices of
modern society. One potent and already feasible solution to this on-going
problem is placing drug-dependent individuals on a rehab program.
However, it must be stressed that complete rehabilitation that aims to rid
an individual from any signs of drug craving is extremely a complex
process.

Snort It In: Quick Facts on Heroin

A plethora of various illegal substances have been bombarding society
for the past decade. However, the most common or typically used illegal
drug substance which is the culprit behind most drug addiction cases
comes in the form of heroin.

Also known in the streets and dark alleys as Crank, Smack, Junk, and H,
heroin is made from morphine, which is an innate substance in the
seedpod of the Asian poppy plant. This drug typically appears as a brown or
white powder which can be intravenously injected, snorted, or smoked.
Major known health risks include heart infections, HIV/AIDS from
needle-sharing, hepatitis, miscarriages for pregnant women, and even death
from overdose. Constant intake of Heroin can also lead to tolerance. This
simply means that heroin users, in due time, will require increasing
dosage of this drug to achieve its intended effect on the body. This, in
turn, will lead to serious drug dependence which ultimately leads to an
insatiable addiction.

The Foundations of Drug Rehab

The first and also the very crucial factor of making a drug
rehabilitation successful is the individual's firm commitment and strict
compliance with the rehab's pre-designed program. This individual's sincere
"will" to submit himself/herself to the program is only a quarter of the
essential necessities in successfully overcoming drug addiction. In
addition to this firm will and determination, an adequate dose of medical or
in some cases psychological treatment, must be administered to
compliment the individual's endeavor to successfully kick drugs out of his/her
system. Lastly, each individual has his or her own respective reasons
for resorting to drug abuse; however, no matter what the reason may be,
it has been pointed out that family and friends or any from of
confidant plays a very crucial role in aiding this individual to succeed in
his/her drug rehab endeavors.

Sources:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heroin.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Drug-and-Alcohol-Rehab&id=231119
http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Heroin/Heroin.html

]]>Spammy Advertising Commentshttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Spammy+Advertising+CommentsTemlynWritinghttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Spammy+Advertising+CommentsTue, 24 Apr 2007 15:53:29 CDT
]]>Dealing with Debthttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Dealing+with+DebtTemlynWritinghttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Dealing+with+DebtContent deletedMon, 19 Mar 2007 15:01:42 CDTWhen You Love Your Job but Can’t Afford to Live on Your Salary
First off, you probably would rather not have this pointed out to you, but you could do worse than to love a job that isn't lucrative. You could hate your job and your whole profession... That said, you've got to stay afloat somehow.

Debt is a Four-Letter Word


This is what we call the "banal money managing section," where you discuss tips for earning more, spending less, and the joys of setting a budget.




]]>Editing: A Passion for the Written Wordhttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Editing%3A+A+Passion+for+the+Written+WordTemlynWritinghttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Editing%3A+A+Passion+for+the+Written+WordActually, this page was made by Noelle Boughanmi, not "shahul."Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:47:19 CDT
I changed my major to English and began embarking on a journey that would bring me to medical editing. I finished my undergraduate degree and began working as an editorial assistant at a nonprofit public health organization. I quickly moved up through the ranks to production editor, where I used my background in both science and English to edit medical and sociological articles. It was while I was working full-time that I began seeking freelance work.

What started as a way to earn a few extra dollars, is now my second job. I still work full-time (at another medical organization) but I also run my own freelance business: Boughanmi Editorial Services. I honestly love what I do. I have a deep interest in medicine and science, and use this interest to fuel my editing.

And I don't edit just medical articles. The written word--regardless of the subject--is my passion. Working two jobs and going to graduate school isn't easy. But because I love what I do, it's a fun, exciting adventure.

If you ever get the opportunity to do what you love, jump on it. And if doing what you love will pay the bills too, great. If leaving your current job to fulfill your dreams will leave you penniless, however, try to get a side job. Test the waters before making the plunge. If you're a writer, try blogging and small writing projects. If you're a baker, try selling your goods at a local market or fair. If you want to teach, try tutoring first. Depending on what your dream job is, taking a test run can give you a good idea if your dream job will remain exciting to you.

--Noelle Boughanmi
www.edit-it-write.blogspot.com


]]>Working from Homehttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Working+from+Homepaintchiphttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Working+from+Homeadded a couple new home-business ideasThu, 08 Feb 2007 16:08:48 CSTWorking from home, or telecommuting, is a trend that is growing steadily. It started with more women staying home with their children, but not wanting to stop working completely. These women became known as WAHMs, or work-at-home-moms. The population of men staying home is increasing now, and more employers are finding that the work done in the office can also be done in their employees' homes.

So what kind of work can you do from home?

  • Transcription
  • Coding (Legal & Medical)
  • Virtual assistant
  • Freelance writing/blogging
  • Scrapbook consultant
  • Artist
  • Professional E-Bay Salesperson
  • Home Daycare business
  • and much more!

Are you interested in learning more about working from home? Here are some helpful links:

Message Boards & Forums:

WAHM.com

WorkPlaceLikeHome.com


Job Searches:

Craigslist.com

Indeed

NOTE: Any "opportunity" that requires you to pay a fee can usually be recognized as a SCAM! Be wary of those ads that ask for money before supplying you with their tools. There are always exceptions, and for that reason it's important to search for information on the company before doing anything else! These forums are helpful in such matters!

Please add to this page by clicking "EasyEdit"!



]]>Budget Cutshttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Budget+CutsTemlynWritinghttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Budget+CutsWed, 31 Jan 2007 15:42:46 CSTIdeas for Cutting Your Expenses
When you can't face getting a second job, take aim at your current expenditures. Here's a starter list from Katy McColl of ways you can trim your spending. Add to it!
  1. Can you reduce your monthly overhead-by getting a cheaper apartment, a cheaper car, and lower interest rates on everything?
  2. Can you order brewed coffee instead of lattes?
  3. Purchase your cigarettes over the internet, or better yet, quit?
  4. Are you ordering top-shelf liquor instead of Popov at bars that make you pay a premium for “ambience”?
  5. Use the treadmill at the fancy gym instead of the YMCA.
  6. Other ideas?? Add them here!





  • What creative ways--big or small--have you found to trim expenses? Share them!

]]>Career Advice for Creative Typeshttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Career+Advice+for+Creative+Typeswetpainthttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Career+Advice+for+Creative+TypesThu, 04 Jan 2007 14:49:31 CSTwriter? A chef? A fashion designer? An entrepreneur making jewelry for celebrity clientele? Then you've probably, at some point, asked yourself the question: "Should I Do What I Love?"

Whether you're just starting out or making a 180-degree career change (good-bye, office job!), this site can help. From her newest book, author Katy McColl offers her savvy insider advice. Subjects include:


This site also serves as a community for creative types to connect with each other and offers a platform for sharing advice and support. Just click the "comments" tab on any page and start a conversation!

Contribute Your Own Stories!

Add your real-life experiences to How I Made the Switch to a Creative Career.


]]>How to Secure Fundinghttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/How+to+Secure+FundingemodHsthttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/How+to+Secure+FundingVandalismSun, 24 Dec 2006 07:50:57 CST
Do you have ideas, tips, or advice on:

  • Applying for arts grant funding
  • How to write a successful grant proposal
  • How to secure venture capital
  • Small-business loans
  • Women in business loans

Use this page as a collaborative bulletin board--or sounding board! (Just click EasyEdit to start typing.)


]]>Freelance Writing and Clipshttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Freelance+Writing+and+ClipsTemlynWritinghttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Freelance+Writing+and+ClipsFri, 13 Oct 2006 16:17:50 CDTAs mentioned on the previous page, clips are important for breaking into freelance writing. Wondering how to get those clips? Here are some ideas:

Check with your local newspaper about being a contributor

Write filler material for magazines

Online content writing (for reliable Web sites, not the places that pay $2 for an article you've spent hours on.)

TemlynWriting: I've written quite a bit of online Web content, but not much in print. I recently got hired on as a contributor for a local magazine, and am excited about breaking into the print market!

]]>About Katy McCollhttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/About+Katy+McCollartistehttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/About+Katy+McCollMon, 31 Jul 2006 11:17:59 CDTKaty McColl, Senior Editor/Writer for JANE magazine, joined its staff in 2000 and currently writes monthly feature columns on various aspects of American culture. These topics range from modern etiquette to multimillion dollar modeling scams. She has also written about a double homicide on an Indian reservation in Montana and gone undercover to report on family dynamics in illegal polygamous societies.

Prior to her position with Jane, McColl worked on the launch of Vogue.com/Style.com and at Travel + Leisure. She co-authored Lonely Planet's 2004 Guide to New York City. McColl graduated from Smith College in 1999 with a Bachelor's degree in Spanish literture. While in college, she taught Spanish to elementary school kids and was awarded the English department's prize for best fiction.

When not working, this Dallas, Texas, native enjoys reading old novels and new non-fiction, and often travels to small towns in search of used books and vintage dresses. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

]]>* Buy "Should I Do What I Love?"http://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/*+Buy+%22Should+I+Do+What+I+Love%3F%22artistehttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/*+Buy+%22Should+I+Do+What+I+Love%3F%22Mon, 31 Jul 2006 11:17:36 CDT As a senior features writer at JANE magazine, Katy McColl has interviewed some of the most successful people in the entertainment and creative fields. Bringing that insider knowledge to this useful and hip career guide, McColl offers a roadmap to those who want creative careers where competition is intense and insider advice is crucial. She pulls from interviews with experts in their respective fields, such as DJ AM, the uber-successful fashion duo Heatherette, novelist Jonathan Ames, and many more.

Chockful of ace advice on nailing a career in a multitude of arenas from fashion to journalism to the culinary arts and beyond, this book is a one-stop shop for anyone who has ever wondered...Should I Do What I Love? Or Do What I Do---So I Can Do What I Love on the Side.

]]>How to Be a Freelance Writerhttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/How+to+Be+a+Freelance+Writerartistehttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/How+to+Be+a+Freelance+WriterMon, 31 Jul 2006 11:16:30 CDTAdvice from Laurel Touby, Founder of mediabistro.com

Laurel Touby founded Mediabistro.com in 1997, and since then this community of media professionals has grown to more than 500,000. mediabistro.com hosts more than 200 events for media professionals around the country each year and offers more than 100 classes around the country and online.

 Let’s say you write kickass letters. Everyone tells you, “You have a way with words.” Because that’s basically how all of us start in freelancing. At some point in a writer’s life, someone has told him or her, “You have a way with words; you should really consider being a writer or writing something.” But there are some things you really should learn about writing. One is it’s not always going to be what [you] imagined in your wildest dreams that it’d be. So when you sit there and write your blog or your letter or poetry, you’re able to go to the furthest extent of your creativity with no repercussions, no one not paying you because of it, nobody rejecting your work.


Basically you have to make a decision: Do I want to be a journalist, or do I want to be a writer? Because they are two different things. The way you can reach that decision, whether you want to be a writer or a journalist, is going online and doing some articles, actual journalism. Or if you really have the confidence and think you can get paid for it, channel your time and effort and energy to a local newspaper, to a trade magazine in your industry, to [a] local-community-kind-of-thing or a nonprofit organization that has a newsletter or magazine. Or contact your alumni association or publication. Those are all great places to get started, either paid or unpaid.

Build Up Your Clips


If you can wrangle some money [out] of it, more power to you. But most of the time, it’s going to be hard if you have no track record and no clips. This is your way to make clips. This is what I did—I went out to a small local paper and I said, “I have no clips since college.” I was three years out of school, and they thought, “ok, we’ll try you out with something, but we’re not going to pay you for it.” Or, “We’ll pay you $25 if it we run it.” So I went to a gay pride parade in Brooklyn. They liked it and they ran it, and they let me do a couple more assignments.

Talk to People


Then what I did was called up every single person who’d gone to my school, Smith College, who was either a writer or editor and said, “How do I become you?” It’s what’s called an “informational interview.” If you’re changing careers, you can call nearly anybody in the world and ask them how they got to where they got. And people love talking about themselves, they love talking about their career paths, and most people like helping other people. So unless you’re calling the secretary of state [people will talk to you].

The deal is you call up and say, “I’m switching my career. I think I have some really great skills in that area, but I’d love to know how you did what you did. I’d like 15 minutes of your time, over the phone or over coffee if you’d let me. I’ll buy coffee. And I just want to pick your brain about eight questions that I have, just eight questions.” And then you’re limited to those eight questions, and those better be damn good questions. And you better let that person go at the end of your eight questions so that they don’t feel like you’re abusing your time period with them.

And then you should follow up with that person later on—that’s the key. Following up later with, “You convinced me that I should pursue this career, and I would like to do it the way you did it, by working first at a blah blah blah type of publication. Could you perhaps turn me on to some people you might know at such-and-such publication. Here is. . . ” It has to be very targeted, very direct, very aggressive without being pushy about your needs and your desires and your skills. The worst thing you can do is have that great interaction with that great person and then let it drop and never talk to them again.

The scaredy-cats are the ones who don’t do this career. The people who have any boldness or any sense of self-worth are the ones who do this career. You have to reach out to the community and meet people like you and live in a neighborhood where there are people like you. Coming to a place like New York—people say it’s too expensive or too much—but it’s better to be here. You hear about more stuff, you stay connected more, you meet people who are doing what you’re doing and it inspires you.

Once you’ve gotten some clips under your belt—and it’s going to take some time, three to six months at least, because changing careers takes time, anytime you do it. And this is an exceptionally hard career to change into because it’s a talent career. It’s all about talent and glamour and there are so many people trying to get in to it. So once you’ve start getting those clips together, you’ve got to start working your way up to the next level of assignment. Whether it’s the same publication you’ve worked for, [doing] bigger, better assignments. Or whether you try to tackle a new venue.

Do You Have a Specialty?




 And the other thing you have to decide at this point is, now that I want to be a journalist, is there any type of area I want to specialize in? Because you can make a much better living, much easier, if you specialize in something. Especially if you specialize in something that nobody else wants. Let’s put it this way, everybody wants to be a travel writer, everyone wants to be in fashion, everybody wants to be at a women’s magazine, men’s magazine. There are just hordes of people trying to get in to those. [Instead] you try to get in to something that nobody knows very well, or that nobody wants.

The Pitch Letter


I don’t think editors read all the pitch letters they get, but they read them enough. It’s not like the book industry, where you have a huge slush pile. If you write something that’s short and to the point and says, “I can give you more information if you’re interested. I’ve written for other publications. I can tell you more about myself.” And then you follow up—not just send it and hope and pray. You’ve got to follow up: “Give me a call at this number if you need me sooner; I can turn this around quickly.”

Another thing you want to do is pitch stuff to newspapers. They don’t pay as much but they have a fast turnaround time and they have a lot more space to fill. Editors might be curt and rude, but it’s not personal at all. You’ve got to think like the best of salespeople—you’ve got to keep going at it. And be persistent as all hell, without being rude. And realize that this is going to hurt, it’s going to be a process, and it’s going to take 100 pitches before you get an assignment. If you go out in there thinking, “This is going to take me 100 pitches before I get an assignment,” you’re going to smile if number 50 is a hit. If you go in there thinking every pitch is going to land you an assignment, you’re going to be in for a disastrous ego pop. It’s really a numbers game; it’s like dating, it’s like sales, it’s like anything that requires massive amounts of follow-through, follow-up, diligence, continuous belief in yourself.

]]>How to Choose a Cooking Schoolhttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/How+to+Choose+a+Cooking+Schoolartistehttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/How+to+Choose+a+Cooking+SchoolMon, 31 Jul 2006 11:15:13 CDTAdvice from Dorothy Cann Hamilton, Founder of the French Culinary Institute

A lifelong Francophile and epicure, Dorothy Cann Hamilton founded the French Culinary Institute in 1984. Her distinguished career in vocational education and her outstanding reputation for innovative programs in gastronomy have resulted in numerous accolades and tributes, including the Chevalier dans l’Ordre National du Mérite and Chevalier du Mérite Agricole, awarded by the French government. Hamilton has also received the coveted Silver Spoon Award from Food Arts magazine, marking her as a leader in the American restaurant community.

 Being a chef is a lot like being an artist, maybe even a fashion designer—it’s something you know pretty much early on in your life. I don’t think you would take an aptitude test and then find out you should be a chef. Nobody goes to a cooking school because they just like to cook. That’s a different kind of school. They go to a cooking school because they want to be a chef or they want to be a food stylist or they want to be a food writer. They have a job in mind. Most cooking schools are vocational schools, so they have a responsibility to help place you in your first job.




Cooking schools are quite expensive because the equipment and the food to teach you are very expensive. There are a lot of costs in cooking schools, but if you have a decent credit rating, you can borrow enough money to go to school. If you do that, though, I can understand how anybody would want to be cautious. Ask, “What type of job am I going to get when I get out of this school?” Ask the school to show you their placement rate for the last year, where their graduates are working today. The school should have that record keeping. You should look and make sure that the school is licensed—better yet, that it’s accredited by the federal government. Another thing you can do is call the state education department and the Better Business Bureau in your area and ask if any complaints have been filed against that school. If you’re going to make this kind of investment, you’re really going to have to do your homework before you go.

Do Your Research


There are a lot of questions that people should ask when they’re looking at a cooking school. One is, “What is the curriculum?” You don’t want to go to a school where they just throw a chef in the classroom and say, “Teach.” You may not get a well-rounded education on everything because perhaps they didn’t like doing fish sauté or something like that, or they’re not particularly good in pastry so they don’t bother with that either. You should look for a school that has an established faculty with chefs who have been trained specifically for teaching.

The other thing you have to look into is the backgrounds of the teachers, as chefs. The difference between a good and a great restaurant is a lot of finesse and understanding the subtleties and its little things. Anyone can teach you how to hold a knife. It’s from the very first day; it’s learning the attitude, it’s learning how to use your eyes and your nose and getting your basic training from the very best, which is so important.

Aside from the teachers, their background, and their personal communication skills and teaching background, I think you have to look at how well equipped the school is. Do they use really good equipment, or are you going to be hampered by using mediocre equipment that breaks down or is not professional equipment that you would find in a real kitchen when you go out to work? You can really tell how good a school is when you look at the ingredients used. Do they buy cheap meat so no matter how you cook it, it’s never going to taste good? Are you going to learn lobster or are you going to cook chicken all the time? When you frost a cake, are they going to give you real cake, or are you going to use styrofoam? How organized is the school; how clean is the school? Do they have one dishwasher? Kitchens have to be spotless, and that’s part of your training; it’s learning about that cleanliness. So if you go in and [the kitchen] looks rough and tumble, you’re not going to be getting a very essential part of chef training.

Eat Abroad if You Can

Even if you’re going to stay in cooking school in the United States, you should try in your life to take vacations abroad and eat abroad because it will stimulate your imagination and make you a much more profound cook. It just opens up your eyes and your taste buds. Culturally, the way people eat is different everywhere in the world. That being said, there are some real reasons, if you are going to be a professional, to learn in the United States. One, the equipment is different. Two, the products are different—it’s very hard for a European to come over here and make pastry or bread because the flour is so different. Three, American taste buds are different. In America, even at the French Culinary Institute, we serve much larger portions than they would ever serve in France. So if you’re going to look to ever be a professional, there are a lot of reasons to learn in the vernacular here what you can do.


Reality Check


When you get out of cooking school, usually the best jobs pay the least money. There are people who would go work for free for chefs like Jean-Georges, so they don’t have to pay a lot to their entry-level workers. It really depends what kind of job you’re looking for, but any entry-level job is not going to be highly paid. I think it can be anywhere from $18,000 to $30,000 for a first job, depending on where you want to go and what you want to do. But quite quickly, one year to two years after that, it ramps up dramatically. We did a survey a number of years ago and [found that] 5 years out, our average student was making $40,000 a year, and 10 years out, they were making over $75,000 in executive-chef positions. An entry-level position would be a cook. It doesn’t sound glamorous, but there’s a difference between a short-order cook and a professional cook who is going into a real operation and starting up the career ladder.

Roles in the Kitchen


A cook will come in and the first thing they have to do is get their station ready, which is called mise en place, French for “put in place.” You get all your seasonings out, get all of your knives out. You get your cutting boards, your towels, and you get yourself ready. Then you get all your products. In a way, a kitchen is set up very militaristically; there are stations. Chef, you know, means “chief,” and the executive chef is the general. After that, you have the sous-chef, which is the captain, and then you have the meat station, the dessert station, and the appetizer/salad station, and then you’ll have a chef at each of those stations with their lieutenants. Under them are the sergeants and privates doing the work.

So if you come in, you are the private; so you’re going to get the grunt work, like peeling the carrots, cleaning the fish, seasoning the fish, getting ready for the lieutenant in that area to sauté it all. Then you’re going to start working up that ladder—making dough, preparing in the pastry kitchen making tarts, putting whipped cream on top of things. Depending on the size of the kitchen, an executive chef would or wouldn’t do the cooking. An executive chef in a small kitchen would, but an executive chef at a large hotel is what we call a “pencil chef.” He’s got thousands and thousands of people to feed and [is] just organizing the labor pool, doing the food ordering, making the menus, checking in that it’s all going out, and tasting it. He doesn’t have time; he couldn’t possibly cook.

]]>Researchhttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Researchartistehttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/ResearchMon, 31 Jul 2006 11:08:55 CDTExhaust Yourself with Research
Start reading all about the industry or industries that you’ve earmarked, even if what you’re researching is “jam” and you don’t think of that as a full-fledged field but rather the cottage industry of nuns. Be not daunted, ho! Study up on the history of what you’re interested in, what and who have come before you, any relevant legislation, the common pitfalls, and the gossip.

If your interest is piqued by all this research, you are ready to move on to the next phase, where you get to visit a real live workplace and everything. It might sound a little scary, but you’re about to send a letter (and then make a call) to two or three luminaries in whatever field it is that you’ve alighted on, asking if you can shadow them for a day.

Be Someone's Shadow


The shadowing concept has the unique advantage of getting you face-to-face with someone whom you can really learn from without the blatant Give Me a Job! overtones associated with asking for an informational interview. It’s the difference between being curious about them and demanding they be interested in you. Plus, if you follow someone around for a few hours, they’ll show you what they actually do, as opposed to describing their work with abstract concepts like “team building” or “business development.” And you’ll spend more time together than if you’d stopped by all nervous-like for an interview, which will work to your advantage in a big way if you and Hotshot hit it off.

One more thing, don’t be afraid to tell someone (if you’re sincere) how much you admire their work and to ask point-blank whether you can shadow them for the day. Everyone loves a sycophant. And people like the warm, do-gooding feeling they get from showing a young person the ropes. You might not be able to get to Donald Trump this way, but you will be surprised who’s within your reach. I have a friend who, during college, asked Robert DeNiro to come to campus to speak to students who were really interested in acting. Mr. DeNiro said yes.

If at the end of your research exercise, however, you realize that jam, or forestry, or high-endurance sea faring isn’t for you, you’ll have to recast of course. But don’t lose heart. Research is a low-risk venture. It’s free, for one thing. And for another, it teaches you a lot more than you would have learned while watching reruns of Friends. Win or lose, you will have more interesting tidbits to offer at cocktail parties or wherever it is that you choose to stand around smiling. As far as goals go, this one’s noble and it will pay dividends in the end. Promise.

]]>Real-Life Advicehttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Real-Life+Adviceartistehttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Real-Life+AdviceFri, 28 Jul 2006 16:53:21 CDT

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Are you in a successful creative career? Did you transition from another job, or did you always know what you wanted to do? Let others benefit from your experiences--share tips on what worked for you, and what didn't.

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]]>Take Time Offhttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Take+Time+Offartistehttp://shouldidowhatilove.wetpaint.com/page/Take+Time+OffFri, 28 Jul 2006 16:46:40 CDTNow Might Be a Good Time for That Much-Needed Sabbatical
A more dramatic option (which I realize is not available to everyone) is to ask for a temporary leave of absence from your current position. It might sound crazy, but depending on a whole bunch of factors—how integral you are to day-to-day operations, how difficult you are to replace, how much specialized or sensitive information you’re privy to, and how much training you needed to get to where you are now—it might be more advantageous for your employer to scrape by in your absence than to search for a replacement.

  • Tell about your sabbatical: How did you spend your time? What was the best/worst part? How did it help you clarify your career path?

When determining how much time off to request, it might be helpful to visualize a sliding scale. If you’re making the coffee, three weeks may be a stretch. But your company may be willing to hire a temp during that time. If you’re a vice president, you may be able to command a couple of months off. This is another situation in which working for a large company works to your benefit.

Another possibility is to ask for a reduction in hours or if you’re on the road a lot, a temporary reduction in business trips. As long as you can basically keep it together, your manager should be humane enough to allow for a short period of time in which you’re working 30 hours a week.

The bottom line is that there’s no harm in asking for a leave of absence to pursue other projects if that’s what you really want. Just don’t tell your company why you’re taking off. It’s irrelevant and it’s “personal.” If your boss says no, you’re just back where you started. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll give up any turf just for asking. Just make sure that you do so only after you really have a working outline of what you’re going to do once you have some time off so that you don’t while away the days scouring eBay. Internships and community-college classes are great places to start, but in truth, those are avenues that can also be explored without taking a leave of absence.

One more thing: Even if it’s just in a cursory way, stay in touch with your office while you’re out so that they don’t forget how wonderful and irreplaceable you are.

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