My Career Research ProjectBy: Deja Williams

Why I chose it The career I chose was to become a pastry chef

because every since I was younger I loved to bake

I would always help my mom in the kitchen and since then it has became a passion of mine

I also considered marine biology because I am fascinated with the ocean life but I will most likely use that as a fallback

Pros and Cons of Becoming A Chef

Pros If you are an executive

chef you oversee all the work in the kitchen

Have the power to design the menu, hire and train your employees

Have the ability to create or make anything you please

Cons Work long, exhausting

hours Unstable salary Tough competition for

high positions

Requirements To Get In Must have a high school diploma or GED

credential Take a placement test once enrolled Beforehand foodservice experience: 6

months in a professional kitchen or culinary classes

Requirements To Graduate Receive passing grade and credits Min. of 90 quarter credits Accumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher Satisfy all financial obligations Meet portfolio of other requirements for your

program

Cost of School and Living annual tuition: $32,000 4-year tuition: $128,800 Estimated off campus living expenses:

$11,652 Books and Supplies: $1,800

Employment OpportunitiesWith A Culinary Arts Degree You Can Be: Food Stylist, Caterer, Personal Chef, Nutritionist,

Food Scientist, Cruise Ship Staff, Bed and Breakfast, Cooking School Instructor, Bakery/ Pastry Shop,

Statistics For California: Employment: 21,700 Employment Per Thousand Jobs: 1.52 Hourly Mean Wage: $12.65 Annual Mean Wage: $26,300

My Interview1. Why did you choose this career?She wasn’t always in love with cooking but really feel in love with it in high school. Gained inspiration from the original Iron Chef America and 2. How was your college experience like for you?She loved college. She admitted it was difficult but that she learned so much about cooking, the history behind it and how to start your own business.3. What was the most difficult part for you?She said the most difficult part was having a semester being crunched in 11 weeks and having to manage her time.4. Did you change your major throughout college?Right out of high school she wanted to do technical theater and then found her love for cooking. For her to go to culinary school her parents wanted to have a back up plan so she got a degree in bio chemistry.

Interviewer: Aracely

Continued…5. Is the career you chose worth the struggle?She said it was all worth it. She enjoys it so much it doesn’t feel like work to her.6. How was college for you?She said she absolutely loved college. She went to The Art Institute of California in Mission Valley. She got her 2 year degree in baking and pastries. Even though she took difficult classes there that challenged her she was amazed by how much she learned.7. What sacrifices did you have to make to get where you are now? She had to sacrifice all her free time because she was a full time student and a full time employee at Costco. Had to balance work and all her homework which left her no free time.

Works Citedwww.eilatbakery.com bhsecconnect.edublogs.org www.theartcareerproject.com

http://www.ciachef.edu/admissions-requirements/

http://www.collegecalc.org/colleges/california/the-art-institute-of-california-san-diego/#.UosHrJGQf8s

"U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

Johnson, Patrice. Uncut: The inside Story of Culinary School. Bloomington, IN: Author House, 2004. Print.

Traster, Daniel. Welcome to Culinary School: A Culinary Student Survival Guide. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.