Top 5 Qualities of a Culinary Student

We all have certain attributes, interests, talents, and skills that provide us an opportunity to pursue different things. It’s these qualities that put us on the road to a career where we can not only leverage these abilities but also find success and happiness. For example, engineers possess a desire to figure things out, have applied creativity, and a high mechanical aptitude. These traits allow engineers to accomplish their specialized tasks. Attending culinary school as a student also requires certain qualities, and these can be found in every great chef and hospitality manager. If you’re considering culinary school it’s important to remember that there isn’t one single attribute that will bring your success, but rather a combination. Here are a few of the essential qualities that a culinary student should have.

Creativity

The culinary arts are quite literally an art form. Having the ability to think outside of the box and let your creative side show and grow will help you expand on the things you learn, bringing new ideas and dishes to life. Using your talents to add to the free flowing exchange of creativity will lead to what defines you as a chef.

Commitment and Patience

While this is a common quality in any endeavor, it rings especially true in the culinary world. A commitment to always providing the best in innovation and quality cannot be more valuable. You need to put your time in, learn and respect your craft. There are multiple repetitive actions and skills that must be mastered as a chef ; everything from knife skills to flavor profiles to kitchen techniques that will be used daily. Remember, once you’re hired in a professional kitchen you’ll be expected to know and excel at the basics, so practice makes perfect. Building a strong culinary foundation requires commitment and patience. These two traits stem from a strong work ethic and will help you develop the kitchen vocabulary you’ll need to be your best. Culinary school allows you to learn and make the little mistakes and understand the fundamental difference between where you are now and where you’ll be professionally.

A Passion for Your Craft

If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. A passion to create and share your ideas and dishes with the world is essential. This is arguably the most important characteristic on the list. Your passion will drive you and propel you to bigger and better things. With a passion for your craft, no setback is big enough to stop you and no goal is out of your reach.

Ability to Accept Constructive Criticism

The best chefs in the world are constantly learning. Receiving criticism and feedback comes with the territory. Your ability to accept both of them constructively will only create new opportunities for you to learn and improve. You have to have thick skin to make it in this industry.

Possess a Team Mentality

There are a lot of moving parts in any kitchen or restaurant. Having the ability to think on your feet, lead, and communicate are vital to preparing and serving the best dishes. The same goes for enhancing the skills that you’ll learn in culinary school.

While many chefs and culinary students possess a wide variety of qualities, they also share several core traits. The Louisiana Culinary Institute provides high quality training and conceptual understanding of professional cooking and culinary arts and hospitality and culinary management. The curriculum, paired with each students commitment and passion prepares them for mid to upper-level positions in the food service industry.