Edward Said:

My brother is a Chef in the States and is planning to move to Italy for experience? any suggestions?

We Answered:

Tell him to try and get a job BEFORE leaving. If you can help give him leads, that would be great.

If he's planning on staying with you, set boundaries BEFORE he makes any plans to move anywhere.

If he doesn't speak Italian, he should do everything he can to try and learn the language before he gets there. I know that around here, there are always Italian speakers looking to get together to practice with each other. They advertise on Cragislist all the time.

Gordon Said:

How do I land a job as a personal chef when the families that are hiring ask for 2-5 years experience as one?

We Answered:

If you are confident in your ability then offer your services free for the first month, the majority of people will be a lot more willing to hire you as number 1 you're free for a month, and number 2 they get to try you out without any cost.

Here in N.I a lot of polish immigrants with no work experience get work with employers in various industries by offering their services for a trial period for free - if it works for them sure it can work for you. Of course goes without saying you'd need the financial security to work a month free, but if you really want it then do it.

Claire Said:

I have a friend who is a qualified chef in the US who would like to move/work in the UK. How can this be done?

We Answered:

The only way to do this is to get a work permit, only a UK based employer can do this for him and it's not easy unless he is specialised in a certain area and there is no-one to fill the position in the UK. Another thought is to consider a short course of study in a UK based culinary college, this will give him the ability to be in the UK legally while he looks for an employer who thinks he is good enough to go through the hassle of a work permit application. As a student you can also work a maximum 20 hours a week but you need to show you can fund yourself for the entire duration of the course without working.

Frances Said:

Work experience Chef query?

We Answered:

I would talk to a local employment counsellor or an organization that assists people who have mild disability's with employment, your training should make it easy to find a suitable job and even maybe extended training in a college for furthering your studys for a chef and maybe even guild certifications

Elsie Said:

New Orleans, LA is this city a great option to work as a chef for money and experience?

We Answered:

New Orleans has a very large and extremely competitive restaurant "scene". Poor restaurants simply don't survive. The variety of restaurants is very wide, and it's not just "southern" cooking (as the first answer suggests).

However, I have no idea how well chefs are paid in New Orleans.

First check with the famous restaurants (Antoine's, Arnaud's, Brennan's, Commander's Palace, etc.). All of them have have reopened and are working to re-establish themselves. NOLA has many excellent but less well know restaurnats (ex. Stella, Bayona, Herbsaint).

The website www.bestofneworleans.com has a restaurant guide.

NOLA also has many 4 to 5 star hotels, and they all have upscale restaurants + banquet services.

Good luck!

Anna Said:

What Experience Do I Need To Become a Chef? And What Schools are Available in CANADA?

We Answered:

All I know is that you should go to a prestigious college to become a chef.
While in high school, try to find a job in a kitchen, maybe as a volunteer too. Even working as a waiter in a restaurant will help you gain knowledge in cooking.

p.s. Watch Ratatouille, I'm sure you'll love this movie (at least I do)!