chef.

What can you expect as a chef? What are your responsibilities? To work as a chef, you need to know the following:

• As a chef, your heart beats for good food and the culinary craft. You know that good food makes people happy. You really enjoy putting together a well-balanced dish. It means a lot to you when your creations are enjoyed by guests. For that, you use the finest ingredients and prepare them with lots of love and creativity. As a chef, you’re knowledgeable about food. You know where to get quality ingredients and how to turn them into delicious dishes on the plate.
• You approach your work with great diligence. You know exactly how to store and prepare the meat to ensure no germs survive. Cleanliness is an integral part of your daily routine. As a chef, you hold high standards for yourself and your work results. With dedication, patience, and ambition, you achieve perfect outcomes for your guests. At the same time, you never forget that, as a chef, you are a team player. Everyone works together towards a common goal: satisfied guests. No wonder adrenaline often runs through your veins during your work. But that’s exactly what chefs need as their life force. In any case, you’ll never find yourself bored in the kitchen.

In the kitchen, it's not just about the chef. The clear hierarchy within the kitchen brigade is also reflected in the titles. Especially in large kitchens, there are numerous specializations:

• Gardemanger: As gardemanger, you prepare cold dishes and plate them. This includes, for example, appetisers, cold platters, pâtés, and terrines.
• Griller: As a griller, you take care of all dishes coming from the grill, such as bratwurst, steak, or patties.
• Saucier: As a saucier, you're mainly responsible for sauces and braised dishes. In larger kitchens, there are additional specializations such as fishmonger or roaster.
• Entremetier: As entremetier, you prepare all warm side dishes, such as vegetables, potatoes, pasta, or rice.
• Pastry chef: Whether it's creams, cakes, or tarts,  as a pastry chef or fine baker, you're responsible for all things sweet in the kitchen. Larger kitchens also employ ice cream makers or confectioners.
• Kitchen assistant, junior chef: As a kitchen helper, you support the chefs and mostly handle mise en place. You ease their workload by assisting them, washing up, and tidying up.
• Commis de cuisine: As a young chef, you've just completed your training and are gaining your first experience in the kitchen.
• Chef de partie: As a chef de partie, you oversee a specific section of the kitchen. Therefore, you should be familiar with appetizers, main courses, and desserts. You report directly to the chef de cuisine. Your deputy is the demi chef de partie.
• Head chef: As the kitchen manager, you're responsible for planning, purchasing, and the menu.
• Sous chef: As sous chef, you represent the chef de cuisine. Usually, you are responsible for training the kitchen apprentices.
• Head chef: As the leader of the kitchen team, you are responsible for all organizational processes. In particular, large hotels, chain restaurants, or holiday clubs typically employ a head chef.
• Chef: In small restaurants, you take on all the roles of the specialists as a chef. You're both the boss and the chef rolled into one. As a jack-of-all-trades, you handle the purchasing, the preparation of the dishes, the plating, and ensuring the guests are satisfied.

how much do I earn as a chef in a permanent position?

The collective labour agreement in the Swiss hospitality industry, known as the L-GAV, sets out the working conditions and minimum wages for the entire sector. This means that minimum wages are established for chefs. These generally apply to a 42-hour workweek. Overtime is compensated either with time off or paid out. Your salary as a chef largely depends on whether you have completed vocational training. With a Federal Certificate of Competence as a chef, you earn a minimum of around 4,400 CHF per month. This translates to at least 57,000 CHF per year, based on 13 monthly salaries. With a professional diploma as a kitchen assistant, you earn about 400 CHF less, and without any formal training, roughly 800 CHF less. If you pass a professional examination according to the Vocational Training Act, your salary can rise to over 5,000 CHF per month. The higher you climb the hierarchy, the more you earn. As head chef or kitchen manager, your monthly salary typically exceeds 5,000 CHF by a good margin. 

In the hospitality industry, you also benefit from fringe benefits. Meals and accommodation are often included in hotels or holiday clubs. Your employer is allowed to deduct the cost of food and lodging from your salary. However, the deductions your employer can make are lower than what you would have to pay yourself for accommodation and meals. In larger hotels and restaurants, you also receive a share of the tips. 

in which industry do I earn the most as a chef?

The salaries of chefs depend on their specialization and the type of establishment. Large hotel chains pay more than small restaurants or canteens. Diet chefs earn a higher salary than canteen chefs. Well-paid chef positions can also be found in affluent private households. Seasonal businesses offer interesting earning opportunities as well. For example, during the winter months, chefs are in demand in Swiss ski resorts. If you work in a well-known hotel, you can gain valuable experience and earn good money. Top earnings are achieved with renowned star chefs. However, you need to handle constant pressure and meet high standards in such environments. 

Basically, you can say: your salary increases with your work experience. Especially international experience and language skills boost your earning potential.

To land a good position, you need to have a professional cooking apprenticeship. The cooking apprenticeship lasts three years and concludes with the Federal Certificate of Competence (EFZ). If you didn’t perform so well in school but are practically inclined, you can complete a two-year certificate apprenticeship as a kitchen assistant. Afterwards, you have the option to undertake an accelerated cooking apprenticeship. Once you've completed your apprenticeship, you can always continue to develop your skills. Further steps in your educational career include, for example, the professional examination as a head chef with a federal diploma or the higher technical examination as a diploma kitchen chef. 

If you work through Randstad, you can benefit from our training programmes. For example, you have the opportunity to attend a German course or various job-specific training sessions. Randstad covers the costs of these trainings, provided you pass the courses. Curious? Then check your Randstad profile under "My Development." Even if you're not employed through Randstad, you still have access to the training offerings. Sign up now and discover what suits you. Don't have a Randstad profile yet? No problem. You can quickly create one here.

As a chef with solid training, the whole world is open to you. The thriving leisure and hospitality sector is constantly creating new restaurants, hotels, and recreational facilities. As a result, there is a high demand for qualified staff. Chefs can find good working conditions in restaurants, canteens, retirement homes, and hospitals. If you prefer to work independently, you could become a private chef or provide catering services for events and functions. Chefs are also in demand as product consultants in the food industry. 

Are you ambitious, it's worth reaching for the stars. Kitchen jobs at one of the many Michelin-starred restaurants are highly sought after. To land one, you'll need above-average dedication and a lot of creativity. Who knows, maybe during your climb up the starry ladder, you'll even make it onto a TV show…

For career changers, there are plenty of job opportunities as chefs. Kitchen jobs are especially suitable for certified diet chefs, meat specialists, bakers, pastry chefs, and confectioners. They already have experience with food. But it’s also possible to start in the hospitality industry as a kitchen assistant. With motivation and ambition, you can work your way up in the kitchen step by step. You need good social skills and plenty of perseverance. But you can reach the top of a kitchen brigade. 

Are you passionate about becoming a chef? Then check out Randstad for job openings suitable for career changers.

After completing your apprenticeship as a chef EFZ, you first need to gain work experience, ideally internationally. Your profession requires you to stay up-to-date with new trends and to continuously develop your skills. Over time, you'll climb the career ladder. You might start as a chef de partie, then become a sous chef, and eventually perhaps a chef de cuisine. To advance your career, you need specialist knowledge. You can acquire this either on your own or through courses. 

Further training with an exam usually takes a year or longer. If you already have the necessary leadership skills, such further education can be a good stepping stone towards management positions like head chef or kitchen manager. If you're aiming for self-employment, it's best to attend a higher vocational school. There, you'll learn a lot about business management. Studying at a university of applied sciences is also an option. This can, for example, allow you to switch into food technology. 

Would you like to boost your career prospects? Start with your personal development. Check out our tests, tips, and training courses.

As a chef, you're required to meet both professional and personal standards. To undertake the apprenticeship, you should have completed compulsory schooling with either intermediate or advanced requirements. Knowledge of foreign languages is an advantage. However, what matters most are the personal skills you bring with you. These include:

• team spirit

• resilience and stress tolerance

• service mentality

• joy in handcrafting

• good sense of smell and taste

• joy of experimenting

• sense of order and awareness of hygiene

There are many good reasons to work as a chef at Randstad:
✓ exciting jobs with well-known companies
✓ a reliable contact person whenever you need one, personal advice really matters
✓ attractive employment conditions and good social benefits
✓ continuing education courses and personal development opportunities
✓ clear information in the myRandstad app
✓ do you have a fixed-term contract? Often, there’s a chance to secure a permanent position afterwards. Many popular companies also recruit their staff directly through Randstad.

your training budget as a chef at randstad.

If you work as a chef for Randstad, you have access to further training courses. As part of the TempTraining program from swissstaffing, you can attend training sessions. You will get the course fees reimbursed later, provided you pass the course exam. Your Randstad consultant is there to support you if you have any questions. This way, you can acquire additional language skills or job-specific knowledge, all during your working hours as a chef.

Have you found your dream job as a chef? It’s not just qualifications and certificates that determine the success of your applications. Careful, error-free, and personalized documents will definitely help you in your job search. Here are a few useful tips to improve your chances:

Here you will find the answers to frequently asked questions about the profession of chef.