Newcomers to the culinary field looking to advance quickly and attain high-level positions are finding that more and more importance is being placed on new, highly-specialized skills. Today it is no longer enough to have a culinary degree in hand, and a resume with top-notch real-world experience, internships with influential chefs or restaurants are the only way in to many premier culinary positions.

Culinary schools like the French Culinary Institute have career services that help place students in internships and jobs right out of culinary programs. Other internships, usually with major corporations, are posted on online job boards. Some “celebrity” chefs, including the NY-based Chef DJ, have a number of interns rotating in and out of their kitchens at any given time.

Chefs look for very different things in their interns. While Chef DJ is looking for “aggressive, hardworking, and charming” interns, Chef David Gilbert desires interns with “passion, personality, and a relentless drive for perfection”.

What can you expect from a culinary internship? It all depends on the chef. According to Chef Gilbert, “It all depends on the student’s dedication and how quickly they grasp the concepts and tasks put before them. I typically start all students with the basics because without a solid foundation they can not achieve the next level. Once the basics are mastered then I make sure there is always the opportunity to move forward into another role in the kitchen.”

For more information on becoming a chef and internships in general, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s website on chefs and cooks. Or, if you know you’re interested in an internship, fill out the application for an internship with Chef Gilbert.