It's 7:00 pm and the dining room is full of chatter, laughter, and the beautiful rhythms of food bringing people together. There's already a waitlist and another full seating coming your way. Your environment is clouded with the busy noises of cutlery dropping, empty plates hitting each other, your chit machine running non-stop and flooding you with orders. Nothing breaks your focus until a server needs your attention, "Chef, may I?"
There truly is nothing better than exceeding the expectations of each individual that came into that dining room. Guiding and hearing the cooks in harmony, being synchronized and sending out perfectly presented plates that you have worked so hard on to perfect. A smooth dinner service was equivalent to a cloud 9 high, it was an instant reward of gratification.
But... that's not all that it seems. There's a certain expectation of being a Chef, or a cook in the hospitality industry. It can be very demoralizing, toxic and self-destructive. It is expected that you live, breathe and slave your way in the kitchen - there was no such thing as calling in sick, taking a mental health day, or working less than 10 hours. As a cook, there's no pause, break or stop button - just perseverance to ensure your trench mates are surviving as well. Anything less and you are considered weak, not a team player or passionate.
My stubborn self at the time followed orders and made sure I was available around the clock to support my team by putting everyone else in front of me. I felt trapped as the toxicity lead me into a very dark depression within myself. I felt like I had no escape as this was the career that I have always wanted to be part of it and it was all I've ever known. I often was battling myself trying to stay afloat and somehow create a better environment and teach freshly graduated cooks that compassion, self-care, and patience can be very rewarding in this industry. However, I was also realizing that my end goals did not align with the industry anymore - I did not want to open a restaurant or be an execute Chef. Where would I go from here? How would I continue to grow?
I started maintaining a work-life balance and instilling this into my cooks, there was always a precedent judgment from my peers that clouded my self-worth. The pressure of working more than a regular 8-hour shift still loomed over me, the expectations were to always be available post-shift if needed as the restaurant's demands never sleep. Regardless of other people's opinions, I was re-inventing the culture and creating a more stable environment for cooks to grow. I believed in fostering stability and inclusivity for these junior cooks to be a change in the future.
After hearing numerous positive reviews of the tech industry, I decided that it was my turn to put myself first and to prioritize my own mental health. I wanted to be able to focus on work-life balance and enjoy other aspects of life other than my career. I began researching further and not only did I find Juno College, but I found an industry that was inclusive, supportive, and understands the importance of balance. I found so many similarities and relations between coding and cooking, which made me so intrigued in becoming a developer.
The fear settled in of the thought of such a major change. I had a very secure and stable job in a senior position, it was hard to think about leaving and starting from the bottom... starting from the unknown. There was a lot of uncertainty and doubt if this was the right choice and caused me to dwell for several months. With some odd but perfect timing, the world shut down completely by the pandemic. I was let go for a short period of time, and during that time it had propelled me to kick start this transition.
I will always have a love for culinary arts, a passion for cooking, and admiration for the ones within it. It has taught me to be how to be resilient, compassionate, creative, patient, personable, and a stronger leader. I cannot wait to take all of the knowledge I have learned through the many years from the hospitality industry and apply it to becoming a web developer. I'm looking forward to continuing this journey and being a part of this growing support system for the tech community.
Top comments (6)
I took the leap from the service industry a little over 3 years ago, and it's been great for me. One of my favorite developer blogs is by a former chef turned dev:
taniarascia.com/from-cooking-to-co...
I have a soft spot for anyone transitioning from restaurants. Good luck, and feel free to reach out if you ever have questions!
Thank you so much! I'll definitely keep you in mind if I have any questions along my path with transitioning careers. All the best to you and thanks for sharing!
Reading this made my heart swell!
I originally trained to be a chef, driven by passion for cooking, and I graduated high school with honors and started working at a five-star in my hometown. After a few months I began to realise the toxicity of the industry, and I slowly moved away from the kitchen into managment by starting college. It took me two more years to realise that I would never be able to achive a work-life balance in hospitality - even F&Bs have to be on call 24/7.BThat's when I decided to move into IT - I restarted college, this time with a CS major and I'm currently in my last year.
As sad as it is, the hospitality industry sucks the life force out of people. I'm extremely glad that you've taken the steps necessary to create a balanced career path! This brings me to my point: there are countless forces inside IT that strive to make it as relentless as hospitality. From managers pushing unreasonable sprints to developers spilling around talks of productivity hacking and importance of coding in your spare time and on the weekends.
It will be up to people like us to safeguard against such forces, having seen what imposing impossible industry-wide standards can do to people and their mental health. Driven by our previous work and lifestyles, it's easier for us to fall into the trap of "it's just a bit of overtime", but it is an urge we have to resist, not just for our sakes, but for the sake of every developer, present and future.
I wish you all the luck on your journey! May it bring you more sleep and fewer burns! ^^
Thank you for your insight and bravo to you for going back to school! I am hoping I will land a position within a company that has the same work-values as I have. But, I know not all companies will have this as a priority... even in the tech industry! I do plan on being an advocate for worklife balance and prioritize mental health, it's often looked over and needs to be focused upon. Good luck on your journey as well!
Thank you for taking the time to read it! I'm looking forward to sharing more of my journey as I navigate into the tech world. I'm learning how welcoming and supportive everyone is and it's truly inspiring.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I wish you good luck, through your journey!