If you prefer the pen to the pan, taking sales orders over plating orders, or always dreamed of working with camera crews, we’ve got great news. A career in the culinary field can take many rewarding twists and turns—and there’s no better place to prepare yourself for all of them than at The FCI. Thousands of companies are looking for people with the training you will receive. Following are some of the opportunities available to you after just 6 or 9 months at The French Culinary Institute.

Food Writer
Food writers write or edit for magazines, newspapers, websites, cookbooks, promotional pieces, etc. A culinary education is helpful because it provides a technical background and understanding that helps the writer better critique and assess.

Examples: Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Food Network, the New York Times, PastryScoop.com

Food Styling
Food stylists are responsible for the proper handling and preparation of food products for film, TV, and media, including understanding how to use food alternatives/substitutes, product sourcing, working with related industry contacts (photographers, prop stylists). A culinary background provides a foundation for recognizing good products, food color and texture balance, food traits and qualities (knowing what the product looks like raw, cooked, etc). A food stylist’s skills must be precise, only an education stressing the classic French techniques can impart that.

Examples: Independent/Freelance, Magazine (gourmet/culinary, plus other home and lifestyle magazines, TV (Food Network, PBS), Cookbooks

Event Planner
An event planner creates, produces and facilitates events per clients’ specifications. A culinary education teaches the workings of the kitchen—timing, limitations of the facility, meeting clients’ requests and expectations—which is critical to running a smooth, successful event.

Examples: Hotels, Resorts, Private Clients (independent), Trade Events (Fancy Food Show), Conferences

Public Relations
Promotes restaurants, chefs, food products, culinary organizations, etc. Generates public awareness through press/media. Culinary training provides knowledge of the lingo used in the industry, expertise, knowledge of classics and the cuisines they’ve inspired, key players.

Examples: PR Firms, Independent/Freelance, Restaurants, Corporations, Hotels

Marketing
Create awareness and promote goods and services through a variety of venues (advertising, PR, events, etc). Understand and track consumer trends. Culinary education provides knowledge of the industry, key players, tastes, and trends in cuisine.

Examples: PR Firms, Independent/Freelance, Restaurants, Corporations, Hotels

Sales
Sales of specialty food products, name brands, wines and spirits to wholesale distributors, restaurants, resorts, hotels etc. Culinary training provides product knowledge, understanding of applications of the products, technical expertise, how restaurants purchase products.

Examples: Specialty food distributors (Paris Gourmet), Wholesale bread companies, Wines & Spirits

Restaurant Consulting
Consultants provide expertise and direction within a variety of divisions of the culinary industry. A culinary education is helpful in knowing menu development and balance, technical skills, equipment use and life, kitchen flow, customer service, industry trends, and key players.

Examples: Independent/Freelance, Consulting Companies (Clark Wolf Company)

Product Development
Identifies market trends and demands—and develops products to fulfill that need. Culinary training provides technical expertise, food components and make-up, creativity to create and invent new products or improve existing ones. Often includes recipe development.

Examples: Large food corporations (Keebler, Kraft, Nabisco, Campbell’s), Corporate restaurants/chains (McDonald’s), Sanderson Farms

Non-Profit Organizations
Work in a variety of capacities in organizations that support or are connected in the culinary industry. Culinary knowledge is pivotal to understand industry trends, contacts, and key players.

Examples: Share Our Strength, Slow Food, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, Council of Independent Restaurants of America, Careers through Culinary Arts Program, International Association of Culinary Professionals

Private Cheffing
Work for families and private clients creating and producing menus to their specifications, including shopping, storage and safe handling of all products. A culinary education is essential to understand products, meet and understand dietary restrictions, creative menu development, discipline.

Examples: Families, Celebrities, People with dietary restrictions, Drop-off service, Seasonal

Corporate Dining
Corporate dining rooms have become more popular. There are a variety of levels to work in, from banquet (mass-production) to high-end executive level. This is a cooking or management career and a culinary education is essential in preparing food and understanding kitchen operations.

Examples: Restaurant Associates owns and operates many in the city, some open to the public, others not, including United Nations Dining Room, Conde Nast’s cafeteria, Sony; Hotels, Hospitals

Catering
Catering offers a variety of opportunities, including sales-client relationships, PR, cooking, systems & organization. A classic culinary education not only provides a knowledge of food preparation, handling and presentation, but also trains the caterer to be flexible to meet site-specific restrictions, prepare theme or site-appropriate food, and function in any role of the business easily.

Examples: On-site/off-site, Hotels, Chelsea Piers, Independent/Freelance, Catering Companies, Film locations

Test Kitchen
Tests recipes and products for corporations, media, TV, and film. Based on a given or known recipe for a target audience. A culinary education is essential to provide the tester a foundation—the tester must know how to cook, how to detect subtle differences, and how to achieve a desired taste or texture.

Examples: Cookbooks, Magazines, Corporations, Consultants

Nutrition
Develop menus and products based on dietary restrictions. Culinary training teaches methods of cooking, how to keep food creative and tasting good while still meeting the customer’s needs.

Examples: Hospitals, Private clients, Corporations, Hospitals, Consultants

Chef-Instructor
Teach others the culinary and pastry arts in either a school or private setting.

Examples: The French Culinary Institute, The Culinary Loft