Shows like Top Chef make cooking sexy and although it is usually compelling entertainment, it is not reflective of a life working in the food industry.

“A lot of interns I have talked to are in some sort of la-la land and don’t realize the laborious nature of the job. Cooking is not what you see on TV,” wrote Chrissy Camba, Chef de Cuisine of Vincent.

With the federal government cracking down on proprietary schools and their practices (more on that another time), some things have already changed for the better from a consumer stand point.

Certificates CAN be a viable option for you. If anyone tells you otherwise, let them know (politely), that they are wrong.