Heyy.
So, I have zero culinary education and zero kitchen experience . All of my previous work experience has been in corporate positions.
I've been applying for dishwasher and kitchen help jobs for the past week, as I assume this is where someone like me starts. I would like to become a chef one day, so I assumed I better start moving in that direction while I'm still young (I'm 21).
I got a call back after around 5 days of applying online, leaving my CVs at restaurants, and cold calling. The chef, an elderly woman, first asked about my past work experience and then advised me to "go find something better" because the kitchen is apparently too hard a job for someone unprepared. I insisted and told her I want to be a chef one day and she told me to come in on Wednesday(today) and talk.
I just got out of there. She said I have a lot to learn and her kitchen isn't well fit for learning, and she isnt sure what the management will say about hiring someone with no background, but she likes my enthusiasm and I can come in for a trial shift on Friday at 2 PM (e. g. rush hour) and she will see whether "I have what it takes".
I'm grateful for the opportunity but also seriously doubting myself. I don't quite know what to expect.
And I would like to, if not nail it, then at least not fuck it up big time.
Im also not sure how to approach the manager. When I told the waiter I would come in on Friday, he said , "So you'll have the pleasure of meeting our manager, it's not gonna be pleasant though" ...
I guess my dream talk might not suffice if the manager is notorious as a not so pleasant person.
I'll be grateful for any advice. For context, I can't go to culinary school because I'm an immigrant and where I am I would have to pay 3 times as much as everyone else, and I just don't have that much money. Not sure if I ever had that much in my lifetime tbh😂