Job Change for Chef

[Chef Isaac]

The other day, my GM, Matt, sat down with me and told me that he is selling his house and moving to Cambodia. I was bummed and realized that the Dining Room Manager is going to get his job. He and I do not work well together.

So, my wife and I decided there needed to be a change. I would like to move my the company I am with but there are no jobs opened at this time in Washington or Oregon.

I have always wanted to teach. Funny thing is is that I got a letter in the mail about a culinary school opening up in Seattle. I sent them my resume and had my interview today.

Now I am not sure what to do. It is an awesome kitchen and I love to teach. However, it comes with a teachers salary. It would be a 13,000 pay cut. However, he told me that if I do a double (6 week long class), then it would cushion that a little.

The advantages of taking this job is that: It is less time demanding then my current job. Three weeks off a year. Monday through Friday job. More time with my wife and more time with the bees.

the disadvantages: the pay and the drive. It is 25 minutes away.

Advantage of my job now: I have been with the company for three years. I can move where ever I want. The pay is good.

Disadvantages: When then dining room manager gets the GM position, life will suck. Half my crew will leave because they will not work under him. 4 AM phone calls that the breakfast cook did not show up. The fact that I spend 50-60 hours a week there. Less time with my wife. One day with the bees.


What do you all think?

[alpha6]

Chef,

I would make the move and here is why. More time with your wife and the free time is something that you can't put a dollar amount on. Additionally, you won't believe the freedom that being away from a stressful job (like yours sounds like) is like. It's like finally catching your breath.

From what I have read here and looking at your web site, if you have more time to work with your bees then I think you will make up the 13k because it will give you more time to get your honey business moving better.

Lastly, when you cook a great meal the guests remember it for a day...if you are teaching people to be great cooks that lasts a lifetime.

Good luck with your decision.

PS - 25 minute drive?? Your joking...around here its a 25 minute drive to your mailbox. ;)

[Curtis]

Secure job....with the world and our economy like it is...keep it.
That is, if your employer financial fit. If not go and teach. If in 2 years things get better, there will be a job for an experienced Chef who wants to teach.

[MapMan]

Do what you love to do - it's worth it for less stress for you and your family.

A 25-minute drive is nothing. The more you make, the more you spend - if you tighten your belt, you'd be surprised what you can afford on a lower salary. Do what you love to do. 'nuff said.

MM

[J-Bees]

It is 25 minutes away.



Man I used to drive 102 miles each way. But I got my home paid for now so don't do it any longer:}:}


Good luck in your new job:}:} sure sounds interesting:}

[PerryBee]

Hey Chef. Last year I quit my job with the town to spend more time with my son who was just starting school. We now live on my wifes salary alone, more than a 50% drop in household income. I have more time with my boy, the bees, and even though the money thing rears its ugly head (property taxes,etc.) there is no doubt we are all happier. My wife and I have always agreed, if we could have more of anything, it would be time. Don't complicate the question, you know what will make you happy, just don't feel guilty about it.;)

[cow pollinater]

Chef, Only you can answer your question. BUT, the best thing that I've ever done for myself was tell my boss that I wasn't happy with how things were going so I was leaving to start my own company. He is now my best customer. I make more money. I work less hours. I do better work because I'm happier. I told one of the jackass managers that if he waved his finger at me again it was going home in my pocket: my new customer laughed because he knows the guy is a jackass but can't tell him that without getting sued.
Knowing what I know now, I can say that I would leave and not look back. If you love to teach and love to keep bees, the money will follow eventually. I would only advise that you stick it out as long as you can to get some savings put together in case of emergency. You might try living on what your new salary would be for a month or two to see if it's do-able. Is there enough left for emergencies?
Also, are there kids involved? That does change things and God has a knack for inserting them into our lives at the most inoppertune moments... Please keep that in mind.

[sds888]

Like cow said only you can make the decision. But here is my thought if the teaching has to do with the state government go for it. I took a $10,000 pay cut and move into a state job. The head aches are a lot more but the benefits in the long run is well worth it. The insurance, retirement, and time off.

[Zane]

Chef,
Time w/ the family is worth more than $13k(IMHO). Working w/ people you dont like sucks. A day shift gig would be great. I dont remember when I worked dayshift(8-9 yrs)!!! I have worked in the same field for 20 years and have had many opportunities to move around but I stayed here in the country(having moved from Seatle) to raise my kid and have never regretted it. Once he is out of school my options change(thinking of a Seatle return). I am so glad my kid grew up where he has and my family and I have had time to be with him!!! Where is the new job location? a 25 min drive in Seatle isnt bad really. Follow the gut but keep family value above work or money! You can always change if you need. Good Luck, you'll do the right thing

[iddee]

Do you work to live, or live to work. I work to live. If I can't live, I won't work.

If you go from 60 hours to 40 hours, what is keeping you from making 13,000 working 10 hours a week and still gaining 10 hours for family.

I have never stayed on a job I didn't enjoy doing. If I were still working, I still wouldn't. That was the most important aspect of any job I ever had. Earn a living having fun, or go someplace else.

[Galaxy]

I believe it is obvious that most people are more likely to succeed in a job that they love. And, are not likely to succeed in a position where they do not get along with their boss.

Any chance that you could be promoted over the Dining Room Manager? If you already have the teaching job offer, it would not hurt to sit down with the deciding manager and discuss your abilities vis-a-via the the Dining Room Manager. It seems to me the skills necessary to manage a kitchen are of a higher order than those to manage a dining room. The deciding manager may decide that a good chef is more important than a dining room manager, as any quest of a restaurant knows.

[cow pollinater]

Chef, in addition to my earlier post, I will add that I think you already know your answer or you would't be asking a bunch of beekeepers if you should choose a job which gives you more time with the bees.;) You pick the advice you will recieve when you decide who to ask.
Soooo...good luck with the new job, we look forward to hearing about the rapid expansion of Sweet As Can Be Honey Farm. Best of luck to you.:D

[Jim Fischer]

Chef stick it out for a while.

If the Front manager will cause members of your team to leave
once he is made GM, you need to realize that both front and
kitchen staff will bolt, and that will get the notice of management
above the GM (regional management? You never mentioned, but if
there is a GM, I am guessing you work for a corporate chain.)

GMs that lose trained staff are not an asset.
Training new staff costs serious money.
GMs that cannot lead are also not an asset.

So, if you wait a bit, you may find that senior management is
nowhere near as stupid as you might think, and that the
Front manager is gone.

Anyway, when has a mere front manager ever made a good GM
at a freakin' restaurant? It is all about the FOOD, isn't it?

Don't be hasty - you can always change your mind later.

[Derek]

I agree with all. And what Jim just said. If the case is the GM. Let the higher up's know what will happen. Then when it does. You say "told ya so." If you don't and this a-hole GM plays his cards right, it's you that made them leave. And your out. If your really like this place. Then go above him and put it on record.

[Chef Isaac]

Thank you all for your advice.

However, the front of the house manager will get the job. He has been groomed for it and has been there a long time.

I do not want to be there when my kitchen staff leaves. To me, it means more hours that I have to fill in while still doing my responseabiliies.

I know my PM chef will leave, both my AM chefs will leave, and the AM prep cook will leave. That is like 1/2 my kitchen staff.

The thing is, where I live (yes, I know it is Seattle), culinary teaching jobs do not come around a lot. There are two positions at two different culinary schools that are open to me. So, it is not like I can wait around and just jump ship to teach anytime I would like.

All in all, my wife and I would like to have kids someday. Jason, a good friend of mine (we talked tonight) knows the hectic life I live at work and he said it pretty clearly: if you want to play a part in your kids life, change jobs.

I thought about it today and thought that it would be so nice to go hiking with my wife and to hep out more around the house. Because right now, with the hours at work, I go to work, come home, eat, talk with the wife, do some more work and go to bed.

I have worked there for three years. In those three years, I have not taken a vacation because no one has my back per say. Like last weekend, I asked the GM to do my meat order because I planned a 4 day weekend. I came back and what happened... no meat order.

This is exciting for me because my ultimate goal is to teach at the culinary Institute of American in NY where I graduated from.

I have always thought that opprotunity knocked a few times. It just happened that two positions came available at two culinary schools. I think it is opprotunity knocking.

In the end, more time with my wife (and someday the kids) will be a huge advantage.

[Troutsqueezer]

Chef, think about your resume. A teaching gig will polish it up nicely and open the door later on for positions that will no doubt pay higher than either of these two.

Go for the new one and don't look back.

[honeyshack]

Chef, I am a list person. Do the pro con thing with your wife, and both of you do one on your own. Then compare the notes. Define what you want, where you want to be in say 1 year, 5 years and 10. How does the pro con work in that goal setting.
Some times my husband and i try to prioritize things.
1. God
2. Spouse
3. family (which we do not have)
4 work.
Sometimes work gets the better of us but in the end when it comes down to it, God, the husband/wife, family is what matters. Money is icing on the cake...so to speak.

Gotta go, third thunderstorm of the day.

[Derek]

This is exciting for me because my ultimate goal is to teach at the culinary Institute of American in NY where I graduated from.

I have always thought that opprotunity knocked a few times. It just happened that two positions came available at two culinary schools. I think it is opprotunity knocking.

In the end, more time with my wife (and someday the kids) will be a huge advantage.

You just summed it up right there. Your excited! Its what you have always wanted to do.

And with the few extra hours you may have, you can dress up like a drone and go to the DCA (couch or what ever) and wait on tha queen. Thats what I do. I bought my drone suit from riverrat!

[Sundance]

Do what you want........... Do what makes you happy.

Chasing $$$ is not living, and wealth is not a measure
of achievement or happiness.

Go for the job...... teach.

[Zane]

"Professor Chef Isaac", hmmmm has a nice ring to it!!!!
Like gramps used to say-
follow your dreams!!!
have no regrets.
lifes too short so live for today
if it makes you smile or laugh buy it or marry it.

Chef you'll do just fine. You have a good idea what you want and there are lots of excellent ideas to consider but it comes down to YOU.
Good luck and keep us posted. We'll be here for ya no matter what

[Eaglerock]

Iddee: >Do you work to live, or live to work. I work to live. If I can't live, I won't work.

I like this statement, and here's why.

I have always said to people do you live to eat, or eat to live. If more people look at it this way maybe we would not have so many over weight young people and adults. Right now however... I live to work and I am thinking about this and things will have to change soon.... I am working 12-18 hour days and the summer has gone bye... I am going to change my hours for winter and not do this again next summer.

Point: You have a chance to spend time with your family/wife. Don't lose that over money. You can't get these times back. I was a Supermarket Manager for 21 years and spent to much time working for others and lost time with my family... although I was always there for my daughters. (when they had anything going on at school) More so than my wife was... but you know what... that might of been because I was not there enough for her too. She left us and I raised my daughters. Who's to blame? Who knows. Two way street... but maybe it would have helped if I was not working so much... do I believe this...yes. Hard to admit you did wrong... but I believe I did... thinking I was doing good by making more money... NOT SO!

Family always first...

Reading over others postings I see they too know what I am talking about... some maybe more so.

Bottom line... it is your choice and you have to deal with this... but also...it is your wife and family (if you have kids) that you need to sit down and talk to. 25 minute drive is nothing... I have had longer... and you will learn to like that time to wind down and think about things, listen to music and relax inside, and let go of issues at work so you do not, and will not, take your work home with you.

When they closed my store, they wanted me to move to one of the NY stores... I had one daughter in college, one going to Graduate in a few months, and one more year for my youngest daughter... I was not going to move and so I would have to travel 1.5 hours and in the winter even longer... had a choice... a BIG choice to make. I thought my world was coming to and end... I was scared... what to do... I had had that job for over 21 years.. 27 total with that company. However, I quit and had no job for almost 2 months. Got a job at a hardware store, for only 6 something an hour. Not even a third of what I made before, yet it was a great time for me... no pressure... had fun, and they loved me there. Although I was only there for about 2- 3 months. I had one place calling me right there at work, wanting me. I gave in and took their job and made a little more money. But I lived and was happy. Life is not about the $$$, I learned it is about you and your family.

I am sure others might have more to add... we can all tell you are thoughts, but they do nothing... it is ultimately your choice. You, your wife and family.

Good luck...

[Eaglerock]

Thank you all for your advice.

However, the front of the house manager will get the job. He has been groomed for it and has been there a long time.

I do not want to be there when my kitchen staff leaves. To me, it means more hours that I have to fill in while still doing my responseabiliies.

I know my PM chef will leave, both my AM chefs will leave, and the AM prep cook will leave. That is like 1/2 my kitchen staff.



And the Supers/owners, do not see this? Looks like they want to close down. Are you sure?
Something not right... if all leave will they be able to fill these in order to stay open?

[randydrivesabus]

I haven't read all the other posts. To me it would depend on how hard it is to get a job at any time in your field. If getting a new job is a piece of cake then I would stay with my present job and see how it goes. If it sucks I would move on. 13K pay cut is a lot. Beekeeping is farming and with it comes all the risk.

[Hobie]

My Dad always said... think about how you would have felt if they had NOT offered you the teaching job. If you would have been crushed, then something about that job calls to you. If it would have been no big deal, then it's not that important.

As for the drive, I used to work about 40 minutes away. It's a great opportunity to learn a language or take some other class on tape. Get an econo-car or... heck I even biked in a (very) few times! But we have no hills...

[indypartridge]

My wife and I always talked about "someday" moving to the country, "someday" this and "someday" that. Then cancer struck. And struck a second time. We learned a big lesson: "tomorrow" isn't guaranteed. For us, there is no more "someday", only "today". We moved to the country 4 years ago.

To an accountant looking at a balance sheet, yes, it cost us. But, we've never regretted it for an instant. We love it; our kids love it. We love the difference it's made in our lives and our kid's lives and we wouldn't trade it for any amount of money.

Go for it, Chef.

[tecumseh]

iddee writes:
Do you work to live, or live to work.

tecumseh replies: well actually I work to play although my work can be a bit like play.

which ever way ya' go chef, the best of luck to ya' bro....

[Eaglerock]

My wife and I always talked about "someday" moving to the country, "someday" this and "someday" that. Then cancer struck. And struck a second time. We learned a big lesson: "tomorrow" isn't guaranteed. For us, there is no more "someday", only "today". We moved to the country 4 years ago.

To an accountant looking at a balance sheet, yes, it cost us. But, we've never regretted it for an instant. We love it; our kids love it. We love the difference it's made in our lives and our kid's lives and we wouldn't trade it for any amount of money.

Go for it, Chef.

Sad that it takes something like this to make us understand what is important... glad you made the move...now it is up to him....

[Keith Jarrett]

Chef,

Alot of good post here,

Good luck & best wishes for your further.

[knadai]

Chef:

Don't think in terms of a single source of income. Unless, of course, you stay where you are, where you don't have time to do anything else...

At your new position, you not only have opportunity to spend more time with family, you also have choices for additional income:

* Bees - honey, bees, and other hive products.

* Teaching beekeeping?

* Culinary textbook - developed for your class(es) but yours to market elsewhere.

* Cookbook - honey-based or your own approach to great food.

* Consulting with other restaurants in the area - layout, procedures, menu. Find a local restaurant with a courtyard or something. Stock it with hives and bees, with windows for patrons to observe. Feature local honey on the menu. Them Seattle treehuggers will eat it up. (I had to put that dig in -- you know I can't post a TOTALLY nice reply) Ain't no culinary school that would object to an instructor also continuing to be a professional in the area.

* Recognize extraordinary talent in your students & helping the select few with their careers.

* Open a teaching restaurant at the school, run it & get a cut of the profits. It's tough to not make money when the staff works for free.

* Cooking classes for non-professionals. Rent out the school's kitchen and charge tuition. School will love it for the publicity and you will end up recruiting students.

* Write articles on food or restaurants for local newspapers. While not a direct source of income, it will raise your prestige in that market. Newspapers will accept stories or columns from an academic easier than other professionals. Maybe write a restaurant review column and BLAST your old place of employment (just kidding).

* Now your trips abroad are tax deductible as ACADEMIC RESEARCH or an unreimbursed employee expense.

Finally, even if the teaching gig is a bust, the experience will look good for the next restaurant you work for. They have other restaurants in Seattle, don't they? (!)

Good luck and keep us all posted!

[sqkcrk]

Less time with my wife. One day with the bees.
What do you all think?

Do what you love, Chef. One never gets paid enough for a job you don't love. Almost never anyway. Good luck. Keep us posted.

[Mike Gillmore]

However, it comes with a teachers salary. It would be a 13,000 pay cut. However, he told me that if I do a double (6 week long class), then it would cushion that a little.



Sit down with your Wife, Chef, and sharpen your pencil. Cut everything non-essential out of your budget, trim everywhere you possibly can, and be certain that you can make ends meet on your new salary.

If you both see that you can make it on your new budget then I think it will be much easier to finalize a decision which you have probably already made. Both of you should go into this with eyes wide open and stick to the plan.

It sounds like you're considering the change for all the right reasons, especially the enhanced quality family time. But be realistic, do the math, and be sure you two can financially make it work. "Livin on love" usually has an extremely short lifespan. Money problems can destroy a family very quickly, especially if it's self inflicted.

I'm sure you'll get creative and find a way to make it work financially, and if so, I say go for it!

[Chef Isaac]

Thank you all for your input. That is why I asked :).

I go in on Friday to teach a mini class and I will be judged on that. Should be cool.

[Sundance]

Good luck Chef...... my bet is you will love teaching your
craft.

[berkshire bee]

Chef, I went from$33,000 to $13,000 in one year. I gained the advantages you listed, plus time to live life. We had family home this week and I was able to go to two weekend outings and take a few days to go up to Hampton Beach, spend today at the lake and am heading to a music festival this weekend. I'd take the teaching job if I were you. You can adjust to the income difference.You can't put a price on time. If it doesn't work out go back to being a chef. You'll have teaching experience to add to your resume.

[Chef Isaac]

Well, I took the job today. I am totally happy. I got the call on Saturday and he made the offer and told me to come in on Monday which I did .

I handed in my resignation today as well. It felt good! :)

[sqkcrk]

Well, I took the job today. I am totally happy. I got the call on Saturday and he made the offer and told me to come in on Monday which I did .

I handed in my resignation today as well. It felt good! :)

Good for you Chef. I hope it works out well for you and that your bees won't suffer too much.

Keep on keepin' on.

[Chef Isaac]

I am hoping that with teaching it will give me more time with my bees and family.

[Oldbee]

I am sure you will be a good,...'teacher'. They may have been 'described' as a 'dime a dozen' in years past but they are REALLY valuable now. Good luck!

[Chef Isaac]

Thanks oldbee. I need to transition from industry cooking to academic teaching. i cant wait.

[iddee]

We all knew you would. Good Luck. I hope it was the right one.



PS....I notice which order they were posted in............
>>>>I am hoping that with teaching it will give me more time with my bees and family.<<<< ;) :D

[Chef Isaac]

I had to put the "family" in there or my wife would kill me.

[Sundance]

Congrats Chef.......... More time with the family is priceless.

Good luck..........