"Staging"

One of the things most important in a cook's career, is to "stage". A Stage (pronounced: Stahsh) is when you work in another Chef''s kitchen for a day, to a week, or even longer for free, so that you can be exposed to new techniques. Most of the times it is the only way to get a job in this industry. Because not only are you learning from the chef, but he is also learning about you. The way you move, work, how focused you are, how fast you adapt, and how much you know. It is also a great way for you to get a feel of the kitchen. How often is the Chef around, Is the style of food, the type of food you want to be working with, Do the cooks want to be there, Is there a strong learning environment.

There is a lot more to a stage than meets the eye, and it could easily be your foot in the door if you play it right. Not to mention, Staging is a great way to be exposed to what the rest of the industry is doing, Great way to network, and as i mentioned before, a great way to learn.