3.
“Chef.”
“Because the day-to-day reality of being a chef or line cook is closer to industrial labour than a candlelit art form. The ‘romantic’ image… slowly stirring a sauce in a quiet kitchen, chatting with patrons, plating beautiful dishes at leisure. This comes from TV shows, movies, and Instagram, which skip over the grind that makes up 95% of the job.
In reality:
• Long, punishing hours – 10–14 hour shifts are common, with split shifts that wreck personal life. Many work weekends, late nights, and holidays.
• Physically brutal – constant standing, heavy lifting, heat, burns, cuts, steam, noise, and zero sitting down until closing.
• Relentless pace – service rushes are non-stop triage; you’re juggling multiple orders under strict time pressure, with no margin for error.
• High stress and conflict – kitchens can be loud, aggressive, and foul-mouthed; mistakes get called out instantly and not always politely.
• Low pay for many roles – unless you’re an executive chef at a high-end spot, wages often hover near the bottom end of skilled trades.
• Little creative control – most cooks follow someone else’s menu, recipes, and plating style; creativity is rare until you’re running your own place.
• Constant repetition – perfecting dishes means making the same prep, sauces, and garnishes hundreds of times without variation.
• Physically ageing work – chronic back pain, foot problems, and repetitive strain injuries are common after years in the industry.
• High burnout and turnover – many leave after a few years when the lifestyle takes its toll.
The romance is real only in flashes, when service is flowing, the team clicks, and you see a diner genuinely wowed by something you made. The rest is sweat, discipline, and speed, not cinematic slow-motion artistry.”
–Loverboy_Talis
