An internship is an integral part of your cooking school education and something you should be thinking about even while choosing a program. For the most part, you will be allowed to take an internship only after you have successfully passed a number of introductory and even advanced courses. Many schools arrange internships with local restaurants or businesses, but sometimes you will need to do a little legwork.

An internship should be selected carefully to add to your classroom training and enhance your skills. If you want to be a chef at a fine-dining restaurant, your internship should be at a white-tablecloth restaurant under the best chef in the area who will take you on. If you are interested in hospitality management, your internship might be with a nearby resort, hotel, or casino. If you wish to go into food media, you should be looking for a position with a food magazine, network, or perhaps a media company.

Internships typically last two to three months, but they can be longer or shorter depending on the program in which you are enrolled. They tend to be with local companies, but some ambitious students venture much farther afield, even traveling to Europe or South America. All internships need to be approved by your cooking school. If your funds or contacts are limited, you should remain close to your home base.

An internship can often lead to a permanent job after graduation, so select your site carefully and remain on your best behavior throughout the experience. Even if you do not end up working for the company that hosts your internship, your supervisor may be able to promote you to peers who might have the perfect position for your skills and interests. On the other hand, should you not perform well in your internship, your reputation may be damaged far beyond the confines of the place where you actually worked. In many cases, this is your best shot at making a good name for yourself in your chosen field. Make the best of it. It is really VERY important.

One last note about internships: sometimes they are invaluable for what they tell you about yourself. Maybe you think you want to go into a particular specialty and are planning on making it your career. Then you go on an internship in that field and it is a disaster. Don’t despair. You’ve just learned a valuable lesson about what you do NOT want to do with your life, and it only cost you a few months’ time. If that happens, when you get back to cooking school be sure to talk about your experiences and change course while you still can. And chalk one up for the school of life.