My daughter likes to cook. She is considering a culinary career. Is this a difficult field in Israel? Are jobs available in this area ?
There is no simple answer. ‘Liking to cook’ is not a criterion for choosing a career; does she have an aptitude for it? Professional foodservice requires long hours working in hard conditions, often when families are out celebrating. You start at the bottom even if you have experience, and that means being given the jobs that no one else wants. It’s smelly, messy, and often chauvinistic environments are still found in many places. The professional kitchen is a dictatorial meritocracy, sometimes benevolent.
That being said, it is an extremely rewarding career that doesn’t always require formal training, especially for gifted cooks, autodidacts or anyone with an insanely strong work ethic. It’s easier to work kosher here than anywhere else. Israel’s main industry is tourism, so there will never be a shortage of places to eat out, or hotels to work at. My best advice to her is if she wants to pursue a career as a chef, go to http://www.icc.org.il/ [no, I don’t know why the website for the ICA is ICC] Janglo Nefesh B’Nefesh, Israemploy or other job sites and start looking for entry level or even internship jobs. Give it a year; if she can last that long, then consider formal training.