CareerView · Career Advice Podcast

Chef - Mitch Terry

·24 min·1 clip

Mitch says chef pay is livable, often about 50 to 60K at the start, and depends on the workplace.

1. CareerView’s episode with chef Mitch Terry focuses on the path into chef work, from school decisions to kitchen service. 2. Host Niru Deshamal frames Mitch as CareerView’s first chef guest and asks student-submitted questions about training, work conditions, and pay. 3. The episode is meant to answer what a chef career actually requires, what a day looks like, and why people stay in it. 4. Mitch says he did not always want to be a chef and that the decision came later, around age 24. 5. He describes spending time in hospitality, trying other jobs, and then “working my way back” to chef work. 6. He says friends who were already in the industry helped him meet people, learn from mentors, and get opportunities. 7. A typical day for Mitch starts around 11 or 12, depending on how much prep is needed. 8. He separates the work into “big jobs” like proteins, baking, fermenting, and dehydration, then smaller jobs before pre-service. 9. He says kitchens need a buffer before service because they can be hit with “a million orders at once.” 10. Mitch says his finish time can be 9 p.m., 10 p.m., 10:30 p.m., or 11 p.m., depending on how busy the night is. 11. He says the apprenticeship route matters because a Certificate III in commercial cookery alone is not enough for real kitchen readiness. 12. He describes the apprenticeship as three years of work while studying, which he calls long but worthwhile. 13. Mitch says difficult coworkers and service pressure can bring out the worst in people during a busy kitchen shift. 14. He compares the stress to the TV image of “Kitchen Nightmares” and says the reality can resemble that during service. 15. He says he manages pressure by listening to music, staying calm, and slowing his reactions when he is under the pump. 16. His coping style also includes making jokes after a rough period and telling himself, “We’ll live for another day.” 17. Mitch says he thinks he has good work-life balance because his restaurant is a nighttime venue with Sundays closed. 18. He contrasts that schedule with chefs who work 60 or 70 hour weeks and says those hours would be extreme for him. 19. People who like hospitality, practical learning, and student-friendly career advice would likely get the most value from this episode. 20. People looking for a short, glamorous, or high-pay career pitch may skip it.

As heard by us

A clear look at hiring, pressure, and the attitude kitchens value.

CareerView follows Mitch Terry's route into chef work and keeps the focus on the questions students are most likely to ask about the profession. It covers how he started, whether an apprentice agency is useful, and what it takes to handle the pressure of kitchen work.

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Why you'd press play

For when you want a candid chef-career chat about getting hired, handling service pressure, and learning on the job.

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