how is life in the culinary industry?!

In the cooking industry, hours are bad, at least for the executive chef where I interned. The sous chefs worked 8 1/2 hour shifts. 8 hours cooking and 30 minute break - includes free food. The executive chef and executive pastry chef worked 8-12 hours a day. They leave when the job is done.
Oh and the hats thing someone mentioned - everyone here wears a baseball cap hat - the tall hats are used for show. Here is how I would rank people in the kitchen:
Executive Chef - 4 year degree - 2 year in culinary and 2 year in business; experience of course
Executive Sous Chef - 4 year degree - 2 year in culinary and 2 year in business
Sous Chef - 2 or 4 year degree
Chefs or paid college interns 2 or 4 year degree
Helpers - no degree; low pay; just here to follow and help the chefs
high school interns - no pay; here to learn
Some of the chefs where I work are community college graduates; as long as you work hard, you will move up regardless from what school you graduate.

Those above are rankings based on where I work; other places will be completely different.

Pain... My first 8 hour shift left me at an intense feet and leg pain. To prevent back pain - worse kind of pain - make sure you lift from your leg and not your back. Go close to a kneel and lift heavy stuff; try not to lift standing up.

If you want a job, I suggest you get an internship. The experience is great for a resume. You can also ask if the people you are interning for are hiring. If you are good, they will hire you. Why train a person for a job they know someone else can do really well?

Edit: About the hours... My teacher is used to working during the holidays. His wife got annoyed because he would not leave work. Now, they take their vacation when everyone else is back to work. You have that beach all to yourself! You can ski down that mountain without going in line... The chef where I work though takes a day off during the holidays. It really depends where you work.

If you get into a decent culinary school, hope that you get someone like Gordon Ramsey to teach you. You may have a nervous break down before it's all over, but you'll be a hell of a cook. There's no easy route to the top in this industry, it's all hard work, long hours, low pay, and a caste system too. Know those funny looking hats that are sometimes a foot long or so? The height of the pleated hat is indicative of the chef's status in the kitchen. You do have to work your way up the totem pole, and hope you get a job at a restaurant that is successful. It's stressful work, no doubt about it. If you're not in this for life, as a passion and an occupation, just try something else. It takes an enormous amount of dedication for this as a life long job. Good Luck, Bon Appetit!!

cook, chef 40+ yrs.

I agree with Miss Elizabeth, there are plenty if not all weekends, holidays, sometimes overnights, which consists of working 36 or more straight hours with a 30 minute break. Life in the kitchen is not easy BUT go to a community college, get your cooking and basking certs.THEN go to a professional culinary school and learn well GO to Le Cordon Bleu, CIA , or Johnson & Wales. after that you can write your own paycheck...guaranteed.

pro chef...been there, done that

I think you've got the gist of it. Just make sure that you're in the part of the kitchen that you want to be- in my case, pastry/bakery. For example, I get paid minimum wage and I worked this past saturday for 11.5 hours straight without a break. It sucks. But I love what I do.

Another thing you have to consider is working at a place where you believe the same things that the company believes. If you believe that the customer deserves food prepared in a timely manner, then work in a place that believes that. If you believe that the customer deserves quality food made with fresh, local ingredients, then work in a place that believes in that.

Good Luck!

My personal experience.

Get used to back pain, leg pain, foot pain.... The long hours of standing and bending over are killer on the body! Invest in really good shoes that are specially made for chefs and people who are on their feet for long hours.

Working with food can be a lot of fun but it is also very stressful! Take good care of yourself, get regular exercise, eat healthy and take vitamins!

Learn how to switch gears at a moment's notice. You never know what will come your way.

Food industry worker for 6 years.