Chef Tahir Salamat has worked in kitchens in Halifax and around the world. He says the job of chef is two parts skill, two parts love of food, a dash of creativity and a sprinkling of ego and competitive spirit. (TED PRITCHARD / Staff)

CHEF Tahir Salamat has cooked in some of the world's top kitchens, but last week the corporate chef with RCR Hospitality Group was focused on one task: creating the best hamburger any Haligonian will eat.

It may seem a mundane task for someone who studied across Europe and has won a drawer full of culinary honours, but for Salamat, creating a burger that will impress diners at the soon-to-open CUT steakhouse in downtown Halifax is very important.

"It's going to be a high-end restaurant where customers are going to be pampered. We don't want people to order, eat and pay the bill. We want them to have an experience that they will remember," he said.

Chefs are frequently secretive about their recipes, and Chef Tahir is no different. He will reveal little about his burger masterpiece except it will be made from freshly ground Kobe beef, miso (bean curd) and seasonings and will be served on brioche.

"Flavour, flavour, flavour. That's my mantra and that's what I tell the people I work with. If you don't have flavour, people may as well be eating hospital food."

Born in Karachi, Pakistan, he was forced into the food business by his father, who was worried about him getting into trouble on the streets. He thought he was initially going to be a waiter, but was taken under the wing of a kindly but demanding chef, Robert Barton, and he found his true calling in the kitchen.

Thirty years and dozens of culinary assignments have passed since that time, and Chef Tahir, 44, is now senior chef for the Risley-owned outfit, which includes a half-dozen restaurants, the Cunard Centre and Pier 21.

A successful chef has to be creative, love food, be able to work with people on a deadline and be a slave to details. "You can't approach food like everyone else in history. You have to bring your own style. You have to be precise and demanding. And you have to have a competitive spirit. Otherwise, you will end up flipping burgers." A chef's hours can be really long, especially with the constant education and training that goes on, but he said if at the end of the day, a customer or a client is really satisfied, that is the true reward. If it's not, he advises people to look elsewhere for a career.

Does his story whet your appetite to learn more about a career as a chef ?

Read on.

WHAT DO THEY DO?
Chefs plan and direct food preparation and prepare a wide variety of foods in restaurants or hospitals.

They may prepare complete meals, individual dishes or special meals.

They plan menus, determine size of food portions, estimate food requirements and costs of ingredients and labour and monitor and order supplies. They are responsible for maintaining food quality standards.

Chefs may recruit, hire and supervise apprentice chefs, cooks and kitchen staff as well as arranging for the purchase or repair of equipment.

Chefs may specialize in a regional cuisine or in preparing a particular type of food, such as pastry.

WHAT ARE THE WORKERS LIKE?
The work requires initiative, imagination and creativity. A chef must know and apply the rules of hygiene, sanitation and occupational safety.

Organization, time management and the ability to perform under pressure are important. You must have good health, physical stamina and manual dexterity. You will be required to establish good working relationships with a variety of co-workers and customers and display a professional attitude.

In Nova Scotia, the gender spilt is 78 per cent male, 22 per cent female. Half of all chefs have a trades certificate or diploma, and 76 per cent of chefs have some form of post-secondary training. The average age of a chef is 39.

WHERE DO THEY WORK?
Annapolis Valley 7%
Cape Breton 6%
Halifax 67%
North Shore 13%
Southern N.S. 7%

WHAT TRAINING IS REQUIRED?
Chefs are generally required to complete high school plus a three-year cook.s apprenticeship program, or have equivalent training and experience. This occupation is a designated apprenticeship trade in Nova Scotia.

Although you are not required by law to be certified as a cook in the province of Nova Scotia, many Nova Scotia employers require you to be a registered apprentice or hold a certificate of qualification. Chefs usually require several years of experience as a cook.

WHAT ARE WORK PROSPECTS?
Employment prospects will be good in the coming years. Demand for this occupation is linked to rising disposable incomes, economic growth and travel in, and visitors to, the province. Executive and specialist chefs with excellent training and many years of experience are in the highest demand.

Outlook: Good
Employment in 2005: 700
Estimated average annual number of job openings for new chefs: 19
Earnings in 2005: averaged $15.75 hourly, with a maximum of $36

TYPICAL JOBS:
Executive chef, master chef, pastry chef, sous-chef.

For information, or to explore over 300 other careers in Nova Scotia, visit the Education Department's Career Options website: novascotiacareeroptions.ca

On the Job is a weekly feature looking at career opportunities in Nova Scotia. Past columns are archived at www.jobspress.com