The tale of the Wall Street career-changer is a familiar one by now, but you'll find Rebecca's story refreshing nonetheless. For those of us who dream of working at a great food magazine or are questioning whether cooking school is worth it, Rebecca's advice may convince you to get started. Her appetite for the food world is contagious - not only will you find her magic touch on the pages of Cook's Illustrated, but you'll also see her in action as one of the onscreen test cooks for America's Test Kitchen on PBS.
What attracted you to a good food job?
When I got out of college, I landed a job on Wall Street on a securities trading floor. After a few years, I was offered a promotion, which prompted some serious soul searching. I knew in my heart that I didn't want to work in finance forever, so I eventually turned down the promotion, announced my resignation, and enrolled in cooking school, not knowing what would be on the other side.
It sounds corny, but I was blindly following my passion. All I knew was that I didn't want to work as a restaurant chef since I was used to a white-collar, 9-5 environment and my temperament isn't suited to working on a line!
After teaching cooking classes and interning at
Saveur magazine, I ended up at
Cook's teaching online cooking classes. After a while, I started to develop recipes and write stories, eventually becoming the managing editor. That was ten years ago. Over time, I've had the chance to hone my editorial skills and learn more about food than I ever thought possible.
How did your previous work or life experience prepare you for a good food job?
Working on a Wall Street trading floor was invaluable. I learned how to think on my feet and juggle multiple tasks without making errors. I also gained a real appreciation for deadlines. As for cooking, I've been doing it since I was a child and it's like any other skill: The more you do it, the better you become.
What advice do you have for others in search of a good food job?
Go to cooking school even if you don't want to be a chef. Dine out when you can afford it. Read as many cookbooks as you can, and don't ever stop. One of the things I like most about food and cooking is that the learning process never ends. And the more you educate yourself, the better you will be at your job.
If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?
I'm already compensated in so many other ways. I get to eat in a test kitchen all day and talk about food with people who love it as much as I do. What could be better than that?
