I remember when I first did work experience when I was 16 years old – I said that I fancied doing Advertising (ended up at “The Advertiser”, a free newspaper in Gosforth in the suburbs of Newcastle On Tyne….I think that I envisaged skyscrapers / big city / sharp suits / high concepts..!!)…obviously not true, but I didn’t have a single clue what I wanted to do (did you??!)….saying that, I still didn’t when I was 19, or when I started my degree at 21, but by that point I was already on a computing degree and thus my career choice seemed obvious…..well, I’ll work in computers won’t I…13 years and 1 “off year” in NZ and I’m still in computers…..but now I’m on the verge of starting my second “work experience” (called a “stage” over here) in a top restaurant in the centre of Paris (owned by Gérard Dépardieu) with a Michelin star chef (Laurent Audiot), and I have to say that this time I’m a hell of a lot more sure of where I’m headed.
So, 22 years later and I’m off to share a kitchen with 12 other young / older chefs / sous-chefs / apprentis. Here’s the link for the web site for the resto – there’s an English version…http://www.la-fontaine-gaillon.com/uk/