We all remember and remain inspired by Robert F. Kennedy’s famous words, “There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?” For many considering a new career or changing careers, these words can take on new meaning; they can become a calm but determined mantra.

For if you are thinking about starting a new career, you are taking a huge risk. Simply reading these words is a measure of your bravery, your sense of adventure and your willingness to take charge of your life.

Whether we know it or not, we are all taking risks all the time. Even if we are classified as full-time employees, we are really free-lancers. The axe hangs over our head by a slender thread. The only security we have is our ability to transform our knowledge and experience into stepping stones to the next opportunity.

Rather that thinking about permanence and security, we should all be thinking about — indeed hoping for change. Change is the only constant in the continuum of our life.

If you stop pedaling, you’ll fall off your bike. If you keep going, no matter how slowly, you will eventually arrive at the place where you want to be. If you stand still, there is an illusion you are coasting but in fact, you are falling back.

Decisions  Decisions

Like it or not we have to keep making decisions. Should I wear this or that? Should I buy this car or that? Take this apartment or that? Go to this movie or that? Go out. Stay at home. Should the meat be well done, medium or rare? Blue cheese or Thousand Island dressing? Smooth or chunky? Small, medium or large? With or without? On and on goes the list of questions — and answers.

One of biggest difficulties is there are too many choices. It’s a little like thinking you want to write a cookbook on the chicken dishes of the world. If you have such a mad idea you will drown. It’s much easier to settle for the Chicken Dishes of Detroit.

As much as one-third of the culinary student community are career changers in their mid- to late-thirties and older.

They come from all walks of life. They are former airline pilots, lawyers, advertising executives, engineers, scientists nurses and entertainers. They previously worked in offices, schools, hospitals, and even in prisons. Some have served in the military and civil service. Many have already worked in restaurants and decided the in-depth education from a cooking school will advance their career options.

What they all share is a passion for food though not necessarily for cooking.

Once you decide to go to culinary school, you almost immediately have to decide whether to specialize in culinary programs or baking and pastry arts. Be sure to examine the options available at several schools before making the decision to choose one rather than another.

Working in a restaurant, (or owning one), is a dream job for many people but remember that it ranks as being among the most stressful things you can do. It is far more grueling to work in a restaurant on a Friday or Saturday evening than to be a member of the surgical team in a hospital operating room.

The good news is the hospitality industry is the 2nd largest employer nationwide, providing work for over 13 million people. The even better news is: there are literally hundreds of job opportunities available that will enable you to expand your existing life experience and lead you to a brand new career that you may not have known existed.

The bad news is that as you embark on the journey finding a unique food job, there is no map to guide you. No star to point the way. You must create your own true compass.

More good news, there is a job for you. You just have to find it. Look how many different loves we all go through before we find the one true keeper.

And being fired from the first food job is not as important as how you react. The former White House Pastry Chef Thaddeus Dubois one said, I left [the White House] as I arrived: fired with enthusiasm!”

Words from the Wise?

The former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield observed: “There are known knowns, there are things we know we know. There are known unknowns. That is, to say, there are things we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns.  Things we don’t know we don’t know.” Sometimes that’s what career searching feels like.

Thinking Ahead

Deciding to change your career, or embark on a new venture or just change jobs is a major undertaking. It means thinking ahead and anticipating where you want to be in the short-term. Not the long-term future. Because you will probably change your mind and change jobs several times. Most people do.

Remember: you’re in charge.

You are willing to exchange your time for someone’s money but you are not a prisoner.

You can figure out how to leave a job if you are miserable. Otherwise, you risk being unhappy and becoming a WOMBAT — a Waste Of Money, Brains And Time.

Or, to quote Bobby Kennedy once more, “All of us might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world, but we don’t. And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity.”

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way,” said Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

In short, the period Dickens described in 1859 is much like today.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 38 million people in our nation — 13.9 million of them children — live in households that suffer from hunger or live on the edge of hunger. This hunger and “food insecurity” are far too widespread in our wealthy society. Hunger in the United States is a problem that can be solved.

Another report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveals we waste 96 billion pounds of food in America each year. A recent study from the University of Arizona at Tucson discloses that almost half the food in the country goes to waste — a statistic that should alarm an industry that is struggling to achieve greater efficiency in order to salvage profits.

Message to Mission Control: “We have a problem here.” It’s time to bring in the heavy hitters. As a start, we can assemble a table for four of the weightiest. Together they can find the answer to our problem.

Chair #1: The Queen of England knows all about losses. The British throne lost the 13 colonies: now, the United States of America. It lost India, (The Jewel in the Crown), Hong Kong and many other colonies, protectorates and dominions. Her Majesty also lost the Royal Yacht. She’s down to two castles and one palace. Even so, her annual operating costs for running the Royal Household soared to $80 million last year. Her photograph is printed on the British currency but she still has to pay hefty taxes. Some days the Queen dines in sumptuous elegance and luxury. Other days her solitary supper is served on a folding table in front of the television. She sees both sides now. She has noticed, “We are wasting far too much food and must pay attention to leftovers.” Hold that thought.

Chair #2: Seated at the table next to the Queen is a chair reserved for Warren Buffett, the sage of Omaha. His $58 billion fortune made him the richest man on the planet, but he’s recently lost a staggering amount of his fortune in the global melt down. There’s one bright spot for him though. The home in which he still lives may be one of the few in North America that hasn’t declined in value since he bought it in 1958 for $31,500.

He bought Wrigley’s gum — the company — in 2008 for a cool $23 billion. Since then, he’s been chewing things over. (He also owns stock in Coca-Cola, beer, (Anheuser-Busch), and Pringles potato chips.) Warren Buffett is a man of simple tastes. He eats at fast food restaurants. He knows all about remaining profitable or semi-profitable or not losing. While people are hungry for many different things, Warren Buffett says, “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” Hold that thought.

Chair #3: Dr. Tim Ryan is the president of The Culinary Institute of America. He occupies the third seat at the table. He is a chef. Big Time! He started his professional life as a dishwasher so he is qualified to address the current despondency in the restaurant business from the ground up. He also is a Master Chef and one of only five Americans ever to receive the Presidential Medal from the World Association of Cooks Societies. He knows everything about kitchens and cooks and all things culinary. He says, “It’s exciting to see that people are going ‘green’ in every facet of their lives. Dining habits are no exception. I believe smaller carbon footprint foods will become more popular and further gain prominence.” Hold that thought.

Chair #4: Danny Meyer completes the table. He is a prince among men, adored by his staff, his guests, his purveyors and everyone who has ever met him, near, far or through his writings. He doesn’t own a palace: his restaurants are his castles. His restaurants and chefs have earned an astonishing, unprecedented 17 James Beard Awards for Excellence.

He doesn’t chew gum. He is not a chef. He is a restaurateur. He isn’t a sage but he is one of the three wise men. This means he knows a whole lot about restaurants and the people who dine in restaurants. He says, “I think people learn to trust that you get more when you first give more.  They learn that the best way to get a hug, is first to give one.”

As we gather together all these thoughts we realize that it takes only a small group of influential people to solve a problem. Every problem.

Our current pressing problem is we are not adequately matching the quantity of food we are throwing away —wasting—with its intrinsic value to the millions of people who need good food to eat.

We’ve all heard about the difficulties and the ‘what if’s’ of distributing foodservice leftovers. Yet, now is the time to change our thinking. The hospitality industry could and should become more hospitable. A restaurant, a catering service, indeed every company that serves food runs risks. Surely we could at the very least offer our leftovers to those who would be grateful to receive the untouched remainders from a banquet, a wedding feast or when the restaurant closes. We can also look to organizations like Share Our Strength for guidance on how to get started.

“Today’s slowing economy is having an impact on the restaurant industry; it is experiencing its steepest traffic losses,” announced the NPD Group. Maybe restaurants could receive a tax break if they distribute their surplus food with those who live nearby and are willing to accept it. We would not have to waste a lot of time and fuel or impose a heavy footed carbon imprint to reach them. The inconvenience is a small price to pay for something so valuable.

As Mother Teresa said, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” Together we can offer a gift of hope. And give and receive a warm hug.