How to Become a Chef After 10th?Complete Career Guide.
TL;DR: Students after completing 10+2 can start their chef career by enrolling on a diploma in hotel management programme at Brooks. With the right training, international internship, and kitchen experience, you can be working in a five-star hotel or cruise line before most of your peers start their first job. If your dream is to become a renowned professional chef, this guide covers everything. From courses, career ladder, and more importantly, why Brooks is the right institute. Let’s get started.
Is It Possible to Become a Chef After 10th?
A career as a chef is considered the entry point in the hospitality industry. Many major hotel and restaurant chains hire candidates who have demonstrated their skills and completed their hotel management diploma programme by age 20. Entering the industry at such a young age gives you a competitive advantage in terms of career progression and earning potential that most of your peers don’t get.
Step-by-Step: Your Culinary Career After School
To learn how to become a chef after 10th, here are the steps involved.
Step 1 — Complete Your 10th Standard
You must have completed your 10th standard, which is SSLC or its equivalent. However, there is a catch. To enrol in a hotel management diploma or any culinary diploma programmes, you must have also completed Plus Two along with Class 10th.
Step 2 — Choose and Enrol in the Right Programme:
Once you have finished 10+2, you must choose the right programme that suits your career path. When you decide the course and the institution, make sure they are recognised by NCVTE and have skill partnerships with N.S.D.C and THSC. Brooks School of Hotel Management has all three.
Step 3 — Build Core Kitchen Skills:
When you begin your training, your primary objective is to build the core kitchen skills. These involve food production, baking and confectionery, kitchen hygiene, regional and international cuisine, plating and presentation. Mastering these practical skills matters more than their theoretical counterparts taught in classrooms.
Step 4 — Complete Your Internship:
Most hotel management institutes offer internship programmes, which are designed to enhance your acquired culinary skills and understand how the business works. At Brooks, we offer internships at global hotel destinations, along with stipends that allow students to start earning before course completion.
Step 5 — Enter the Industry:
Once you graduate, you begin your training as a Commis Chef or Kitchen Trainee. You don’t have to be ashamed about that because this is exactly how every working Executive Chef started their career.
Step 6 — Build Your Career Progressively:
Once you start working, you gradually gain experience, skills, and connections, which allows you to progress to senior roles offering higher pay and reputation.
Cooking Courses After 10th: Which One Is Right for You?
Now that you know the steps involved, let’s explore the educational options you can choose at Brooks School of Hotel Management that fit your career goals.
Diploma in Hotel Management After 10th
This is considered the best entry point for a chef career. The 2-year course covers a wide range of disciplines such as food production, food and beverage service, front office operations, housekeeping management, etc.
Mastering them all along with an internship gives you professional exposure across all departments in the hospitality industry. This diploma and degree programme is for those who are interested in cooking but haven't fully ruled out a management or operations role in hospitality.
Diploma in Professional Cookery / Culinary ArtsDiploma in Professional Cookery / Culinary Arts
If cooking is what you are focused on, then a diploma in professional cookery should suffice. Right from day one, you learn about the different cuisine types along with essential kitchen management and safety skills. The objective of this 1-year course is to make you a certified professional in the kitchen.
Certificate Courses in CookingCertificate Courses in Cooking
You can choose from shorter, more specific certificate programmes that cover basic cooking skills, specific cuisines, or baking. These cooking courses after 10th programs are designed for students who want to test the field before committing to a full diploma, or those looking to supplement other qualifications.
Some of the certificate programs offered by Brooks include:
● Certificate Course in Modern Cookery
● Certificate Course in Baking
Career Progression Hierarchy
We have already discussed that you will be starting your chef career as a Kitchen Trainee / Commis Chef. But what are the other roles that you can progress with enough skills and experience? They are all listed below:
● Kitchen Trainee / Commis Chef (0–2 years)
● Chef de Partie (2–4 years)
● Sous-chef (5–8 years)
● Head Chef (8–12 years)
● Executive Chef (5-star / International) 12+ years
Chef Course After 10th Kerala: What to Look For
You have the dream and know the career roles, but what good are those if you don’t know where to study? The hospitality education sector in Kerala has grown tremendously. This means that there are around 40+ institutes offering training, and your future depends on what you choose. This is why you must ask the following questions before you enrol on any institution, Brooks included.
1. What percentage of the course is practical?
This is one of the first questions you should ask, because you will be working in a professional kitchen upon graduating. Most hotel management diplomas and culinary programmes will emphasise practical training. So, if you spend less than 50% of your time in a working kitchen, this isn’t the place to enrol.
2. Where do students do their internships?
When it comes to internships, where you do it matters. An internship in a branded five-star hotel at a global destination carries significantly more weight in your first job interview than having it done in an unnamed catering unit. Brooks offers internships with paid stipends at global luxury hotels worldwide.
3. What is the placement track record?
Numbers don’t lie when it comes to placements and track record. If you don’t have a clear idea about it, how can you trust your career? This is why you must ask for a placement rate, average starting salary, and top properties where graduates have been placed. If the institute is vague about this, look elsewhere.
4. Is the curriculum updated for the industry?
The hospitality industry is evolving in terms of operations, cuisines, food trends, and kitchen technology. A curriculum last updated five years ago will produce graduates who are already behind on their first day.
How does training make a difference at Brooks?
Brooks School of Hotel Management offers a degree and diploma in hotel management after 10th. We have campuses in Kochi and Kozhikode that offer industry partnerships, international internships with stipends, and a curriculum built around current hospitality industry requirements.
Choosing our hotel management programme is your clear pathway to a successful future. We focus on building your knowledge and skills through industrial exposure and practical training. Our training programmeChoosing our hotel management program is your clear pathway to a successful future. We focus on building your knowledge and skills through industrial exposure and practical training. Our training programs are structured semester-wise, not left to chance, and graduates leave with confidence into hotels, cruise lines, and international hospitality roles. We have placed over 1000+ students across the world in the finest hotels, cruise lines, resorts and more, and we can do it for you.
A Note for Parents
This blog isn’t only meant for students, but it is for parents also. So, if you are reading this blog as a parent, you will have a lot of questions such as:
Is a diploma in hotel management after 10th a serious career, or a fallback choice?
Your concerns are valid and understandable, but we assure you that the hospitality industry is one of the largest employment sectors in the world. The demand is always high regardless of economic cycles
Students who complete their hotel management diploma at Brooks, along with a global internship, start their career in one of the top hotels. Within three to four years, they will be earning a professional salary, building international placement potential, and acquiring skillsets that cannot be outsourced or automated.
Winding it up
Becoming a professional chef after 10th is not a gamble. It is a structured career decision with a clear path, high earning potential, and international scope. The steps are straightforward: finish Plus Two, choose the right programme, build your kitchen skills, complete a branded internship, and enter the industry with a head start most of your peers won't have.
The difference, however, is the place you choose and the quality of its training. That's what Brooks is built around. If you're a student reading this, the best time to start is now. If you're a parent, the question shouldn’t be whether hospitality is a serious career or not. It should be whether your child gets the training that makes it one.
Explore the best degree and diploma programmes at Brooks School of Hotel Management today. Admissions are open for the 2026–27 academic year.
Frequently Asked Questions
· Is 10th pass enough to join a hotel management diploma in Kerala? Technically, yes. Most diploma programmes accept students who have completed 10+2. So, it is important to pass both 10th and 12th grade before applying.
· How long does a chef course after 10th take? Diploma programmes are typically 1.5 to 2 years, followed by a 6-month supervised internship. Total time from enrolment to first job: approximately 2 to 2.5 years.
· What is the scope of culinary careers after school in Kerala? Strong and growing. Kerala's tourism industry, resort sector, and food-and-beverage scene generate consistent demand for trained culinary professionals. International placement opportunities add significant earning potential beyond the domestic market.
· Is culinary arts different from hotel management? Hotel management is a broader programme covering kitchen, service, housekeeping, and front office. Culinary arts focuses specifically on kitchen operations and food production.
