The Value of Externships: How Escoffier Students Can Build Real Industry Connections

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In the kitchen, some lessons can only be learned by doing.

Recipes and techniques come alive when you’re working with real ingredients, real guests, and real deadlines. That’s why every Escoffier program includes hands-on industry externships, which are structured opportunities to step out of the classroom and into a professional food environment.

These experiences give students the chance to apply what they’ve studied, discover new interests, and begin building connections with chefs and mentors already working in the industry. Whether in a restaurant, bakery, hotel, or other food business, externships are a bridge between education and the working world.

Inside the Externship Experience

At Escoffier, every student, whether studying online or on campus, completes one or two externships before graduating. An externship is a hands-on learning experience in a real life operational restaurant or related business where you apply your skills alongside industry professionals. These aren’t optional extras; they’re built into the program as an essential step in your education.

As a student, you will have a voice in where you complete your externship. Some stay close to home to balance family, work, or other commitments. Others choose to travel, whether to another state or even another country. Your externship can align with your long-term career goals or simply give you the chance to strengthen skills you’d like to focus on.

For example, at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, Pastry Arts graduate Kjersti Walker used her externship as an opportunity to refine her pastry skills.

“Honing in on the skills [in an externship] is so important. … I was able to play with that and delve into [it] and make different desserts,” Walker said.

*Information may not reflect every student’s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors, such as geographical region or previous experience.

The Career Services team can support you along the way, from résumé writing to interview prep, and can suggest potential sites that fit your interests. Dream of fine dining? They may recommend restaurants where precision plating matters most. More interested in bread, pastry, or cakes? They can help you find a bakery where the ovens fire up before sunrise. The process mirrors a real job hunt, and can give you valuable practice in presenting yourself to employers.

Once you’re on-site, the experience can feel different from the classroom, but in a good way. Instead of perfecting one dish at a time, you may juggle multiple orders or work through a production list that keeps you moving all day. Along the way, you can grow more comfortable with the rhythm of a professional kitchen or bakery, practicing clear communication, teamwork, efficiency, and adapting when things don’t go as planned.

Connections That Can Open Doors

A benefit of the externship isn’t just what you learn—it can be who you meet. Every chef, line cook, and manager you work alongside can become part of your professional network, and those relationships can help open doors long after your externship ends.

Take Jackson Hussey, for example. Hussey, an Escoffier Boulder Graduate, began culinary school with no restaurant experience. His externship at La Marmotte in Telluride, Colorado, felt intimidating at first, but he showed up eager to learn, asked questions, and offered to pitch in whenever he could. That mindset paid off, with the executive chef offering him a full-time job before his externship even wrapped up. Later, when Jackson’s colleagues moved to other restaurants, they recommended him for new positions. His externship became the launchpad for his career*.

Bekei Ijewere from Nigeria had a similar story. Through her externship, Ijewere, an online Culinary Arts graduate, built connections with chefs from different backgrounds. Those relationships grew into collaborations and opportunities that continued years down the line*.

*Information may not reflect every student’s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors, such as geographical region or previous experience.

Building connections that can lead to future opportunities isn’t unusual—it’s often how the industry works. In some cases, students may receive job offers from their externship sites because employers get to see them in action. Instead of relying on an interview, managers can evaluate how you fit into their team, handle pressure, and uphold their standards.

“The most successful externs have been the ones that come in ready to learn, to be a sponge,” said Chef Maggie DeMarco, former Chef de Cuisine & Externship Program Manager at La Marmotte. “They’re open to feedback and understand that mistakes are part of the process.” DeMarco emphasized too, that when chefs give feedback during externships, it’s always with the intent to help students learn and grow.

Even if your externship doesn’t turn into an immediate job offer, you can still leave with professional references who can vouch for your work. Those recommendations can carry real weight with future employers. And because the culinary world is such a close-knit community, the impression you make can follow you in the best way, leading to new opportunities down the road.

Externships can help students refine specialized techniques*.

*Information may not reflect every student’s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors, such as geographical region or previous experience.

Making the Most of Your Externship

An externship can be a valuable chance to put your training into practice while learning from industry professionals. Here are a few ways students can get the most out of the experience:

• Bring genuine curiosity. Ask questions about ingredients, techniques, business operations, or career paths. Many chefs appreciate students who show an eagerness to learn, not just to log required hours.
• Seek variety. Volunteer for different stations and watch how tasks are handled. The more you see, the better sense you’ll get of different roles and skills within the kitchen.
• Communicate your goals. Let your supervisor know what you’re hoping to learn. Clear communication can help align your experience with your interests.
• Stay flexible. Kitchens often face last-minute changes, like menu adjustments, staff shortages, or equipment challenges. Showing you can adapt while staying focused is an important skill.
• Treat it like a professional opportunity. Arrive prepared, be consistent, and contribute positively to the team. The impression you leave can influence how others remember working with you.
• Keep track of what you learn. Take notes on techniques, recipes, and people you meet. These details can be useful later when updating your résumé or preparing for interviews.

Turning Externship Experience into Résumé Highlights

Once you’ve completed your externship, don’t just jot down the name of the restaurant or bakery on your résumé and call it a day. Think about the concrete skills and experiences you gained, and frame them in a way that shows growth.

Instead of only listing where you externed, highlight what you accomplished or improved:

• Did you refine a technique, like piping, bread shaping, or sauce work?
• Did you practice handling multiple orders at once in a high-volume setting?
• Did you learn a new station, pastry skill, or style of cooking?
• Did you get familiar with commercial equipment or recipe scaling?
• Did you observe or assist with menu planning, sourcing, or guest service?

These specifics can give future employers a clearer picture of your abilities and how you’ve applied your classroom training in real kitchens. They also help you tell your own story in interviews, showing not just where you’ve been, but how you’ve grown.

Taking the Next Step with Escoffier

Externships at Escoffier are more than just a course requirement—they’re an opportunity to step out of the classroom and into the industry. It’s often the first time students experience what it’s like to be part of a professional team, applying their skills in real-world kitchens, bakeries, and food businesses.

For some, the experience confirms a clear career direction. For others, it sparks new interests and possibilities they may not have considered before. Either way, externships can provide valuable practice, build confidence, and offer insight into the day-to-day realities of the culinary world.

At Escoffier, externships are built into every program, giving students a structured way to connect their training with hands-on industry experience.

If you’re ready to explore what a future in food could look like, applying to Escoffier can be the first step toward making that connection.

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