Cooking schools and culinary institutes offer a variety of program for chefs of all types. Simple one-year diploma programs will get you a slot in many restaurants, though multi-year degrees are required for the higher-paying positions, including management.

If you'd like to focus your culinary career on specific types of cuisines, there are plenty of cooking schools that can oblige you. Common options include Asian cuisines, Italian, and, of course, French. Not surprisingly, the best specialty schools are in the county the cuisines are native to.

One good thing about cooking schools and culinary institutes is that many of them offer career placement -- that is, they'll help you get a job once you've completed your course of study. When considering schools, check to see is this is an available option.