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The Internship Pathway,
as told by our students

Etudiants en Parcours Professionnel

Le Cordon Bleu Paris provides a 15-to-18-month training programme which best prepares students for the reality of the working world. Students who have chosen the Internship Pathway can, therefore, carry out one or several internships as part of their training programme. How does it work? Several students, some of whom have already graduated, others who are currently taking internships, have shared their experiences. 




Carried out alongside theory training, the 4–6-month internships enable students to put the knowledge they have already learnt into practice. A first internship is carried out at the institute after Intermediate level, enabling students to discover all the production areas. From the kitchens, food storage and Le Café, to demonstrations with Chefs and events, they get an overview of the skills necessary for managing an establishment in the restaurant sector. The second internship is carried out after Superior level in an establishment in France or abroad: Michelin-starred restaurant, hotel or luxury hotel in Paris, renowned pâtisserie, new restaurant concept… A means with which to get a feel for the reality of the working world and rapidly enter the job market.

Current Grand Diplôme® student, Kerr Nutsimaporn, chose the Internship Pathway as she is convinced it is an excellent way to develop and gain experience for working in the professional world. One of the events which made a lasting impression on her was the Thai cuisine demonstration organised by the Thai Ministry of Tourism, in the presence of the royal diplomatic service. This gave her the opportunity to showcase her skills by assisting the chefs during an event which was filmed for Thai television. When looking for her internship, she had the opportunity to spend several days in a range of different establishments to see if the venue, team, and work suited her, before beginning a full-time internship lasting several months. She finally decided to carry out her internship at the 2 Michelin-starred David Toutain restaurant in Paris.

« Working as an assistant to Chef Instructors during demonstrations gave me the opportunity to go over techniques again, almost like a private lesson. One of the positive points of the Internship Pathway is that I learnt to adapt and change my working methods depending on the team and Chef. Communication is one of the most important aspects during this period. »
2021 Diplôme de Cuisine with Internship Pathway alumnus, Aleksandar Todorović, currently works as a chef de cuisine in a restaurant in Austria which boasts 2 Gault & Millau Toques (Chef’s hats). He particularly remembers a demonstration during which he had the opportunity to assist Frédéric Simonin, a Michelin-starred chef who also holds the title of One of the Best Craftsmen in France (Meilleur Ouvrier de France - MOF). During his time as an Internship Pathway student, he was also chosen to assist contestants taking part in the “Les Trophées Le Chef – Le Concours l’Espoir de l’Année” (Le Chef Trophies - Up-and-Coming Chef of the Year) competition, organised by Le Chef magazine. The awards ceremony then took place at the Pavillon Gabriel, in the heart of the Champs-Élysées gardens, where students helped the traiteur with preparation and service. He had no difficulty finding an internship, as all three restaurants he wanted to work for offered him a position. He eventually decided on the 5* Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc on the Côte d’Azur, working as a chef de partie, as this gave him the opportunity to experience all the preparation stations in a kitchen. 

«The institute fully supported me when looking for an internship, this helped me to choose the best restaurants to match my personal goals. »
Former civil engineer, Felipe Santos, graduated with a Grand Diplôme® with Internship Pathway and is currently taking the Diplôme de Boulangerie. He believes that it was very important to put the techniques learnt at the institute into practice. The pathway enabled him to speed up the learning process and be more precise and efficient when working, notably thanks to the quality of the Chef Instructors. When he began the Internship Pathway, he was responsible for prepping the classrooms and hygiene, before moving on to assist the Chefs during demonstrations. His final role was managing all the pastry preparation at Le Café. Thanks to his hard work, he was chosen to give a demonstration during a culinary workshop. To congratulate him, the Chef presented him with a chef’s hat on which was written “Thank you and well done”, an honour for Felipe. He went on to carry out his first 6-month internship at 1 Michelin-starred restaurant NESO, where he oversaw prepping for cuisine and pastry. This was followed by a second 6-month internship at the 1 Michelin-starred Le Violon d’Ingres restaurant, where he had the opportunity to work directly with chef Alain Solivérès. He was responsible for plating and the chef also gave him responsibility for the restaurant’s amuses-bouches. 

By choosing the Internship Pathway, students acquire comprehensive culinary training followed by solid practical experience, so that they are as best prepared as possible for the reality of the working world.

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