Is it important to go to culinary school?

If you mentioned your country on your account page, you'd get more precise answers. Each country has its own laws and rules.

It is more of if you want to learn more about your skills and try new things. If it is a regular restaurant, it isn't that hard to rise up. If you want to work at like 5 star places, probably should have some education. If you want to own your own restaurant, probably better to get a business degree than culinary arts. If you feel like you need or want to go to culinary school, go for it. It will give better pay, that is for sure.

It depends on what type of work you want to do and what your personal goals might be. Most restaurants don't pay prep cooks and line chefs very much, but there is opportunity for advancement into management and overtime pay if you are in the U.S. The hardest part I think is the time required - usually working early mornings, late nights...I worked in a restaurant in my early 20's and it was common to put in 12-14 hour days, be exhausted, and barely have enough money to pay the rent, lol. The best thing to do would be to apply at different restaurants until you get hired - if you can show up, they will train you. Being reliable, not calling off, getting along with other people you work with is usually very valued over any skill in cooking, because most restaurants already have their own special recipes they will want you to follow.

If you want to be a professional chef, going to a culinary school is a must. That is f you intend to work in five star hotels and fine dining restaurants or put up your own fine dining resto.

Although I don't think it is important; but present day Jobs require such certificates and not knowledge; so it is forced to get the required work done.

Not necessarily...I know at least one 3* michelin chef who is totally self taught and very very famous...in 2005 one of his places was voted number 1 out of the top 50 places in the WORLD!!! Here in the UK you have to have basic food hygiene certificates as a minimum and as a head chef you need a couple of other certificates but we're talking 2 day courses here nothing big.

It may offer good cooking tips.

In some countries it is mandatory. If you want to work in a restaurant, you must attend culinary school. What do I think? It depends what you want to do in a restaurant. If you want to cook YES!

listen to what your heart tells you. It all depends on your interest and how much you are really interested into it. Do what makes you happy. We often regret to the things we haven't done more than the things we do.

I used to work in a restaurant for more than 3 years you don't need that. You just need to be able to work hard and work the days they want you to.