Pros
I am a Kitchen Assistant. I work during a few cooking/baking classes a month as just a fun "extra" to my full time career in an unrelated field. I was recruited to work here part time because I was a frequent customer and I love the company. The pros: I love the environment of the store....the products, the chefs, most of the customers. The employee discount is very generous. My schedule is flexible. I give the head chef my availability for the upcoming month, one month at a time, and she schedules me to work for a few classes. It works for me, as my "real" life is super busy and I need this to remain flexible. Also, I like learning during the classes. The chefs are knowledgable, credentialed and experienced. I like to observe, listen, help, taste samples, chat. It's enjoyable. Sometimes I get to do some cooking or baking as a way of helping a chef - make a creative fritatta or prepare a cake that will be swapped out later on in the day during another class. I enjoy using the professional equipment, the wonderful knives, the gadgets, the unique ingredients. I love taking home the recipes the customers take home so I can try to make some of them, too. The people are great and for me, it's just a nice break from my regular career - something different, with flexible hours. It works for me.
Kontras
The pay is ridiculously low for what we do. It is SCARY LOW to work as a KA, at least here in NY. The work as a KA is very physical (actually, the exercise is a plus!) but it can be back breaking. Lots of grunt work, lots of setting up, cleaning, breaking down, more cleaning, dishes, dishes, dishes. I joke that I do work in my little part time job at SLT that I pay someone to do in my own house. The irony is - ALL of the KA's in our store have graduate degrees and high level careers outside of the kitchen. Each and every one of us that I have met does it "for fun," because we enjoy being in the kitchen and the store, for the discount. So while the pay is ABOMINABLE and the work is physical and back breaking at times, none of us is a KA to pay our big bills!