Journalists are proud of various accomplishments. One is alerting enthusiastic college journalism interns to the realities of the profession. Competition in the media is cutthroat, we warn them; hours are long and success is elusive. Get a "real" job, we advise. Often they do.  An opportunity to dispense equally sage advice came the other night when my brother phoned to ask about culinary schools. His fiancee’s son is a high-school senior and wants to pursue a career in hospitality. I held my breath, hoping he would not say the four-letter word.  "He wants to be a chef," my brother said. Why? I wondered. "He’s thinking about culinary school in Florida." "Why?" I asked. Actually, the wanna-be chef enjoys cooking, a solid prerequisite for any foodservice career. But he has not yet worked in a restaurant. So how did this hopeful, never-been-burned (physically or mentally) youngster became enamored of the razzle-dazzle of the kitchen, if he’s never experienced life back of the house? The answer comes courtesy of the media. In a recent Newsweek magazine, the Q&A space reserved for the trendy and the celebrity set featured multimillionaire Wolfgang Puck. The superstar chef, who has become a global household name via branded restaurants and supermarket products, discussed schmoozing with fellow celebrities in his Hollywood restaurant. People Magazine gossips about Emeril (who, like Madonna, no longer requires a surname) and his wife is expecting a baby. Whole cable networks have been built around culinary cult personalities such as chefs Jamie Oliver, Bobby Flay and Mario Batali. While Julia Child’s early television forays may have paved the way for celebrity cooks, cooking schools didn’t experience a surge in applicants as a direct result of her "The French Chef" on PBS. The effect, though, has been cummulative and expected. What cooking shows and other media fail to convey, however, is the backbreaking work it takes to lure customers into a restaurant, let alone what’s required to land a decent review in the local newspaper. The media also don’t mention salaries that can appear quite modest when pay is broken down over 12-plus-hour days and 6-day work weeks that include every weekend night and most holidays. To an eager teen sold on the chef’s life, however, such information may be irrelevant. Instead, the most valuable advice is not the best culinary school but the best lesson: Work for free at a high-volume restaurant for a few months. Experience every aspect of the operation, from tedious prep work shucking fava beans and peeling garlic all day to busing tables and washing dishes all night. Because, in the end, chefs are called not just to wear bright white, perfectly starched coats while chatting up fawning customers. They also assume all duties in the back and front of the house, including coping with surly, impossible-to-please diners and working every station when cooks quit without notice.