After 15 years in professional kitchens and five years teaching professional culinary, BCIT Electrical Foundation student Tarek Chellouf is counting down to his graduation and also the start of his new career as an electrician. Tarek’s story proves that career pivots are possible with dedication and the right support.
From restaurant to classroom
Tarek’s culinary journey began after high school when financial constraints led him to take a job at a restaurant. What began as a necessity soon grew into a passion, as Tarek worked his way up from line cook to sous chef in prominent downtown Vancouver hotels—eventually managing banquets for more than 500 guests.
Despite his success, Tarek found himself questioning the long-term path he was on.
“I hit that point where I was like, I either become executive chef, move somewhere random, or open my own restaurant, which I didn’t really want to do,” he recalls.
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the hotel he worked at in 2020, a former culinary mentor offered him a teaching position at Northwest Culinary Academy. For the next five years, he shared his industry knowledge with students. But over time, he realized he was looking for a future that offered greater stability and long-term opportunity.
“I went back to a notebook from 2019, where I had written notes about careers paths I was interested in,” he says.” I started to think which one is right for me?”
Before the pandemic, Tarek had already started to research his options. Later, he would invite friends who were in the electrical industry for dinner, cook them a nice meal, and ask them questions about their jobs.
Years later, his research led him to the BCIT Electrical program.
“The electrical field is evolving rapidly,” he explained. “There are many different places you can go. It’s challenging work with a lot of intricacy and math.”
Skills that transfer
Although his culinary background is very different from what he is now pursuing, it proved to be surprisingly relevant. The attention to detail required in professional kitchens, organization skills from managing complex banquets, and ability to work under pressure all translate directly to electrical work.
“In cooking, you spend so much time organizing yourself for something that disappears in a night. With this, you’re building towards something,” he explains.
What appeals to him about electrical work? “I like when I see things that I made work perfectly. It’s very cut or dry. You either wire it correctly and everything works the way it should, or something is off, and you made a mistake.”
Ready to build the future
When Tarek started the program six months ago, everything about wiring and the math seemed like a foreign language, but the curriculum helped. It builds knowledge progressively.
“It’s organized in such a way where it increasingly adds onto what you learn so it doesn’t feel overwhelming,” he explains.
Tarek credits much of his learning to his instructor Kavan Smith.
“Kavan puts so much effort into making sure that everybody is on the same page and no one’s falling behind,” he says. “We always have all kinds of different learning materials to help hone our skills, understand topics, and get ready for our tests.”
With graduation weeks away, Tarek’s already planning his next steps: diving into the workforce to master his craft, working toward his Red Seal certification, and eventually pursuing leadership roles as a foreperson.
“I just want to focus on getting good at being an electrician first,” he says. But his long-term vision extends beyond personal success. “If I can get into a position where I can build strong teams and help other professionals improve, that would be great. That way everybody moves up together.”
The teaching bug hasn’t left him entirely.
“Hopefully, in the long run, if there’s ever an opportunity for it, I’d love to teach again. But first and foremost, I want to get very good at what I do. And then I can hopefully share that with other people.”
Learn more about BCIT Electrical programs and explore opportunities in the skilled trades.