Opportunities for certified chefs are greater than the advancement available to those who haven't yet begun certification. Chef certification is not required to start a new career as a personal chef, but additional credentials never hurt anyone. The American Culinary Federation has 13 separate designations when issuing certificates to qualified professionals.

Certified chefs or not, chefs should purchase liability insurance. In many places, it's a requirement, and in today's litigious society (particularly in the United States), it's always a prudent step. When chefs only worked in posh restaurants or for the wealthy, and personal chefs were scarcely known, certification and …