Michelin Stars and Internships

In the restaurant industry, Michelin stars are the hallmark of the best restaurants in the world. Chefs work their entire lives to get that elusive Michelin star.

However, gaining a star can be a blessing and a curse.

In 2016, Benoît Violier, chef of swiss restaurant, Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville, was found dead in his apartment of an apparent suicide after losing one of his three michelin stars.

The pressure to maintain the Michelin stars is intense in a industry already plagued with mental health issues.

Though not as drastic, I find a similar phenomenon when it comes to internships. There’s lots of pressure nowadays for students to get that prestigious internship. Getting the first big name internship is difficult but maintaining that stature is also difficult.

When I got a high status internship early on in my career, I felt immense pressure to match that prestige for my subsequent internships.

When I wasn’t able to accomplish that I felt disappointed with myself, almost like I lost my mcihelin star. But it was also a freeing. I didn’t need to maintain this level of prestige and play this status game.