Is it possible to reach the top of a career while underskilled?

[Kaye]

Let's say I put my sim in the culinary career, but leave her at only one skill point in cooking. Could she still reach Five-Star Chef (level 10) by just showing up on time and working hard?

I've heard it's possible, but no one seems to be sure.

[ArianaJade]

It is, but it'll take a lot longer, and only if you have a good relationship with boss and co-workers so at least some of the work metrics are positive. Working hard is pretty necessary too, if you use any other work tone its even harder. I didn't test cooking career, but I did this a while back with medicine. She never did get level 10 logic, but she was a world renowned surgeon eventually.

[samoht04]

I think Lilygirl made a challenge in her Dynasty of getting an Immortal (Post-Ambrosia) to the top of the Science Career without any of the Skills required maxed. I think she made it but I don't remember, if it was her or if she made it, Lol. It's definitely been done. I've reached the top of a career before maxing a skill out. The only reason I kept going was that it was a Sim with the Renaissance LTW for 3 Maxed Skills.

[Seabody]

It is most definitely possible. As others said, it will be harder, especially if the Sim is only at Level 1 in the Skill.

Back in The Sims 1 and 2, your Sim HAD to have the relevant skills and friends, and go to work in a good mood, to get a promotion. Nowadays, if your Sim has no friends and little skills, as long as they max the performance bar in the Career Tab, they will get promoted.

[Kaye]

It is most definitely possible. As others said, it will be harder, especially if the Sim is only at Level 1 in the Skill.

Back in The Sims 1 and 2, your Sim HAD to have the relevant skills and friends, and go to work in a good mood, to get a promotion. Nowadays, if your Sim has no friends and little skills, as long as they max the performance bar in the Career Tab, they will get promoted.

Which I like because back in The Sims 1 and 2, I sometimes had trouble getting up to the required friend amount. Either there didn't seem to be enough Sims around or I kept losing friends due to neglect while trying to make new ones.

[lvrugger]

If the sim is ambitious they get +2 points per hour to their work performance. The multi-tasker LTR gives him or her +3. If he or she is a workaholic then work from home becomes available. With these three, you can max any rabbit hole career without doing skills at all.

[Lilygirl]

I think Lilygirl made a challenge in her Dynasty of getting an Immortal (Post-Ambrosia) to the top of the Science Career without any of the Skills required maxed. I think she made it but I don't remember, if it was her or if she made it, Lol. It's definitely been done. I've reached the top of a career before maxing a skill out. The only reason I kept going was that it was a Sim with the Renaissance LTW for 3 Maxed Skills.

I sort of did this - my Sim had the fishing and gardening skills. I got bored of my Dynasty founder just fishing all day (that was his supermax and career) so I started him with gardening and he got a job at the Science Centre. He did eventually reach Science level 10 without ever touching the Handiness skill (I needed it to remain available for some other heir to supermax). He also never used the "work hard" option, he doesn't have the Ambitious or Workaholic traits, and he doesn't have the Multi-tasker LTR. It is possible to max a career without maxing the skills or having any advantageous traits or LTRs.

[MoMoll]

That's the problem with the game. Townies can progress without making "the grade"; while our sims have to push to advance!
For instance, how did Lola Belle become an Icon when her guitar skills suck?! That's why I use mods to put the right level for everyone in town. They, like my sim, will have to work to advance.

[warr2098]

I tried maxing science, I was at level 6 and it took 8 days to get a promoted on the "elated" mood...

[Wai]

You certainly can Max Cooking Career, and well before your young adult reaches adult status. 

Join cooking career on day one of your sim's life.  I had ambitious, workaholic, bookworm, friendly and natural cook as traits.  Obviously you will have to prepare some food during the sim's life and this will improve the cooking skill without book study.  Set the work mod to "practice cooking" and change to  "suck up to boss" if you need to speed up the promotion meter a bit).  As soon as you have signed up for career go to the library and use the computer to "work from home".  Shouldn't take long to reach about one third full on the work meter, this will ensure promotion next day.  It will take ages to go through the whole process, but if you get your sim to half way mark on the meter before work, they should get next day promotion regardless of the cooking skill.  I made sure to build relationship on the phone with boss first, then co-workers as soon as possible by taking a trip to France (the most comfortable lodgings) and spending my time chatting to them.  Of course I could have used this time reading about cooking or practicing cooking instead of chatting, but chatting is more fun for the sim. Don't forget to buy the recipes of France before returning home if you want menu maven as I did.   Do all work challenges offered if you can.  The cooking and gardening ones are unlikely to be possible. 

My sim had a very red face for cooking when she walked out of the resturaunt with the super fridge (the best job reward in the game, in my opinion, as food never spoiles).  I don't remember what her cooking skill was, but certainly no more than 5 as she is only 6 now.

Level 10 was the only level that took 2 days for my sim.

I quit immediately and joined the music career!  Much better for making friends as I can put in an hour or so after work busking.

[drift9999]

Let's say I put my sim in the culinary career, but leave her at only one skill point in cooking. Could she still reach Five-Star Chef (level 10) by just showing up on time and working hard?

Definitely possible. The performance metrics are mood/cooking/boss/coworkers I think, so just make sure the other three are good and you're set (though it may take a while). Ambitious and Workaholic traits, using the "Work Hard" work tone, and the multi-tasker lifetime reward would speed the process along too.

I've had a Sim with no athletic skills whatsoever max the military career, and during the trophy room challenge this year I had one Sim with no skills but gardening max the science career as well.

[Sara2573]

Let's say I put my sim in the culinary career, but leave her at only one skill point in cooking. Could she still reach Five-Star Chef (level 10) by just showing up on time and working hard?

I've heard it's possible, but no one seems to be sure.

From what I know, no it is not possible. Like my person was underskilled and they reached -I don't know- the 8th level or so in the teaching career and then -even when I did "Work Hard" the meter only went down. Anyways, why would you not want to work on her cooking skill?

[MoMoll]

Active sims have to work to cut it and make the grade. Inactive sims, just have to be in the game. Unless you have mods to even the field. In other words, I use mods to make it harder for inactives to advance before my sim has a chance.

[Kaye]

From what I know, no it is not possible. Like my person was underskilled and they reached -I don't know- the 8th level or so in the teaching career and then -even when I did "Work Hard" the meter only went down. Anyways, why would you not want to work on her cooking skill?

I would. That was just an example. I don't even have a sim in the culinary track at the minute.

[JudesSims]

I just finished a chef lifetime wish at a level 8 of cooking.