Food prep and cook jobs
If you're going to be a famous TV chef on Food Network, you've got to start here.
When you were little, did you throw 10 different food items into a blender just to see what you could create? Add a little ketchup, scoop in some ice cream, toss in some rhubarb. Okay maybe not the rhubarb, but you get the idea. If concocting delicious dishes is your forte, leave the blender at home and check out the positions available in the food preparation industry.
Chefs and cooks
These are the workers who create recipes and prepare the meals to deliver to the hungry customers. They also direct other kitchen workers and order food supplies as needed. Depending on what type of restaurant in which you work, specific responsibilities will vary.
Food prep workers
Do you like to get your hands dirty? A food preparation worker is the chef’s right hand man (or woman). Responsibilities include washing and cutting fruits and vegetables, trimming meat, and keeping an eye on stove tops and ovens. You may also be required to clean work areas and wash dishes. If you get a job in a larger restaurant with many employees, you can typically expect to find a number of cooks and chefs working alongside less skilled kitchen workers, such as food prep employees. Job titles vary depending upon that workers specialty, such as fry cook, vegetable cook and grill cook. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could even create your own title: Chocolate Licorice Lollipop cook rolls off the tongue nicely.
What are the working conditions?
Newer restaurants boast modern appliances, spacious work areas, and refreshing air conditioning, but kitchens in older, smaller facilities are not typically afforded these luxuries. No matter what, the kitchens in restaurants can get hot due to the heat from the stove, oven and fryer, so come to work ready to sweat. You may also start to perspire under the pressure many cooks feel to have their meals prepared by a certain time, because hungry people are not the most patient; however, quality cannot be sacrificed in the face of a deadline, so food prep workers need to be both quick and skilled in your craft.
Workers must often endure long hours on their feet, with shifts lasting from later afternoon into early morning hours, including weekends and holidays. Another job requirement is lifting heavy objects such as pots and kettles—all the more reason to hit the gym and start pumping iron. The risk of job hazards is present in every job, but those for these workers include cuts, burns, and falls—french fry grease can be mighty slippery.
What skills do I need and how can I get promoted?
Little to no experience is necessary in the food preparation industry because most training is done on the job. Training will cover everything from workplace sanitation to food handling and cooking procedures. A high school diploma is not required for part-time employees, but if you’re planning on becoming the next Emeril, you better hit the books. You also need to be able to work well with others as part of a team, have a keen sense of taste and smell, and work efficiently to get quality meals produced in a timely manner.
Personal cleanliness is also a must in this industry—Charlie Brown’s friend Pigpen would be banned from the kitchen because most states’ health certificates require a workplace free of communicable diseases.
Show me the money!
It’s hard to determine what chefs, cooks and food preparation workers earn because wages vary greatly by region and the type of establishment in which they work. For specific information, check out our wage calculator to help you determine pay for this job in your neck of the woods. As you may have guessed, fast food workers don’t make as much money as the head chef in a five-star restaurant. Hotels and elegant restaurants employ the highest paid workers and are located in major metropolitan areas, like New York City or Los Angeles. Celebrities get hungry too, you know.
Full-time employees can expect to receive the typical benefits whereas they are not usually offered to part-time workers. Whether you’re flipping patties at the Burger Shack or pouring wine at an upscale Italian restaurant, most employers offer their workers free or discounted meals, so grab a fork and dig in.