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Chefs & Head Cooks

Also called: Sous Chef, Kitchen Manager, Chef, Cook

What they do:
Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.
On the job, you would:
  • Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
  • Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
  • Check the quantity and quality of received products.

Knowledge

Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
  • manufacture and distribution of products
  • food production
Business
  • management
  • customer service
Education and Training
  • teaching and course design
Arts and Humanities
  • English language

Skills

Basic Skills
  • keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
Resource Management
  • managing your time and the time of other people
  • selecting and managing the best workers for a job
Social
  • understanding people's reactions
  • changing what is done based on other people's actions

Abilities

Verbal
  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
  • notice when problems happen
  • order or arrange things
Hand and Finger Use
  • keep your arm or hand steady
  • put together small parts with your fingers

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include
leading, making decisions, and business.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Dependability
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Leadership
  • Self Control
  • Attention to Detail
  • Adaptability/Flexibility

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Data base user interface and query software
  • Barrington Software CookenPro Commercial
  • CostGuard software
Analytical or scientific software
  • Food Software.com IPro Restaurant Inventory, Recipe & Menu Software
  • GNOME Gnutrition
Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel

Education

Education: (rated 3 of 5)
high school diploma or
associate's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

Find Training Find Certifications Registered Apprenticeship

Job Outlook

Below Average Outlook
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
Salary
$42,350
per year, on average
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about chefs and head cooks.