Knowledge

• Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of providing special services to customers based on their needs.
• Administration and Management: Knowledge of managing the operations of a business, company, or group.
• Mathematics: Knowledge of the rules and uses of numbers. Areas of knowledge include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and statistics.
• Personnel and Human Resources: Knowledge of the department that is in charge of the relationship between a company and its employees. In particular, includes knowledge of the activities performed by the department.

Preparation

Little education or training is required for lower-level cooks and most skills are learned on the job. Although a high school diploma is not required for beginning jobs, it is recommended for those planning a career as a cook or chef. Many school districts and food service companies provide on-the-job training, workshops, and paid internships, which give valuable experience. Courses in commercial food preparation may be an advantage for people looking for jobs in better restaurants and hotels. Years of training and experience are necessary to achieve the level of skill required of a chef or cook in a fine restaurant. Some cooks and chefs obtain their training through vocational programs, two- or four-year colleges, hotel and restaurant training programs, and apprenticeships. Training includes courses in various kinds of food preparation, menu planning, determination of portion size, food cost control, purchasing, selection and storage of food, sanitation, public health, and management skills.

Skills

• Inspect and evaluate the quality of products.
• Express ideas clearly when speaking or writing.
• Change behavior in relation to others? actions.
• Add, subtract, multiply, and divide quickly and correctly.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Imagine how something will look if it is moved around or its parts are rearranged.
• Go back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information without becoming confused.
• Look for ways to help people.
• Use math skills to solve problems.
• Speak so listeners understand the information.
• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Determine the tools and equipment needed to do a job.
• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Quickly and accurately compare letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns.
• Teach others how to do something.
• Read and understand work-related materials.
• Motivate, develop, and direct people as they work.
• Recognize the nature of a problem and use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Manage the time of self and others.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Decide how to spend money to get the work done and keep track of how the money was used.
• Remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.

Interests

There are many different interest inventories available. The results they produce may differ from the interests described here.
• Have realistic interests. They like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like to work with plants, animals, and physical materials such as wood, tools, and machinery. They often prefer to work outside.
• Have enterprising interests. They like work activities that involve starting up and carrying out projects, especially in business. They like to lead and persuade others, make decisions, and take risks for profit.

Values

• Consider relationships important. They like to work in a friendly, non-competitive environment. They like to do things for other people. They prefer jobs where they are not pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
• Consider achievement important. They like to see the results of their work and to use their strongest abilities. They like to get a feeling of accomplishment from their work.
• Consider independence important. They like to make decisions and try out ideas on their own. They prefer jobs where they can plan their work with little supervision.

Related Educational Programs and Colleges

 Visit our education page for AA degrees  or for Bachelors, Masters & PhD. Degrees    and Culinary colleges

The Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association.
250 South Wacker Drive
Suite 1400
Chicago, Illinois  60606

American Culinary Foundation Educational Institute
P.O.Box 3466
St.Augustine, Florida 32084

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