Chefs and Head Cooks
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.
Sample of reported job titles:
Banquet Chef, Certified Executive Chef (CEC), Chef, Cook, Executive Chef (Ex Chef), Executive Sous Chef, Head Cook, Kitchen Manager, Pastry Chef, Sous Chef
Occupation-Specific Information
Tasks
- 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.
- Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
- Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.
Technology Skills
- Analytical or scientific software:Axxya Systems Nutritionist Pro,GNOME Gnutrition,IPro Restaurant Inventory, Recipe & Menu Software,Nutrition analysis software
- Data base user interface and query software:Barrington Software CookenPro Commercial,CostGuard,Culinary Software Services ChefTec,EGS CALCMENU,Menu planning software,ReServe Interactive
- Desktop publishing software:SoftCafe MenuPro
- Electronic mail software:Email software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software:Sage MAS 90 ERP
Occupational Requirements
Work Activities
- Developing and Building Teams:Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work:Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
- Coaching and Developing Others:Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems:Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Training and Teaching Others:Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Detailed Work Activities
- Check quality of foods or supplies.
- Communicate with customers to resolve complaints or ensure satisfaction.
- Cook foods.
- Coordinate activities of food service staff.
- Coordinate timing of food production activities.
Work Context
- Electronic Mail:90% responded"Every day"
- Time Pressure:90% responded"Every day"
- Telephone:89% responded"Every day"
- Face-to-Face Discussions:86% responded"Every day"
- Spend Time Standing:83% responded"Continually or almost continually"
Worker Requirements
Skills
- Coordination:Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Monitoring:Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Speaking:Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management:Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Active Listening:Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Knowledge
- Food Production:Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
- Customer and Personal Service:Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Production and Processing:Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
- Administration and Management:Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Personnel and Human Resources:Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
- 52%Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
- 17%Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
- 10%Bachelor's Degree
Worker Characteristics
Abilities
- Deductive Reasoning:The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Oral Comprehension:The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression:The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Problem Sensitivity:The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Speech Clarity:The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Interests
- Enterprising:Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
- Realistic:Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Artistic:Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Work Values
- Independence:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
- Recognition:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
- Achievement:Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Work Styles
- Dependability:Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Initiative:Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
- Adaptability/Flexibility:Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
- Leadership:Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
- Stress Tolerance:Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
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