Food Preparation Workers: Information on Career & Jobs

There are abundant career options awaiting candidates in the field of culinary arts and food preparation industry. If you have a passion for preparing and serving food, you can consider becoming a food preparation worker. Grocery stores with food preparation facilities, specialty food stores, restaurants and limited service eating venues offer employment opportunities for these workers. To make a successful career in this field, you should be well informed of the job description, duties and responsibilities, educational qualification required, job outlook and employment opportunities that await you in this food preparation occupation. Read on to equip yourself with all the essential career information.

 

Job Description
Food preparation workers perform a wide range of job duties. They assist chefs and cooks by performing tasks like preparing vegetables, making salads, measuring cooking ingredients, slicing meat etc. In addition, they also arrange food items on dishes. They make sure that the pots and pans chefs require are available to the latter at the right time. Their job duties may also include handling cleaning work in the kitchen. Food preparation workers perform their job under the supervision of chefs and cooks.

 

Typical job responsibilities of food preparation workers are as follows -

 

Preparation of various food items including vegetables, meat etc
Providing assistance to cooks, chefs and the kitchen staff with multiple tasks
Arranging food items on serving dishes
Loading and running dishwashers
Handling cleaning work/ removal of trash
Preparation of a variety of beverages
Measuring various cooking ingredients
Storage of food
Packaging of food for take-outs
Giving information to supervisors about supplies
Maintaining the equipment and ensuring they work appropriately

 

Depending on the type of food establishments and restaurants they work for, their duties may vary a little. They may also be required to handle some additional tasks. Working under the supervision of chefs and cooks provides food preparation workers with the wonderful opportunity of learning the art and science of the cooking trade.

 

Job Skills
Aspiring candidates need to keep in mind that the food preparation or the cooking industry features a fast-paced environment. Most of the time, professionals are on their toes. To become successful, workers need to be very quick and efficient. They should possess good manual dexterity and an ability to work well under pressure. Team playing skill is also essential to making the most of your career in the cooking industry.

 

Educational Qualification, Certification & Training
Though a high school diploma is not necessarily required, having it can enhance your chances of landing jobs in the food preparation industry. Most of the workers receive on-the-job training offered by employers for new hires in areas like food handling, food preparation, workplace safety etc. Today, there are several vocational institutions and high schools that provide courses in areas like food handling and food safety procedures. Summer workshops are also held to train candidates in these areas of food preparation. With growing skills, knowledge and experience, food preparation workers can also be promoted to the position of cook assistants, line cook etc.

 

Employment Outlook
In the year 2006, food preparation workers occupied around 902,000 jobs. Out of this 44% of the jobs were part time. As the food service industry continues to grow, excellent food preparation job opportunities are expected to arise in this field. According to the US Labor Statistics Bureau, the employment growth for these jobs will be faster than the average of all other occupations. Both full time and part time jobs are available in the food service industry. Resorts offer seasonal job opportunities for aspiring candidates. Those who are employed in high end restaurants may need to put in extra workers due to the work pressure.

 

Major Employers
Food preparation jobs are available with resorts, restaurants, grocery stores with food preparation facilities, limited service eating places, specialty food stores etc.

 

Annual Salary
Salaries of workers vary depending on the geographical location and the type of employer. In the year 2006, food preparation workers earned a median annual salary of around $17,410. With growing experience and skill sets, professionals can earn a higher annual salary.