Show off your skills in the kitchen by entering a cooking contest online or in your area. Start cooking!

Enter a cooking contest!

Find restaurants near you that are looking for help and apply in person. You'll probably be bussing tables or cleaning at first, but you'll get a look into what working in this industry is like. 

Apply for a restaurant job.

Watch an episode of "Mind of a Chef"—it'll take you behind the scenes with famous chefs as they seek inspiration, create recipes, and find the right ingredients.

Enter the mind of a chef!

Learn about food safety, sanitation, and more through a food handler certification course. Make sure to verify the certification requirements for your specific state!

Find out what it takes to get a food handler certification.

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

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.

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Cooks, Short Order

Prepare and cook to order a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time. May take orders from customers and serve patrons at counters or tables.

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Realistic

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Conventional

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

Enterprising

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

Social

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.

Artistic

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

Investigative

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

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.

Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

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.

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

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.

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Cooks

Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

Cooks and Food Preparation Workers

Clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables.

Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea.

Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas.

Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers.

Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes.

Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time.

Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.

Grill and garnish hamburgers or other meats, such as steaks and chops.

Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters.

Order supplies and stock them on shelves.

Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro

Foodman Home-Delivery

Plexis Software Plexis POS

RestaurantPlus PRO

Inventory control software

Boning knives

Chefs' knives

Paring knives

Serrated blade knives

Electric ovens

Electric stoves

Gas ovens

Gas stoves

Colanders

Strainers

Steam kettles

Steamers

Fruit zesters

Graters

Meat slicers

Slicing machines

Steam tables

Vegetable peelers

Sifters

Blenders

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

Continually or almost continually

How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

Constant contact with others

Contact with others most of the time

How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?

Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

Extremely important

Very important

How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams

Every day

Once a week or more but not every day

Once a year or more but not every month

How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?

Deal With External Customers or the Public in General

Important

How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?

Very high responsibility

Limited responsibility

How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls

Never

How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?

Cooks, Short Order

Overview

Career

What Cooks, Short Order Do

Other Job Titles Cooks, Short Order May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Cooks, Short Order

Overview

Career

What Cooks, Short Order Do

Other Job Titles Cooks, Short Order May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Cooks, Short Order

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