Get a jump start on what you want do in college or test your interest before you get there by taking a class in food science or nutrition! 

Education

Take a food science or nutrition class.

Learn the basic skills needed to be a chef. Watch cooking tutorials online, try new recipes, experiment, and start cooking! 

Skills

Teach yourself how to cook. 

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

Career

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

Food Service Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that serves food and beverages.

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.

Enterprising

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

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.

Realistic

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

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.

Artistic

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Keep records required by government agencies regarding sanitation or food subsidies.

Investigate and resolve complaints regarding food quality, service, or accommodations.

Maintain food and equipment inventories, and keep inventory records.

Monitor food preparation methods, portion sizes, and garnishing and presentation of food to ensure that food is prepared and presented in an acceptable manner.

Schedule and receive food and beverage deliveries, checking delivery contents to verify product quality and quantity.

Coordinate assignments of cooking personnel to ensure economical use of food and timely preparation.

Monitor compliance with health and fire regulations regarding food preparation and serving, and building maintenance in lodging and dining facilities.

Establish standards for personnel performance and customer service.

Perform some food preparation or service tasks, such as cooking, clearing tables, and serving food and drinks when necessary.

Evernote

Google Docs

Microsoft Word

ClubSoft Food & Beverage Point of Sale

Dinerware Intuitive Restaurant

Food Service Solutions POSitive ID System

Restaurant Manager

Aurora FoodPro

Culinary Software Services ChefTec

IPro Restaurant Inventory, Recipe & Menu Software

SweetWARE nutraCoster

Army Food Management Information System

Food Service Solutions FoodCo

Gift Certificates Plus Giftworks

Food Services Solutions DayCap

Intuit QuickBooks

Database software

ValuSoft MasterCook

Microsoft Project

ReServe Interactive

espSoftware Employee Schedule Partner

iMagic Restaurant Reservation

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Personal digital assistants PDA

Computerized cash registers

First finish school then set your goals. Visit some nursing homes and see the love many of these people need. That's why I went into working in nursing homes, because I love to cook and see the results when residents enjoy a meal. They mostly always look forward to meals, food is love to the soul to a lot of people.

Very poor. I was the very first to have my own home. I designed it,  built it and worked hard for it.

Busy, busy! Training new employees, monitoring kitchen staff, cooks and dietary aides. Visiting with residents that live at the nursing home. Serving 3 meals per day for 125 people and staff.

Dietary Manager

Cooking was hard, there were long hours. I worked in restaurants before starting in nursing homes. Work in different  restaurants was hard, there was always the change in management, the chef would move things around, and there were too many bosses.

Michael Carrillo

Dietary Manager

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Food

Travel

Helping People

Day to Day

Advice for Getting Started

Recommended Education

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Parents:

Challenges I Overcame

Financial

Drugs / Addiction

Michael Carrillo

Dietary Manager

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Food

Travel

Helping People

Day to Day

Advice for Getting Started

Recommended Education

My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Parents:

Challenges I Overcame

Related Leaders