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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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, 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.

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

Related Careers

Related Leaders