A Michigan Jobs & Career Portal service.

Cooks prepare foodstuffs for consumption in hotels and restaurants. They may also prepare food for people on special diets. Chefs supervise, coordinate, and participate in activities of Cooks and other kitchen personnel in preparing foods.

NATURE OF THE OCCUPATION

Cooks may:

Estimate food requirements from the menu

Order from suppliers or get food from storage

Weigh, measure, and mix ingredients according to recipes

Prepare raw food for cooking by washing, peeling, and cutting

Observe and test food being cooked and turn or stir food

Season food

Regulate the temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters

Bake

Carve and serve portions of food on plates

Supervise other Cooks or kitchen helpers

Assist Chef with special events

Click here  to see a career video on Cooks

When preparing family-style meals for work crews or residents and employees of institutions, duties may include all aspects of meal preparation such as washing dishes and keeping records and accounts.

Chefs, with additional duties may:

Plan menus and schedule workers

Select and develop their own standardized recipes

Employ, train, manage, and discharge workers

Purchase foodstuffs

Participate in and attend culinary exhibitions and conferences

Inspect food preparation/serving areas

Ensure safe, sanitary food-handling practices are being observed

Conduct facility audits and walk-through daily

Perform line checks

Click here  to see a career video on Chefs

The tools and equipment used may include:

OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES

Cook/Chefs may specialize in these areas:

313.131-014 CHEFS are responsible for supervising staffs of Cooks and kitchen helpers. They may plan menus and develop recipes.

313.381-030 SCHOOL CAFETERIA COOKS specialize in providing lightly seasoned, nutritionally adequate, and varied foods prepared in large quantities. They inspect equipment for cleanliness and proper operation.

313.374-014 SHORT ORDER COOKS prepare and serve foods that require only a short preparation time, such as breakfast items, soups, sandwiches, salads, and beverages. They may serve meals to customers over the counter.

313.361-014 RESTAURANT COOKS and

315.361-010 INSTITUTION COOKS prepare, season, and cook soups, meats, vegetables, desserts, and other foodstuffs for consumption in hotels and restaurants. Some Cooks prepare and cook family style meals for ship crews, work crews, or residents and employees of institutions. Other types of specialized Cooks include soup cooks, dessert cooks, fry cooks, sauce cooks, vegetable cooks, broiler cooks, and roast cooks. Chefs may specialize in one type of cooking and be known as French Chefs or Italian Chefs. Swing Cooks work at stations of other Cooks who are not working that day.

In addition to learning about these specialties, you may also find it helpful to explore the following Career Exploration Scripts:

WORKING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Cooks may work alone or as members of a team. They may be supervised by other Cooks or a Chef. Conditions in kitchens vary depending on the size of the establishment. Many restaurants are air-conditioned and have convenient work areas and modern equipment. Others, which are usually older or smaller, are not so well equipped, and working conditions may be less desirable. Cooks must stand for duration of 4 hours or more and are often exposed to high temperatures, fumes, noise, dust and smoke. Common kitchen hazards are burns, cuts, and falls.

The normal workweek for Cooks is between 40 and 48 hours. Evening, weekend, and holiday work are required for those working in hotels, resorts and restaurants. Cooks employed in public or private schools work regular school hours during the school year. In some resort areas, restaurants are open only during certain seasons of the year. Some jobs involve travel, such as those aboard ships or in train dining cars.

Many Cooks belong to The Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Bartenders International Union. Union members must pay dues.

You Should Prefer:

• Activities involving business contact with people

• Activities dealing with things and objects

• Activities dealing with machines and methods

• Activities which bring personal satisfaction from preparing food

You Should Be Able To:

• Work easily and skillfully with your hands

• Rate information using your personal judgment

• Work within precise standards of accuracy when preparing food

• Plan and organize your work

• Work under pressure during rush periods

• Maintain sanitary facilities/equipment/personal habits

• Deal with people in actual job duties

• Giving and receiving instructions

• Perform a variety of duties which may change often

Math Problem You Should Be Able to Solve:

If a recipe calls for 3/4 cup of sugar and you are doubling the recipe, how much sugar will you need?

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:

Cooking terminology and procedures. For example, lightly brown in butter a spoonful of finely chopped onion, mix in 60 grams of ground meat, the chopped liver of the chicken, a pinch of parsley and two spoonfuls of bread crumbs, all moderately seasoned. Truss the chicken and put it in an earthenware casserole with 50 grams of lean bacon cut in small dices.

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:

Prepare an order form for ingredients necessary for a catering job.

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:

Analytical skills and be detail oriented in observing food preparations and following sequential directions.

A health certificate may be required. Check with local health departments to find out about local regulations.

EDUCATION AND PREPARATION OPPORTUNITIES

NOTE: On-The-Job Training provided by the employer or a High School Diploma with specific Vocational Education Classes or a Certificate (program of up to one year of study beyond high school) or an Associate Degree (two years of study beyond high school) or an Apprenticeship (usually three to four years of training beyond high school) may qualify a person for this occupation.

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in this Career Exploration Script:

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS***

0200 ART , 0600 BUSINESS , 0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 1100 ECONOMICS , 1500 FOODS & NUTRITION , 2200 MATH

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS***

024 HOSPITALITY & FOOD SERVICE

Approved vocational education programs in Hospitality & Food Service prepare students to work in institutional, commercial, or self-owned food establishments or other food industry occupations. Instruction is given in planning, selecting, storing, purchasing, preparing, and serving quality food products. Special emphasis is placed on instruction in nutrition, safety and sanitation, special diets, and the use and care of food preparation equipment.

High school students should consult their guidance office for more information about the specific requirements of this program at their school or area vocational education center.

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAM***

065 FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE

Programs in Food and Beverage Service provide opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills needed for employment ordering, preparing, or serving different kinds of food and beverage. Training is available for cooking, baking, meat cutting, bartending, catering, quantity food preparation, and food service management. Individuals who teach Food and Beverage Service at the secondary school level must have a Michigan Teaching Certificate.

Courses vary with the area of interest but may include:

Search for a College and/or Instructional Program

***APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES***

014 COOK

Some people enter occupations within this Career Exploration Script through an apprenticeship program. An apprenticeship program is a formal program that takes 3 - 5 years to complete with most of the time spent on the job.

WHAT IS LEARNED ON THE JOB

WHAT IS LEARNED IN THE CLASSROOM

***MILITARY TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES***

Please check Military website at http://www.myfuture.com .

FOOD SERVICE SPECIALISTS

Every day, more than one million meals are prepared in military kitchens. Some kitchens prepare thousands of meals at one time, while others prepare food for small groups of people. Food service specialists prepare all types of food according to standard and dietetic recipes. They also order and inspect food supplies and prepare meats for cooking.

What They Do

Food service specialists in the military perform some or all of the following duties:

• Order, receive, and inspect meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables

• prepare standard cuts of meat using cleavers, knives, and bandsaws

• Cook steaks, chops, and roasts

• Bake or fry chicken, turkey, and fish

• Prepare gravies and sauces

• Bake breads, cakes, pies, and pastries

• Serve food in dining halls, hospitals, field kitchens, or aboard ship

• Clean ovens, stoves, mixers, pots, and utensils

Helpful Attributes

Helpful school subjects include home economics, math, accounting, and chemistry. Helpful attributes include:

• Interest in cooking

• Interest in working with the hands

Training Provided

Job training consists of 9 to 14 weeks of classroom instruction, including practice in food preparation. Training length varies depending on specialty. Course content typically includes:

• Standard and dietetic menus and recipes

• Preparation and cooking of various foodstuffs and bakery products

• Food and supply ordering

• Storage of meats, poultry, and other perishable items

Further training occurs on the job and through advanced courses. The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps offer certified apprenticeship programs for some specialties in this occupation.

  Work Environment

Food service specialists normally work in clean, sanitary kitchens and dining facilities. They may sometimes work in refrigerated meat lockers. Sometimes they work outdoors in tents while preparing and serving food under field conditions.

 Physical Demands

Food service specialists may have to lift and carry heavy containers of foodstuffs and large cooking utensils.

Civilian Counterparts

Civilian food service specialists work in cafes, restaurants, and cafeterias. They also work in hotels, hospitals, manufacturing plants, schools, and other organizations that have their own dining facilities. Depending on specialty, food service specialists are called cooks, chefs, bakers, butchers, or meat cutters.

Opportunities

The services have about 28,000 food service specialists. Each year, they need new specialists due to changes in personnel and the demands of the field.  After job training, food service specialists help prepare and service food under close supervision. Some food service specialists specialize as bakers, cooks, butchers, or meat cutters. With experience, they work more independently and may train new food service specialists. Eventually, they may become head cooks, chefs, or food service supervisors.  

E-Learning Courses and Programs  

OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE AND METHODS OF ENTRY

Experience in cooking may be available through part-time and summer jobs, the military, voluntary organizations such as clubs and churches, and co-op or work experience programs in high schools, area skill centers, and community colleges. Experience can also be gained in formal apprenticeship programs.

School-to-Work opportunities include:

informal apprenticeships   

mentorships

job shadowing experiences

touring a local Cook & Chef employer

internships

volunteer work with a Cook & Chef employer

community service work with an agency

Applying directly to employers is the most common way to get a job as a Cook or a Chef. Other methods include contacting local unions; local offices of the Michigan Works!; and high school, cooking school, or community college placement offices. Newspaper want ads also list openings. In addition, you should access and search the Internet's on-line employment services sites such as:  

            You should also enter an electronic resume on these on-line services.

EARNINGS AND ADVANCEMENT

Earnings of Cooks and Chefs depend on experience and skill, as well as type, size and geographic location of the employer, and whether or not there is a union contract. Wages are generally highest in well-known restaurants and hotels.

Nationally, the median weekly earnings of Cooks were $336 (or $8.40 per hour) in 2005. The median hourly earnings of "all" workers in the U.S. were $16.28 in 2005.

Chefs are usually salaried personnel. Depending on the size of the restaurant, the estimated annual base salary of Chefs in 2006 ranged between $24,246 and $44,972.

Cooks employed by Michigan hospitals had state-wide average earnings ranging from $11.03 to $13.76 per hour in late 2006.

The minimum hourly rate for unionized Chefs and Cooks employed by major hotels and private clubs in the Detroit area (late 2006) ranged between $11.04 (training wage) and $12.90. Chefs employed in the restaurant industry in 2006 in Michigan had an estimated median salary of $34,042, depending on the size of the eating establishment. 

Unionized cooks employed in one Detroit area casino earned the following hourly wage rate in late 2006:

Cooks who work for the State of Michigan earned between $14.26 and $17.82 per hour in mid 2007. Cooks employed by Wayne County earned between $10.32 and $18.11 per hour in late 2006.

2005 Graduates of vocational education programs in Michigan working in jobs related to this occupation earned an average of $7.90 per hour in 2006.

Depending on the employer, most Cooks receive paid vacations and holidays, and life and health insurance. Some union contracts include sick leave and pension plans. Most Cooks receive free meals and are usually furnished with uniforms and laundry service. These benefits are usually paid for, at least in part, by the employer.

Beginners usually learn cooking skills on the job. Some may attend vocational schools or complete apprenticeship programs. With experience, skills, ambition, and leadership cooks may advance to become chefs or go into business as caterers or restaurant owners.

EMPLOYMENT AND OUTLOOK

Nationally, there were about 2,225,200 Cooks and Chefs employed in 2004. Employment of Cooks and Chefs in institutions is expected to increase more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2014. About 1.7% of them were self-employed. The industry distribution for Cooks and Chefs looked like this:

Small restaurants, school cafeterias, and other eating places with simple food preparation will provide the greatest number of starting jobs for Cooks. The demand for Cooks and Chefs will increase as the population grows and people dine out more. In addition to openings arising from growth, many openings are also expected each year as Cooks retire, die, or transfer to other lines of work.

There are about 77,625 Cooks employed in Michigan. Most worked for restaurants, hospitals, educational institutions and hotels.

Employment of Cooks in Michigan is expected to increase more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2012. An average of 2,900 openings is expected annually, with 500 due to growth and 2,400 due to replacement of workers who retire, die, or leave the labor force for other reasons. Additional openings will occur as workers change jobs or occupations. In late 2006, there were 7 apprentices in training for this occupation.

Due to the economy recovering from an economic recession, people are more apt to stay at home to save money than dine out.  This will have a negative impact on demand for Chefs and Cooks in the restaurant industry. 

SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Printed Occupational information is available upon written request from sources below.

                   Copyright © 2007 Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth