1 of 28

1

2 of 28

REVIEW OF FOODSERVICE CAREER PATHWAYS

Front of the house

Serve guests directly
Managers, assistant managers, hosts

Back of the house

Work outside public space
Chefs, dishwashers, purchasers

Exhibition kitchen

Part of dining experience

2

For organizational purposes, jobs in the restaurant and foodservice industry are divided into two categories: front of the house and back of the house.

Other FOH examples: banquet managers, dining room managers, maître d’s, cashiers, bar staff, serving staff, and busers.

Other BOH examples: line cooks, pastry chefs, crew (or shift) supervisors, bookkeepers, storeroom clerks, and menu planners.

In recent years, cooks and chefs have become more involved with their guests, especially through visits to the dining room and “kitchen” tables that allow

guests a closer view of the operation’s inner workings. Exhibition kitchens are also popular with diners. These kitchens become part of

the dining experience, meaning the back-of-the-house staff is more directly involved with guests. In environments like these, the back-of-the-house staff can

benefit from some customer service training.

3 of 28

SKILLS NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

Career:

Profession in a particular field
Master skills
Take on new responsibilities

Career pathway:

Series of jobs
Advance career

3

4 of 28

SKILLS NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

Communication and teamwork:

Includes writing, speaking, reading, and listening
Understanding and following directions
Complete share of workload or more

4

5 of 28

SKILLS NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

Positive attitude:

Valued by team
Enthusiastic and optimistic
Can be challenging

5

6 of 28

SKILLS NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

Willingness to learn:

New skills and techniques
Open to other ways
Stay flexible

6

Don’t let this happen- we need people!

7 of 28

SKILLS NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

Technology skills:

Basic computer knowledge
Place orders on computers
Computerized cash registers

7

8 of 28

SKILLS NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

Math skills:

Tip percentages
Ordering products
Count, weight, and measure items
Calculate yields
Convert recipes

8

9 of 28

SKILLS NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

Analyzing and problem solving:

Important to develop
Fresh solutions to problems

9

10 of 28

SKILLS NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

Knife and other equipment skills:

Basic tools and equipment
Broaden techniques and processes
Increases versatility
More likely to advance

10

11 of 28

SKILLS NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

Food safety knowledge:

Fundamental knowledge
Keep customers safe

11

12 of 28

SKILLS NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

Product knowledge:

Meet customers’ needs
Produce high-quality food consistently
Keep guests safe

12

Servers who know details about menu items better meet their customers’ needs. In the back of the house, this knowledge helps

produce high-quality food consistently. It can also help keep guests with food allergies safe.

As individuals progress through a restaurant and foodservice career, they learn skills from all areas of the restaurant. They might be involved in every

step of the flow of food through the operation, from writing specifications for what food they want to buy to delivering chicken parmesan to a table.

Successful restaurant managers assist in all areas of the restaurant operations. Managers are responsible for all areas of the restaurant environment.

Sometimes that means taking a drink order or helping the kitchen get through a lunch rush. The environment a manager creates is just as

important for the customer as it is the employee.

13 of 28

HOW TO DEVELOP THESE SKILLS

Make a commitment
Work part-time
Take on challenges
Be active
Volunteer
Research, read, and learn
Basic computer skills
Take advantage of opportunities

13

No matter what career you intend to pursue, you can do many things to help develop your skills:

Make a commitment to put forth your best effort in all that you do.
Work part-time in the industry while in school to gain experience.
Take on challenges in school and work to learn new skills.
Be active in school clubs and activities.
Volunteer time in the community. For example, you can help in a local soup kitchen, nursing home, or food bank.
Take some time to research, read, and learn on your own.
Get access to a computer if you can. Become familiar with basic computer functions and software programs, including word processing, spreadsheets, �presentation software, and effective Internet searching.
Take advantage of every opportunity to improve learning and work habits while you are still in school and working part-time. The more you
practice these habits now, the farther you will be able to advance in your career.

14 of 28

14

“Working in food can mean cooking on the line in a restaurant, of course, but there are so many more career paths available. No one knows this better than Rick Smilow—president of the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), the award-winning culinary school in New York City—who has seen ICE graduates go on to prime jobs both in and out of professional kitchens. Tapping into that vast alumni network and beyond, Culinary Careers is the only career book to offer candid portraits of dozens and dozens of coveted jobs at all levels to help you find your dream job.

Instead of giving glossed-over, general descriptions of various jobs, Culinary Careers features exclusive interviews with both food-world luminaries and those on their way up, to help you discover what a day in the life is really like in your desired field.”

Amazon Link to Purchase

15 of 28

HOW TO DEVELOP THESE SKILLS

Find a Mentor:

Wise advisor
Guide career path
Established career
Personal or professional
Offer insights and coach
Provides feedback

15

Begin to look for someone whom you can call a mentor. A mentor is someone who can play the role of a wise advisor to help guide you along your career

path. Ideally, this person will be a mature individual with an established career of his or her own. Mentors can be either personal or

professional. Personal mentors are individuals who are focused on your personal fulfillment and supportive of your professional growth. Professional

mentors are individuals whom you typically work with and who are focused on your professional growth and supportive of your personal growth. A mentor

should be available to offer insights, coach, be a sounding board, and provide feedback on career-development plans and progress.

Along with identifying a mentor who can help with your personal and professional development, also develop a strong relationship with one of

your current supervisors. The more a supervisor understands your goals and desire to learn new skills, the more likely it is you will get opportunities to grow.

16 of 28

Learn from others experiences

16

Begin to look for someone whom you can call a mentor. A mentor is someone who can play the role of a wise advisor to help guide you along your career

path. Ideally, this person will be a mature individual with an established career of his or her own. Mentors can be either personal or

professional. Personal mentors are individuals who are focused on your personal fulfillment and supportive of your professional growth. Professional

mentors are individuals whom you typically work with and who are focused on your professional growth and supportive of your personal growth. A mentor

should be available to offer insights, coach, be a sounding board, and provide feedback on career-development plans and progress.

Along with identifying a mentor who can help with your personal and professional development, also develop a strong relationship with one of

your current supervisors. The more a supervisor understands your goals and desire to learn new skills, the more likely it is you will get opportunities to grow.

17 of 28

Chef Visionary Lab

Chef Visionary Team Presentation

17

Photo of Prepared

Chef Visionary Recipe

Begin to look for someone whom you can call a mentor. A mentor is someone who can play the role of a wise advisor to help guide you along your career

path. Ideally, this person will be a mature individual with an established career of his or her own. Mentors can be either personal or

professional. Personal mentors are individuals who are focused on your personal fulfillment and supportive of your professional growth. Professional

mentors are individuals whom you typically work with and who are focused on your professional growth and supportive of your personal growth. A mentor

should be available to offer insights, coach, be a sounding board, and provide feedback on career-development plans and progress.

Along with identifying a mentor who can help with your personal and professional development, also develop a strong relationship with one of

your current supervisors. The more a supervisor understands your goals and desire to learn new skills, the more likely it is you will get opportunities to grow.

18 of 28

Chef Visionary Lab

Chef Visionary Canvas Discussion

18

Begin to look for someone whom you can call a mentor. A mentor is someone who can play the role of a wise advisor to help guide you along your career

path. Ideally, this person will be a mature individual with an established career of his or her own. Mentors can be either personal or

professional. Personal mentors are individuals who are focused on your personal fulfillment and supportive of your professional growth. Professional

mentors are individuals whom you typically work with and who are focused on your professional growth and supportive of your personal growth. A mentor

should be available to offer insights, coach, be a sounding board, and provide feedback on career-development plans and progress.

Along with identifying a mentor who can help with your personal and professional development, also develop a strong relationship with one of

your current supervisors. The more a supervisor understands your goals and desire to learn new skills, the more likely it is you will get opportunities to grow.

19 of 28

A SELECTION OF CAREERS

Long-term career opportunities
Variety of opportunities

Examples:

Food science
Nutrition and dietetics
Culinary research and development

19

20 of 28

CAREERS IN THE RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY

Owners/operators and entrepreneurs:

Own and run their business
Dedication to the business
Organized and committed
Strong business knowledge
Risk-takers

20

21 of 28

CAREERS IN THE RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY

District managers:

Responsible for multiple operations
Work with both offices and general managers
Solid leadership skills
Complex decisions

21

22 of 28

CAREERS IN THE RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY

General managers:

Overall planning, direction, and coordination
Hiring, promoting, and terminating

22

23 of 28

CAREERS IN THE RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY

Managers:

Responsibilities are divided
Hiring and supervising
Staff training
Maintaining the operation
Food safety
Guests’ and employees’ safety
Marketing and promotions
Ensure profits
Keep costs down
Purchase and store food

23

24 of 28

CAREERS IN THE RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY

Assistant managers:

Help managers
Training position; assigned to focus on:

Catering
Beverage
Kitchen
Housekeeping
Dining room

24

25 of 28

CAREERS IN THE RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY

Executive chefs:

Part of management team
Supervise kitchen employees
Purchase food supplies
Make decisions about menu items

25

26 of 28

CAREERS IN THE RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY

Sous chefs:

Responsible in executive chef’s absence
Help with food preparation

Banquet chefs:

Catered parties
Lodging or clubs
Catering department

26

27 of 28

CAREERS IN THE RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY

Pastry chefs:

Pastry and baking production
Hotels, fine-dining, high-volume restaurants

Station cooks:

Pantry cook (garde-manger)
Roast cook
Sauce and stock cook
Vegetable cook
Pastry cook

27

28 of 28

G oProStart C areer Exploration

28