If you wish to make your career as cook then have an overview, which will make you aware about every aspect desired to be a cook. This presentation will lend you details such as job description, types of cooks and also about the salary that will help you a good decision. For more information about culinary cooking schools and degree programs log on to http://www.culinaryschoolsu.com/

1. Career Outlook: 2010-2020
COOKS

2. What Do Cooks Do
Cooks prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods, such as soups,
salads, entrees, and desserts.
Duties
•Cooks typically do the following:
•Check freshness of food and ingredients before cooking
•Weigh, measure, and mix ingredients according to recipes
•Bake, roast, grill, broil, or fry meats, fish, vegetables, and
other foods
•Boil and steam meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods
•Garnish, arrange, and serve food
•Clean work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, and
silverware
•Cook, hold, and store food or food ingredients
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

3. Job Description
Large restaurants and food service establishments tend to have varied menus and large kitchen
staffs. Teams of restaurant cooks, sometimes called assistant or line cooks, work at assigned
stations equipped with the necessary types of stoves, grills, pans, and ingredients.
Job titles often reflect the principal ingredient cooks prepare or the type of cooking they do—
vegetable cook, fry cook, or grill cook, for example.
Cooks usually work under the direction or supervision of chefs, head cooks, or food service
managers. For more information on these occupations, see the profiles on chefs and head
cooks and food service managers.
Depending on the type of eating place, cooks use a variety of kitchen equipment, including broilers,
grills, slicers, grinders, and blenders.
The responsibilities of cooks vary depending on where they work, the size of the facility, and the
complexity and level of service offered.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

4. Types of Cooks
Institution and cafeteria cooks work in the kitchens of schools, cafeterias, businesses, hospitals,
and other institutions. For each meal, they prepare a large quantity of a limited number of entrees,
vegetables, and desserts, according to preset menus. Because meals generally are prepared in
advance, cooks seldom prepare special orders.
Restaurant cooks usually prepare a wide selection of dishes and cook most orders individually.
Some restaurant cooks may order supplies, set menu prices, and plan the daily menu.
Short-order cooks prepare foods in restaurants and coffee shops that emphasize fast service and
quick food preparation. They usually prepare sandwiches, fry eggs, and cook french fries, often
working on several orders at the same time.
Fast-food cooks prepare a limited selection of menu items in fast-food restaurants. They cook and
package food, such as hamburgers and fried chicken, to be kept warm until served. For more
information on workers who prepare and serve items in fast-food restaurants, see the profile
on food preparation workers and food and beverage serving and related workers.
Private household cooks plan and prepare meals in private homes, according to the client’s
tastes and dietary needs. They order groceries and supplies, clean the kitchen, and wash dishes
and utensils. They also may cater parties, holiday meals, luncheons, and other social events. Most
private household chefs typically work for one full-time client.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

5. Work Schedules
Most cooks work full time but many work part time. Work shifts can include early
mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays. Schedules for cooks in school
cafeterias and some institutional cafeterias usually are more regular. Cooks
working in schools may work only during the school year, usually for 9 or 10
months. Similarly, resort establishments offer seasonal employment only.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

6. How to Become a Cook
Training
Most cooks obtain their skills through short-term on-the job training, usually lasting a few
weeks. Training usually starts with learning kitchen basics and workplace safety and
continues with food handling and cooking procedures.
Professional culinary institutes, industry associations, and trade unions sponsor formal
apprenticeship programs for cooks, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Labor.
Typical apprenticeships last 2 years and combine technical training and work
experience. The American Culinary Federation accredits more than 200 formal academic
training programs and sponsors apprenticeship programs around the country.
Some hotels, restaurants, and the Armed Forces have their own training and job-
placement programs.
Education
Independent and vocational cooking schools, professional culinary institutes, and college
degree programs also provide training for aspiring cooks. Programs generally last from a
few months to 2 years or more. Many offer training in advanced cooking techniques,
international cuisines, and cooking styles.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

7. Salary and Pay
The median hourly wage of cooks was $9.74 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at
which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The
lowest 10 percent earned less than $7.73 per hour, and the top 10 percent earned more than
$14.67 per hour.
Median hourly wages for cook occupations in May 2010 were as follows:
$12.29 for cooks, private household
$10.93 for cooks, institution and cafeteria
$10.65 for cooks, restaurant
$9.42 for cooks, short order
$8.70 for cooks, fast food
$10.93 for cooks, all other
Earnings of cooks vary greatly by region and type of
employer. Earnings usually are highest in fine dining
restaurants and luxury hotels, which are often found in
major metropolitan and resort areas.
Most cooks work full time but many work part time.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

8. Salary and Pay
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

9. Job Outlook
Overall employment of cooks is
projected to grow 8 percent from 2010 to
2020, slower than the average for all
occupations. Individual growth rates will
vary by specialty.
People continue to eat out, buy take-out
meals, or have food delivered. In
response, more restaurants will open,
and nontraditional food-service
operations, such as those found inside
grocery stores, will serve more prepared
food dishes, spurring demand for cooks.
Employment growth for cooks will also
increase as, in an effort to lower costs,
many full-service restaurants will hire
lower level cooks instead of chefs and
head cooks.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

10. Job Outlook
Overall job opportunities are expected to be good as a combination of employment growth and
current workers leaving the occupation leads to a large number of job openings. Cooks with
formal training will have the best job prospects.
Candidates who demonstrate eagerness and are able to do more refined tasks will have the
best job opportunities at restaurant chains, upscale restaurants, and hotels. Nonetheless, those
seeking full-time jobs at upscale restaurants and hotels are likely to face competition, as the
number of job applicants often exceeds the number of job openings.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

11. Start your career by researching culinary
schools and requesting free information from
the culinary schools of your choice.
http://www.culinaryschoolsu.com
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).