Maximum numbers of food service, bartending and waitress jobs are occupied by the youth, aged between 16 and 19 years old. By 2012, more job opportunities are expected for food servers, bartenders, waiters and waitresses. Whether it is a coffee shop, a restaurant or any other food service establishments, food and beverage servers have an important role to play while performing their jobs. It is these workers who are actually responsible for making the restaurant's or food service establishment's first impression on the customer. Basic responsibilities of food service workers include welcoming the customers, accompanying them to their seats, providing and explaining the menu to them, taking the food and beverage orders and finally bringing them what they have ordered. In addition, food servers also need to be prepared to answer customer's questions regarding the items listed on the menu.

 

Though candidates may face tough competition in the food service industry, job and career making opportunities are available in plenty. Bartenders, waiters and waitresses jobs can be landed at small restaurants, high end restaurants, superior dining establishments and other food service establishments. The largest number of jobs in this field is occupied by waiters and waitresses. The roles and responsibilities of food servers or other food service workers may vary a little from one food service establishment to another. Basic responsibilities of food and beverage service workers are as follows.

 

Welcoming the customers
Accompanying them to their seats
Providing them the menu and explaining menu items
Writing customer's orders
Serve food and drinks as per the orders
Checking customers' identifications ordering alcoholic beverages/ tobacco products
Preparing detailed checks
Accepting payments (occasionally)
Cleaning/ preparing Tables for next customers

 

The job responsibilities, as mentioned above, may vary depending upon the food establishments they work for. At many times, the work profile of waiters and waitresses may be similar to those of other food service workers. In high end restaurants, however, multiple professionals are hired for job positions like cashier, dining room attendants, hosts and hostesses among others.

 

A bartender's job is to basically prepare drinks according to the orders given by guests. Beverage and drink orders in the dining room are taken care of by waiters and waitresses. Bartending jobs also require the bartender to make sure that the customer ordering alcoholic drinks fulfills the minimum age requirement. The bartender does not only have the responsibility of preparing and serving drinks, but they should also have wide knowledge about a variety of drinks and drink recipes. Preparation of drinks and beverages also requires a lot of skill. The mixing should be done accurately and with a lot of efficiency. Responsibilities of a bar tender are not limited to preparation and serving of beverages alone. These professionals also take care of the bar supplies and cleanliness issues in the bar. Apart from that, bartenders may be required to take care of food orders for customers seated in the bar.

 

Interpersonal skills have an important role to play in the career of bartenders, waiters, waitresses and other food service workers. Food and beverage serving workers need to be very sociable and friendly, as they would be continuously interacting with customers. Many of the bartenders also directly interact with customers for serving the orders at the bar.

 

Education Requirement & Training
No formal training or education is mandatory for most of the food and beverage service industry jobs. Employers, who are looking for waiters, waitresses and bartenders, will higher candidates who have graduated from high school. Graduating from high school is not necessarily required if you are applying for job positions including fast food workers, dining room attendants and bartenders. High school students and college students can be noticed doing food service jobs in great numbers. High school students, in their late teens, see to these jobs as an immediate source of income. Education and training may be required for high paying jobs at high end restaurants or large restaurant chains. To be eligible to join as a bartender, the candidate needs to be of at least 21 years of age. There are multiple bartending schools across the nation offering short term courses in bartending.

 

Food Service Workers Jobs & Employment
The food and beverage service industry brings workers both full time and part time employment opportunities. Job opportunities for food service workers, waiters, waitresses and bartenders are available at places like restaurants, bars, coffee shops etc. Hotels, academic institutions, leisure industries, nursing care facilities and hospitals also provide good career and job opportunities for food service workers. Tips at restaurants form a major part of food service workers' income. Seasonal jobs like summer and winter jobs are offered by resorts.

 

The field of culinary arts offers candidates an array of career opportunities. There are three basic types of culinary degrees offered by colleges and universities - Associate's degree in culinary arts, Bachelor's degree in culinary arts and Certifications in culinary arts. Job opportunities depend on the degrees you are equipped with and skills you have. Jobs in the culinary industry are not only profitable, but they also demand a lot dedication, attention and commitment. While you are considering a culinary career and are ready to get enrolled in a culinary program of your interest, it is also essential to be aware of the various job categories available in the field of culinary art. After graduating from a culinary school, candidates may find themselves in a sea of career options and job opportunities, without being able to decide which direction they should head in. It is important to do an extensive research regarding the multiple types of culinary job opportunities and choose a career which is right for you. The culinary job must fit in with your specific requirements and interest. Given below are various job fields you can step into to establish your career in culinary arts. Let's have a look at the job opportunities available.

 
Restaurants Jobs
The food service industry provides candidates with a number of places where they can land jobs. With a culinary degree in hand, restaurants happen to be the most obvious choice for candidates. What inspire people to take up the career of a chef are actually these restaurants and chefs who work there. Restaurants, however, come in all shapes and sizes. There are small restaurants and individually owned restaurants. There are high end restaurants and fine dining establishments owned and operated by a chef. Apart from that, there are large restaurant chains with branches across the nation. These restaurants provide excellent job openings for jobseekers.

 

Hotels & Resorts Jobs
Candidates with a culinary degree can also kick start and establish their career in hotels and resorts. Many of the large hotels have more than one restaurant within the hotel premises. These hotels and luxury resorts offer candidates good growth and promotion opportunities. Candidates can look forward to advancing their culinary careers at these hotels without changing employers. Working in hotels also provides candidates with the opportunity to experience and learn a host of managerial and administrative tasks. Candidates who land jobs in popular hotel chains can also enjoy traveling from one place to another or one country to another without changing jobs.

 

Catering & Institutional Jobs
Various catering companies and institutions also provide good job openings and benefits. Though most catering companies hire full time culinary professionals, part time jobs are also available in this field. In terms of institutions, candidates can choose to join at schools, hospitals and corporate lunch rooms among others. Though institutional culinary jobs are not on the cutting edge of culinary, they bring professionals good working hours and excellent employee benefits.

 

Personal Chef Jobs
The personal chef industry has been growing quite well for the last few years. Earlier, a personal chef used to work for only a person or a family. Today, the scenario has completely changed. Chefs can cater to multiple clients on a regular basis. Meals are prepared in a centralized kitchen from where they are packed and delivered to clients. Personal chefs have the flexibility to decide their own schedule.

 

Other Culinary Careers
Job and career opportunities are available in plenty in the field of culinary arts. Culinary professionals can also land jobs at food research and development centers. Corporate facilities also provide excellent job opportunities. A culinary career does not necessarily mean you need to cook. With relevant experience and expertise, you can also acquire positions like restaurant manager, food and beverage director, sommelier. Depending upon your personal interests, you can also establish you career in the field of food writing and photography. Newspapers, magazines and cookbooks offer excellent work opportunities for food critic and food writers.

 

Cultural, social and economic changes happen with the passage in every industry. The field of culinary art too is no exception. The culinary industry is affected by the cultural, social and economic changes that the society faces. Bigger and better career opportunities are always likely to be there. However, a regular shift can be noticed in the requirement of top cooks and chefs. According to the Department of Labor, this shift has taken place from fast food cooks to top chefs and cooks. The Department of Labor suggests more changes that will occur in the culinary industry. As a student of culinary art, you should be well informed of the changes that occur in this industry. Equipped with the latest culinary industry news and happenings, you can make well informed decision while thinking to take up a new career in culinary art.

Due to the cultural, social and economic changes happening to the population, the culinary industry gets influenced in many ways. The demand for culinary careers is to increase more and more. This increase in culinary careers has happened due to the existence of dual income families. Nowadays, more and more families have been noticed to possess two working adults. This leaves little time to the families to prepare meals at home. Consequently, working adults and families are turning towards meals cooked by others. This shift ultimately leads to an increase in culinary careers. Candidates who aspire to establish their culinary career should be prepared to avail the exciting career opportunities.

As per the demographics the disposable income level is also increasing in the average households. Higher income results in greater expectations. With an increase in the level of disposable income, people are turning away from smaller restaurants and fast food joints and moving towards high-end restaurants to satisfy their food and meal requirements. This shift from fast food joints towards high-end restaurants goes in favor of top cooks and chefs. Due to a sluggish economy of late, the shift faced a halt. But, as the economy continues to recover people will turn towards high-end restaurants again, creating an increased demand for highly respected chefs and cooks in the culinary industry.

Another major factor that influences the demand in culinary career is the increasing rate of life expectancy. The age of population increases and therefore the population becomes older. As a result, a greater level of disposable income remains associated with the older generation. As the retired class witnesses a boost in the level of disposable income, the demand for restaurant cooked food is also on the rise. This creates more and more requirement of professionals in the field of culinary art.

The busy younger generation is always looking for convenient food and meal options. For convenience’s sake, the younger generation turns towards restaurant cooked and ready cooked meals rather than home cooked meals which could consume a lot of their valuable time. Educational institutions and hospitals are also turning towards outsourcing in terms of food and meals. Food preparation companies have come into great demand, as they continue to provide cooked meals to schools, institutions and hospitals.

An assessment of the current situation and the changing trends makes it clear that exciting career opportunities await candidates in the culinary industry. The career for culinary professionals like cooks and chefs is really bright. High-end chefs and cooks will reap the maximum benefits. This is also true that the job seekers will have to face a stiff competition to obtain these positions in the culinary art. To have an edge and get ahead of their counterparts, candidates are advised to couple their culinary course with a course in economics, mathematics or business management. This useful combination can provide them the tool to avail exciting career opportunities in restaurant and hotel management. Besides, candidates with such educational combination and business acumen can always decide to establish a business of their own. For the right candidate, equipped with an excellent academic background and culinary expertise, there will never be a dearth of career opportunities in the culinary industry. Dedication, an eagerness to learn and excel and perseverance are the key to a profitable career in culinary art.

There are immense career opportunities waiting for those who really take culinary art seriously and dream to make it big in this industry. Culinary institutions, universities and culinary schools have been opened in different places of America and other countries. Not only culinary careers satisfy you, but they also prove to be a wonderful experience for professionals. There are both entry level positions as senior or head level positions are available as exciting career opportunity in the culinary industry. If you really give your best and labour hard, top level positions are never far for you to achieve.

 

A wonderful option for those trained in culinary discipline is to begin as a Commis Chef. But, what is a Commis Chef and what are his responsibilities. While you have been trained as a chef, a Commis Chef is position that you would first be offered. Or, to be more precise, a Commis Chef is an entry level position for all those trained chefs who are looking to make the most of their culinary career as a chef. Those who join the position of a Commis Chef are required to report to the Chef de Partie. There are numerous ways to join as a Commis Chef in restaurants. Even apprentice chefs who begin to work in larger kitchens with the responsibility of learning and operating a station are referred to as Commis Chef. To begin your career in the culinary industry as a Commis Chef, you need to have formally trained.

 

As discussed above, there are many ways that can lead you to become a Commis Chef. Starting as a kitchen assistant of a kitchen porter is also a good option to get the position of Commis Chef. If you keep the target in mind and keep practicing hard, becoming a Commis Chef is no tough job. If you are ready to acquire expert skills in basic works of kitchen like vegetable preparation and taking care of the kitchen, you can soon be promoted to the position of a Commis Chef, which will further pave way for you to join as head chefs in various hospitality establishments. So, even if you start your culinary career from the scratch level, you can really look forward to achieve senior positions. Options are always open as long as you're ready to perform and deliver.

 

Responsibilities of a Commis Chef
Since the post of a Commis Chef is an entry level position, you will have the responsibility of preparing food but under the eye of a more skilled or a senior chef. This will be a golden opportunity to learn a variety of cooking styles from more accomplished chefs. In addition, you will learn how to deal with deliveries and handle stock rotation. The head chef will be guiding you on how to accurately measure the ingredients and give your best. In short, the responsibilities of a Commis Chef will be everything that related to the demands of kitchen.

 

Well versed chefs will always be their to supervise your activities and correct where you go wrong in terms of cooking, measuring ingredients, preparation of vegetables and following higher standards of hygiene. Career as Commis Chef, therefore, would be something like ‘earn while you learn'. As you keep on handling the day-to-day activities of the kitchen, you will become well versed with the hows and whys of becoming a chef. During your work tenure, you will be given the opportunity to work and handle different sections of the kitchen. The time span that you spend in one section of a kitchen may vary from three to six months.

 

Choosing a Kitchen Section According to Your Interest
The career of a Commis Chef also provides you flexibility. A Commis Chef has a variety of roles and responsibilities to perform. They can choose to work in different sections of a large kitchen according to their interest and preferences. The head chef will render the Commis Chef a task or assign him the area of activity keeping in mind the latter's interests. Commis Chefs can avail this opportunity to specialize in their specific areas of interest associated with the activities of the kitchen. There are numerous aspects to a kitchen. Acquire specialization in the area that you like the most and continue to fine-tune your skills.

 

Courses, Working Hours & Salary of a Commis Chef
Though numerous culinary institutions offer courses for making career as Commis Chefs, it may be difficult at times to find a course for the same if you do not have any prior experience. In this case, you can first start as a kitchen attendant and then apply for a training program. Jobs of a Commis Chef are available in shifts. Annually, a Commis Chef can earn anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000. The remuneration would be in proportion to your skill and experience.

The more career opportunities culinary industry offers, the more work challenges it sets forth. A profitable career option in the culinary field is to become a restaurant manager. Anyone who manages the floor, the kitchen or the administration is referred to as a restaurant manager. The difference in the roles of restaurant managers actually depends on whether they are working for local family-run restaurant or a high-end restaurant. While visiting small restaurants, you must have noticed that restaurant owners also look after the overall business operation. They are also restaurant managers. Large restaurants have definitive roles for restaurant managers. In large or high-end restaurants, restaurant manager (also called general managers) take care of the administrative division whereas the executive chef is responsible for kitchen management.

 

While the executive chef takes care of the food preparation in kitchen, the restaurant manager directs the rest of the staff and supervises their work. During this administrative career, the restaurant manager is responsible for smooth functioning of the whole operation and handling the business end, thereby bringing profit to the restaurant. Looking at the job responsibilities that the restaurant manager is required to perform, they must possess a thorough understanding of budgeting, accounting, banking methods and credit policies.

It is only a skilled restaurant manager who knows how to motivate the staff to always work for the better. Whether it is the service standard or the safety guidelines, the general manager ensures that the restaurant staff strictly abides by them. Not only professionally, but the responsibilities of a restaurant manager also include seeing to the well being of staff and providing them job satisfaction. Recruitment of new kitchen staff, maintenance of kitchen equipment, budgeting, work scheduling and surveying are the other responsibilities that these professionals have to shoulder during their career as restaurant manager or general manager in a large kitchen.

 

Educational Background
A high school diploma is the minimum educational requirement to apply for the post of a restaurant manager. A number of junior colleges and universities in the United States offer associate degrees, bachelor degrees and other graduate programs in restaurant management. Career opportunities become more fruitful for candidates who have both college education as well as some previous work experience in business administration. Besides earning a degree in restaurant management, candidates can also opt for various courses in hotel and restaurant administration. The restaurant manager must have strong communication skills, team playing spirit and motivating potential.

 

To kick-start their career, candidates can also enroll themselves in restaurant manager trainee programs. Restaurant managers can join as prospective managers too. These positions may include account manager, food and beverage manager and sales manager among. After spending a couple of years in these fields, professionals can finally become general managers.

 

Career Outlook
Though candidates may need to face tough competition, job opportunities are greater and the employment growth rate is expected to grow as fast as average through 2014. Candidates can easily land a job at small restaurants first. Later with a few years of experience, you can apply at large or high-end restaurants. Those who join leading restaurant chain can be promoted to the position of regional manager or executive manager. The job of a restaurant manager does not only require physical effort, but it gives you mental pressures as well.

Most of the time restaurant managers will be on their feet, attending to customers and dealing with employees. While dealing with customers, patience is the key requirement with restaurant managers or general managers. Working hours of a restaurant manager may vary between 40 and 48 hours a week. Restaurant managers should also be ready to work on weekends and at nights, depending on the type and chain of restaurant they join.

 

Earning from Your Career as Restaurant Manager
The salary you get will depend on the type of restaurant you join and responsibilities you are assigned. Metropolitan cities offer better restaurant manager career opportunities, both in terms of professional and personal growth. Average annual salary of a restaurant manager can be around $42,000. Restaurant managers also receive yearly bonuses. Those employed in leading restaurant chains will be entitled to some exclusive benefits like paid vacations, retirement benefits and health insurances among others.