Food Preparation Workers

Career Description: Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.

Industry: Food Preparation and Serving Related

Other Job Titles for Food Preparation Workers:

• Realistic: 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.
• Investigative: 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.
• Artistic: 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.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: 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.
• Conventional: 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.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Clean work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, and silverware.
• Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.
• Prepare a variety of foods according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures.
• Package take-out foods or serve food to customers.
• Portion and wrap the food, or place it directly on plates for service to patrons.
• Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets.
• Inform supervisors when supplies are getting low or equipment is not working properly.
• Weigh or measure ingredients.
• Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
• Wash, peel and/or cut various foods to prepare for cooking or serving.
• Receive and store food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas.
• Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals.
• Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.
• Prepare and serve a variety of beverages such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
• Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
• Make special dressings and sauces as condiments for sandwiches.
• Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers.
• Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods.
• Stir and strain soups and sauces.
• Distribute food to waiters and waitresses to serve to customers.
• Keep records of the quantities of food used.
• Load dishes, glasses, and tableware into dishwashing machines.
• Butcher and clean fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish to prepare for cooking or serving.
• Cut, slice or grind meat, poultry, and seafood to prepare for cooking.
• Work on assembly lines adding cutlery, napkins, food, and other items to trays in hospitals, cafeterias, airline kitchens, and similar establishments.
• Mix ingredients for green salads, molded fruit salads, vegetable salads, and pasta salads.
• Distribute menus to hospital patients, collect diet sheets, and deliver food trays and snacks to nursing units or directly to patients.

Emerging Tasks

• Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, and silverware.
• Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items.
• Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change.
• Prepare a variety of foods (e.g., meats, vegetables, desserts) according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures.
• Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.
• Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.
• Wash, peel, and/or cut various foods (e.g., fruits and vegetables) to prepare for cooking or serving.
• Supervise and participate in kitchen and dining area cleaning activities.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• carve meat or bone fish or fowl
• clean equipment or machinery
• clean rooms or work areas
• cut, trim, or clean meat, or carcasses
• deliver or obtain mail, messages, records, food or other items
• distribute food to waiters or waitresses to serve to customers
• follow recipes
• knead, shape, cut, or roll food products by hand
• load, unload, or stack containers, materials, or products
• maintain records, reports, or files
• measure or weigh ingredients for food preparation
• operate food preparation equipment
• perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking
• place food on dishes or trays or in takeout bags
• prepare appetizers, salads, or cold dishes
• prepare beverages
• provide customer service
• read work order, instructions, formulas, or processing charts
• requisition stock, materials, supplies or equipment
• retrieve or place goods from/into storage
• serve food or beverages
• stock or organize goods
• understand government health, hotel or food service regulations
• use knives
• use knowledge of food handling rules
• wash dishes, glassware, or related utensils
• resolve or assist workers to resolve work problems
• schedule employee work hours
• schedule restaurant reservations
• use oral or written communication techniques
• plan meal presentations
• plan menus
• prepare appetizers, salads, or cold dishes
• prepare beverages
• prepare specialty foods
• price items on menu
• provide customer service
• purchase food or beverages
• read work order, instructions, formulas, or processing charts
• requisition stock, materials, supplies or equipment
• serve food or beverages
• test food to determine that it is cooked
• understand government health, hotel or food service regulations
• use knives
• use knowledge of food handling rules
• use specialized bakery equipment

Overall Experience
No previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a cashier even if he/she has never worked before.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.

Education
These occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate. Some may require a formal training course to obtain a license.

Examples
These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include taxi drivers, amusement and recreation attendants, counter and rental clerks, cashiers, and waiters/waitresses.

• Average hourly wage (2007) -$8.73
• Average annual wage (2007) - $18,150.00

• Projected growth (2006-2016): 15.31%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 138,084
• Employment (2006): 901,660

• Bartenders
• Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food
• Cooks, Fast Food
• Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
• Cooks, Short Order
• Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop
• Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
• Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
• Waiters and Waitresses
• Recreation Workers