Chefs and Head Cooks
Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.
At a Glance
Chefs and Head Cooks earns a median of $60,990/yr with +7.1% projected growth. Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent. Top skills: Google Sheets, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel.
$60,990/yr
+7.1%
24
High school diploma or equivalent
Skills & Requirements
Skills (17)
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Knowledge (8)
Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Abilities (16)
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Technology (7)
Work Activities (24)
Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Careers with Overlapping Skills
These occupations share the most skills. A career transition between them means many of your skills transfer directly.
Food Service Managers
Management · 193 shared skills
Bakers
Production · 192 shared skills
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Office and Administrative Support · 191 shared skills
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
Sales and Related · 191 shared skills
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
Business and Financial Operations · 190 shared skills
Clergy
Community and Social Service · 190 shared skills
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
Computer and Mathematical · 190 shared skills
Administrative Services Managers
Management · 190 shared skills
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