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Chefs and Head Cooks

Under the title Chefs and Head Cooks, workers direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. O*NET rates it as medium preparation, which usually means one or two years of vocational training, an apprenticeship or an associate’s degree. It leans on coordination, monitoring, and time management. Expect to monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations. The strongest interest signal is Enterprising (5.1 of 7), then Realistic (4.8) and Conventional, which gives it the code ERC. You may also need to instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food. It tends to suit people who want leading, persuading and making business decisions, and it offers little for anyone seeking research, analysis and working through hard problems.

What they do

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.

Main tasks

  • Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
  • Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
  • Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.
  • Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
  • Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.
  • Check the quantity and quality of received products.

Skills

  • Coordination
  • Monitoring
  • Time Management
  • Speaking
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Management of Personnel Resources

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like taking the lead and making the call.
  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You are willing to put in a year or two of focused training.
  • You are comfortable relying on coordination and monitoring.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather not persuade, sell or manage other people.
  • You want to spend most of your time analyzing and researching. Investigative rates 1.7 out of 7 here.
  • You need to start within a few months, with no training period.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ERC takes the three highest, and Enterprising comes first here.

Preparation

Medium preparation. Expect vocational school, an apprenticeship, related experience or an associate’s degree, usually one or two years in total.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Banquet Chef
  • Chef
  • Cook
  • Executive Chef (Ex Chef)
  • Executive Pastry Chef

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.