Cooks, Fast Food
Cooks (fast food) prepare and cook food in a fast-food restaurant with a limited menu. The duties of these cooks are limited to the preparation of a few basic items and normally involve operating large-volume single-purpose cooking equipment.
Fast food cooks’ duties are to order materials, supplies, or equipment, cook food, prepare food for cooking or serving, clean food preparation areas, facilities or equipment and serve the prepared food or beverages.
A fast-food cook profession requires no formal education; in fact, students while pursuing their high school diplomas or college degrees are also hired by fast-food restaurants. Some restaurants choose to hire workers with experience; many provide on-the-job training.
The nature of the job title for fast-food workers can vary significantly based on the size of the outlet and the scope and strategy of the business. In some companies, employees occupy broader roles and fulfil several responsibilities. In others, employees take on more specialized positions. Fast-food cook jobs fit into four general categories- food preparation, customer service, general management and shift management.
Fast-food cooks should hold some specific skills of displaying training skills, be flexible, and available, acquire basic cooking knowledge, earn relevant food and beverage certifications and licenses and be highly capable of operating basic kitchen equipment. The cook's salary is commensurate to the experience, location and type of work involved.
To succeed in any job title for fast food worker, a candidate must be enthusiastic learning new tricks of cooking, displaying creativity and following safety standards, form good customer rapport with quick service and multitasking.
Qualifications
Every career requires an element of study and academic qualification, and there can be several study routes and pathways you can take. In following any academic pathway you will study subjects that contribute to the specialised knowledge required to achieve your career goals. These qualifications provide a future employer with the evidence that you have the desired knowledge, understanding and experience of their industry, so it’s important to consider the various types of qualifications available to you and to understand how they can boost your career and create opportunities for you.
- ITI Course Cookery
- Diploma Kitchen and Catering Operations
Tasks
- Maintain sanitation, health, and safety standards in work areas.
- Clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils.
- Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
- Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity.
- Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers.
- Read food order slips or receive verbal instructions as to food required by patron, and prepare and cook food according to instructions.
- Wash, cut, and prepare foods designated for cooking.
- Measure ingredients required for specific food items being prepared.
- Cook and package batches of food, such as hamburgers or fried chicken, which are prepared to order or kept warm until sold.
- Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.
Progression Routes
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