Cooks interested in owning their own restaurants should take business management classes at a community college or adult education program or call the federal Small Business Administration for information about running a business. Newspaper ads and school career centers list job openings. For a list of current job listing, browse Caljobs or America's Job Bank . Because they know their work, many employers train their kitchen helpers, dishwashers or bus persons to be cooks. Applicants with some basic experience or training in restaurant work may begin as prep cooks, griddle cooks, cooks' helpers or cook trainees.
All cooks have to be clean and wear clean clothing, be in good health and have normal vision.
They work with both hands and must move around quickly in a small work-space. They have to keep track of many things at once. They are on their feet for long periods at a time to do their work. Employers look for workers who will show up for work on time everyday. They often call high schools to get attendance reports for applicants to find out if they will be dependable workers.