Full-time employees may be provided paid vacations, sick leave, and health insurance. Part-time workers seldom receive such benefits. No training is needed to go into this work, but for those who want to go above the lowest level, a high-school education is preferred. Workers who handle food have to have a Food Handler's Certificate from the County Health Department. Their chances for better jobs are improved as they get experience and prove that they are reliable and want to learn.
Employers look for workers who work well as part of a team.
A kitchen worker with ambition, ability, drive, and a good sense of smell and taste can get to be a short-order cook, fry cook, pantry cook, dinner cook, and, finally, a chef. A job may be found by applying directly to employers, through the Job Services offices of the California Employment Development Department, or by contacting the local office of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union. The purpose of this occupational guide is to provide you with useful information to help you make career decisions.