Chef for a Cruise Ship

We're looking for people who:	enjoy cooking, and preparing and presenting fine food.
What you will do:	You will plan menus for meals, assign cooking tasks, and supervise and assist in meal preparation. Some specific tasks you will be asked to complete include: Analyze menus and recipes to determine the cost of different meals Plan menus that satisfy customers with different needs and limitations, including those with allergies, vegans or vegetarians, and those with religious restrictions. Order the necessary ingredients for each meal Check products as they arrive to make sure food was correctly ordered and is fresh Hire, schedule, and supervise kitchen personnel Instruct staff how to cook new dishes and operate new equipment Schedule staff to assure meals are served on time Maintain accurate records of purchases, and monitor food preparation budget
Knowledge required for this job:	Understanding how food products are produced and grown, and necessary steps to assure all products are served safely How a variety of foods can be prepared to suit a variety of customers Management and customer satisfaction skills Ability to motivate various team members to meet the common goal of a satisfied customer
Skills required for this job:	Time management skills Unifying team members and reconciling their differences Actively looking for ways to help others improve Teaching skills
What education you need:	Most chefs' jobs do not require college experience. A majority (46.6%) of people ages 25-44 who currently hold this kind of job have a high school diploma or lower. About the same number (38.5%) have some college experience. Only 14.9% have a bachelor's degree.
Salary:	Nationally, people working in this job earn between $9.69 and $29.20 an hour. In Maryland, the pay scale ranges from $10.20 - $28.99 an hour. (Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) 2007)
Future job prospects	Nationally, all chefs' jobs are expected to increase from 124,900 positions in 2004 to 145,700 in 2014. (+17%) In Maryland, jobs numbers are expected to increase, with 2,710 positions in 2004 and 3,210 in 2014. (+19%)

Watch a video that shows what a chef does.

The Maryland Career Clusters help students prepare for their future education and careers while they are in high school. The job of Chef is part of the Consumer Services, Hospitality, and Tourism Career Cluster, in the core area of Hospitality and Tourism.

You can explore other careers in the Consumer Services, Hospitality, and Tourism Career Cluster here.