Kamala Harris is chopping onions. She says to the little girl next to her

Do you love food?

Do you enjoy turning simple ingredients into exciting meals?

Perhaps a job as a cook is right for you!

What Does A Cook Do?

  • Order groceries and restock the pantry

  • Clean and set up work areas

  • Measure and prepare ingredients for cooking

  • Follow the directions of chefs and food service managers

  • Manage food stations

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Where Can A Cook Work?

  • Flaticon Icon In a restaurant cooking dishes from different cultures

  • Flaticon Icon At school preparing breakfast and lunch for students

  • Flaticon Icon At a catering company cooking for special events like parties

  • Flaticon Icon In a food truck preparing dishes at outdoor festivals and markets

What Does It Pay?

Flaticon Icon The annual salary for a cook in the U.S. ranges from $24,430 to $36,741 (USD).  

Flaticon Icon The annual salary for a cook in Canada ranges from $35,255 to $41,424 (CAD). 

What Are The Ingredients For Success?

You'll love being a cook if you:

  • Enjoy working in a team

  • Thrive working in a fast-paced environment

  • Are eager to develop new culinary skills

  • Have great time-management skills

  • Don’t mind spending a lot of time on your feet

A football coach in a locker room saying:

Is Cooking Your Cup of Tea?

Reconsider being a cook if you:

  • Find fast-paced environments challenging to work in

  • Prefer working on a fixed (9-5) work schedule

  • Don't like working with your hands

  • Don't enjoy multitasking in the kitchen

  • Don't fancy working on weekends and holidays

A woman saying:

What Qualifications and Training Do You Need?

Cooking is all about hands-on experience and practical skills.

GIF with a chef saying

While you typically don’t need a formal education to become a cook, it's recommended that you have a high school diploma.

You might also benefit from enrolling in culinary school or doing an apprenticeship at a food service establishment.

Take Action

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Are you ready to get cooking?

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