School Cook

As a School Cook, you prepare food for students, faculty, and staff, which means you make enough for the masses. While this may seem like an obvious job description, what’s not so obvious is the behind-the-scenes work that a School Cook does.

Planning meals that are lightly seasoned to avoid upsetting the stomachs of school-aged children, yet flavorful enough to please the sophisticated palates of adults—that requires ingenuity and strategy. Still, School Cooks face much criticism as parents become more concerned about the foods their children consume during the day. Patience and diplomacy are important skills in this occupation, as children can be frustrating no matter how funny they are.

Many School Cooks begin their day very early, especially in schools that provide both breakfast and lunch services. This is a small price to pay if you reap the benefit of school breaks around holidays, not to mention all weekends and extended summer breaks.

If you have a supervisory or managerial role, you’re often responsible for maintaining quality standards for health inspections. Other duties in this category include maintaining accurate records for federal and state programs, placing (and receiving) food orders, and running the kitchen. Hiring, firing, supervising, and training other School Cooks may be required as well.