If you’re looking to land your dream job as a line cook, take it from someone who knows. I am the line cook of my dreams. I love what I do and get paid well for doing it. But first, let me tell you how I got here…
Build Your Skills
Now that you have a better idea of what kind of line cook you want to be, it’s time to do some research. You’ll want to identify your skill gaps and then develop them so that you can stand out from the crowd in an interview. A few examples of skills that will help with this are:
- Teamwork – how well do you work with others?
- Leadership – are you someone who leads by example or does everyone look up to your leadership skills?
- Time management- how efficient are you at completing tasks on time?
Once again, these are just some examples! Developing these kinds of skills will help make you more desirable as a candidate for any job but they’ll also make it easier for managers and employers to see what they’re getting when they hire someone like yourself!
Build Your Reputation
Now you’re ready to take the next step and become a line cook. How do you get there? You have to build your reputation within the restaurant industry, which means being known as someone who is good at what they do, reliable and responsible, and nice to everyone.
Here are some ways you can work on building that reputation:
- Volunteer for new or difficult tasks at work. Your coworkers will appreciate your willingness to help out, especially if it’s something that’s not part of your job description!
- Be friendly with everyone in the restaurant – especially other cooks!
Line cooks are usually very close-knit groups; make friends with them so they know they can count on you if they need any extra help with their dishes. This is also a great way of making connections back into other kitchens when looking for jobs elsewhere.
Study Your Craft
- The first thing that you need to do is study your craft
- The second thing that you need to do is study the kitchen
- The third thing that you need to do is study the restaurant.
Become A Better Chef
You want to cook like a pro, but how do you learn?
There are several ways to get better at cooking:
Read books on cooking and watch videos of professional chefs demonstrating their skills. There are many wonderful books available that will teach you everything from basic meal preparation to advanced techniques.
There are also countless YouTube videos about professional chefs demonstrating how to make different foods in various countries around the world and these are just a few examples! You can also find plenty of free online classes about cooking.
Travel to other countries and try new foods, which will give you ideas for new recipes that may not be available where you live.
Cook with other people more often; it’s an excellent way to learn from their knowledge as well as share your own experiences! If possible, it might even be beneficial (and fun!) if someone else wants what they’ve created so they’re willing to pay money before they leave home/work 🙂
This helps build confidence while providing valuable feedback when needed most during those early stages when we’re still figuring things out ourselves.”
Set Your Sights High
You should set your sights high. This is true in any career field, but especially in the culinary arts.
If you’re a line cook, expect to start at low-level positions and work your way up. It will take time a lot of it to get where you want to go if you don’t have experience or connections in the industry.
To land a high-level job as a line cook, you’ll need experience working as one first. But how do you get that experience without getting hired?
The best way for anyone who wants to work as a line cook is through internships and apprenticeships; these programs offer hands-on training alongside experienced professionals in their fields (and often include salary).
If this sounds too good to be true, it isn’t! These types of programs are available at many restaurants around the country just check.
Get The Right Experience
The first step to landing your dream job is getting the right experience.
You can’t just go online and apply for a line cook position if you don’t have any cooking or restaurant experience, so make sure you get as much of it as possible, in the right places, in the right way, and at the right time.
When looking for your first job as a line cook, look for restaurants with good reputations. If they have several locations around town, even better! The more places where people are willing to work with them means that there’s likely more room for new employees in all their locations.
Be Helpful In The Kitchen And Beyond
A kitchen is a crazy place. It’s fast-paced, loud, and stressful as hell. To make things even more difficult, when you’re first starting you’ll likely be the lowest person on the totem pole.
This means that people who have been working in restaurants for years will expect you to do all of their dirty work before you’ve even learned how to do yours.
In short: You need to be extra helpful if you want anyone to notice how hardworking and talented a cook (and future chef) you are.
If someone needs help with something or needs an extra hand with something else, don’t hesitate for one second to jump right in and lend them your assistance! And then once they get comfortable having your aid around them all the time…
Follow these tips above until they become habits! Then move on to something bigger: volunteering at charity events or organizing fundraisers can show management just how much of an asset this job could be if given some responsibility outside of the kitchen too!
Be Nice To Everyone (Yes, Everyone)
We all have that one coworker that we don’t like. Maybe he or she is arrogant and thinks they are better than everyone else? Or maybe they just don’t work hard enough? Regardless of the reason, you need to learn how to deal with this person professionally.
Being nice throughout your career will help you stand out from others, which in turn can help land you a job at the end of it all.
People who are nice and polite are always first on my list when hiring new people for my company because I know that if someone has been working for me for years, then there must be something good about them!
Stay Focused On The Big Picture, But Pay Attention To Details Too
The food industry requires constant learning and growth. You’re not always going to be in a kitchen with people who know everything, but you can still do your best to learn from them (and everyone else!).
Still, if you’re ever in doubt about what does or does not belong on a plate, here’s a rule of thumb: if it doesn’t taste good, don’t put it there.
While this may seem like an obvious point, many line cooks make the mistake of serving dishes that aren’t quite ready yet either because they didn’t take enough time to test their recipe before sending it out or because they simply rushed through the preparation process.
To avoid this situation entirely, try taking some time away from work every few weeks just so that you have time for research and practice at home; this will allow you to experiment without having any pressure attached to doing so during business hours.
Know And Respect Yourself And Your Limits
As a line cook, you will work alongside other people. Working in this type of environment will require that you know and respect yourself, your limits, and what you can and cannot do.
You need to be honest with yourself about what jobs are best suited for you based on your strengths and weaknesses. The key is knowing when it’s time to say no or ask for help when there is too much going on at once (e.g., during a busy rush).
You may also be asked to take on tasks that stretch beyond the scope of what is considered reasonable during busy times;
However, if this happens regularly then there might not be enough support available for everyone involved and it could compromise safety standards as well as quality control measures within the kitchen environment itself!
You Can Get Your Dream Job As A Line Cook By Being Good At What You Do And Nice To Everyone
To land your dream job as a line cook, you need to be good at what you do and nice to everyone.
Think about it: if someone is a team player, good listener, and a good communicator, they’re going to be able to work well together with their coworkers and solve problems quickly.
People who are also good time managers are better able to manage their kitchen’s resources efficiently and effectively (not wasting food or money). And leaders who are skilled mentors will help train others in their ways of cooking delicious food!
So if you want your dream job as a line cook come true then focus on being great at everything listed above – plus being nice!
Conclusion
We hope this guide has helped give you some insight into the world of cooking and why it’s such a great career. If you’re interested in becoming a line cook, we encourage you to take these steps and make the most out of your time in the kitchen.
Remember to always be true to yourself and keep your focus on what matters most: making delicious food that people love!
