Catering jobs are very popular into today’s world. Many businesses, families, and communities celebrate with luncheons and dinners and hire catering companies to simplify their planning of these events. Some catering companies specialize in creating whole meals. Other catering companies cater weddings and other receptions with small snack-type foods.

It is important to gain knowledge about catering jobs basics before beginning a catering business. Catering is a very profitable and popular business. However, it takes work, skill, and the proper equipment to have a truly successful catering business. Before beginning your catering venture, consider the following caterer job info:

1. What type of equipment and catering skills will you need for your catering business?

2. Do you have people to help with your caterer jobs?

3. What type of food catering jobs do you wish to obtain?

Action Steps
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Research proper equipment for employment in catering

Basic home appliances do not work well for the type of cooking that a caterer needs. If you are serious about your catering business, you will need multiple stoves or larger commercial stoves. You will also need to have refrigerated storage space to store ingredients before cooking as well as finished products that need to stay cold.

I recommend: Read more information about catering jobs from How Stuff Works. Consider purchasing catering software as discussed in Ezine.

Hire catering employment help for events

Although you may feel confident in doing all of the behind-the-scenes duties such as cooking, you will need help. Many caterers hire people on a job-to-job basis to set up, serve food, and clean up. Family and friends are great to help with small catering jobs. Once your business grows, you may want to consider hiring a permanent staff that is consistent at each party event. Once you find a reliable team, you can book multiple parties for the same day and select a manager for the ones you do not attend.

I recommend: Check out the advice from Bizy Moms that discusses beginning your catering business. Discover more about catering jobs from the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Think beyond the food for catering jobs

Having the food cooked does not always mean that you are ready to cater. Consider how you will transport your food to the event. How will you display your items? How will you identify your servers for the guests? Ponder all of these before beginning your catering business. You will need a van, food storage containers, serving dishes, and outfits for your help.

I recommend: Check out rental truck ideas from Mobile Catering. Review catering business tips at 4www.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When beginning your catering business, keep in mind that many popular catering businesses, such as catering jobs in NYC, began small. Do not feel pressured to begin big from the start. Starting in your own kitchen with a few events can lead to big things in the future!

If you are a people person who likes to cook and entertain, then a catering job may be perfect for you. Caterer jobs range from hosting elaborate events, such as weddings to simple affairs like business luncheons.

Catering jobs do have some drawbacks, including working most weekends and holidays. Lack of benefits, such as health insurance and retirement plans is another factor to consider when looking for employment in catering.

Catering jobs include:

1. Planning individual menus for events and parties.
2. Cooking for events and parties.
3. Setting up for events, including table settings and buffets.
4. Serving food and drinks, including alcohol in some cases.

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Read up on caterer jobs

There are many books and websites dedicated to catering careers. Before you start booking your own catering jobs, take a few minutes and read up on all the different aspects of catering.

I recommend: Pick up a copy of The Everything Guide to Catering by Joyce Weinberg. It gives advice on all parts of the catering industry, as well as tips on how to start your own catering business. The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has a whole section dedicated to catering and is a good place to get more catering job information.

Find employment in catering

If you have experience as a cook, server or bartender, then you're a good candidate for a catering job. If you've never worked in a restaurant, catering has a lot of entry level positions to help get your foot in the door. Location matters: you find more catering jobs in NYC than in smaller towns.

I recommend: Caterer.com has all kinds of caterer job information and employment listings, including catering jobs in NYC and catering jobs in the Bay Area. Monster.com is another place to look for catering employment near you.

Work part time at a catering job

Because of its flexible schedule, catering jobs are ideal for students or individuals who hold down regular 9 to 5 jobs. Many catering jobs are mainly weekend gigs, keeping weekdays free for work and school. Bartending is an especially lucrative weekend catering job.

I recommend: CareerBuilder.com has many job listings for part time catering and bartending positions. Jobster.com is another place to begin your search for a career in catering.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Visit your local restaurants. Many full service restaurants offer catering services both on and off premise. Because catering can often be seasonal work, restaurant owners are often happy to hire someone who just wants to do functions and not work in the rest of the restaurant.

Whether you’re seeking catering employment, launching your own catering business or running an existing catering company, seeking education in the field will help you increase your expertise, business and marketing or culinary skills. Attend a culinary school to expand your menu or take courses to give you food prep and presentation skills to find employment in catering, for example.

Look for educational opportunities that suit your location, financial situation, time frame or skills you want to acquire for caterer jobs. The type of training you seek may also depend on the area where you’ll be catering. Catering NYC jobs, for example, may feature different types of seasonal cuisine than those on the west coast. When choosing classes to benefit different careers in catering:

1. Enroll in a culinary school for a degree or certification to develop chef skills and a culinary point of view that will assist with marketability and catering jobs.
2. Sign up for workshops to learn more about different facets of caterer jobs or increase your business skills to ensure your catering company is a success.
3. Take online courses to gain additional catering skills at your own pace so you can continue working while learning.

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Seek a degree from a reputable culinary institute to increase your reputation and caterer jobs

If you endeavor to be the chef of your catering business or think you might work in a restaurant in addition to catering, seek a degree from a culinary arts institute. Consider one that features instructors or graduates you admire, along with a cooking style you wish to learn or a placement program to help you find caterer employment in your area.

I recommend: Find a culinary arts school near you through Education Portal. Choose an institute that focuses on the type of cuisine you hope to focus on when seeking careers in catering. You can receive a bachelor’s or associate degree in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America. In addition to hands-on cooking education, the institute also provides guidance to help you assume a leadership position in the culinary or catering field.

Attend seminars to stay up to date with business skills and caterer job info

Constantly seeking educational opportunities in the catering and cooking field will increase your success with catering jobs since they'll give you a wide array of skills, services and business savvy.

I recommend: Consider F&B seminars from Rx for Catering to assist with your catering employment and business skills. Topics cover culinary styles, room flow, décor, event and chef management and industry trends. Attend educational seminars and workshops at the Catersource and Event Solutions Conference and Trade Show organized by Catersource, an organization for the professional caterer. The association also features seminars aimed at caterers throughout the year.

Find online education opportunities as continuing education while working on food catering jobs

Continuing catering jobs education and training through self-paced, online courses help you build skills without losing income. Not only will you be able to learn while you're working, you'll also be able to apply the skills you learn immediately on current catering jobs.

I recommend: Stratford Career Institute offers distance learning courses to assist with catering jobs, business skills and fundamental cooking skills. The program includes textbooks and study guides that are delivered to your home to assist with classes and learning. Or, take an online course to receive a catering certification through ExpertRating. Study subjects include ingredients, presentation, serving and business skills.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider attending catered events to determine the type of skill, equipment, service and food offerings you'll need to acquire to be competitive in the market. If you're hoping to find catering jobs in NYC or catering jobs in the Bay Area, for example, study the trends in cuisine and presentation to guide the type of training you seek.

If you're considering starting a career as a caterer, you might begin by familiarizing yourself with catering jobs key terms. It might be beneficial to gain some knowledge about the many positions you can apply for when you look for catering jobs. Catering jobs can cover food preparation, such as pastry chef or chef de partie, or even beverage expertise, such as a sommelier. Give yourself a better chance of landing catering jobs that work best for you by taking the time to learn catering jobs key terms.

Action Steps
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Banquet manager

Most hotels and restaurants employ a banquet manager. A banquet manager oversees large catering jobs, such as wedding receptions and bar mitzvahs. Banquet managers are responsible for everything from staff organization to budgeting.

I recommend: Find a detailed job description of a banquet manager at DiplomaGuide.com.

Sous chef

A sous chef generally oversees the kitchen in a restaurant or catering establishment. Responsibilities of a sous chef include everything from menu planning to the supervision of kitchen staff. A sous chef can act as a liaison between patrons and food preparers.

I recommend: Culinary School Finder provides a thorough description of what a sous chef does.

Commis chef

A commis chef is one who is just starting out in the catering business. A commis chef is basically an apprentice to an established chef. Under the guidance of a chef, a commis chef learns every aspect of working in a kitchen.

I recommend: Find a detailed job description and explanation of duties and responsibilities of a commis chef at Hcareers.

Chef de partie

Some catering establishments have a kitchen large enough to accommodate several chefs at once. Each of these chefs has a special 'station' or food that they prepare. A chef de partie also may be referred to as a line cook or station chef.

I recommend: Cooking Schools 101 provides details about what a chef de partie is and the duties he or she fulfills.

Pastry chef

One might assume that a pastry chef is only responsible for baking pastries and pies. But a pastry chef is also responsible for baking many types of breads, decorating cakes and desserts, and possibly overseeing other kitchen staff working in this area.

I recommend: Find a thorough job description for a pastry chef at All Culinary Schools.

Sommelier

A sommelier is a wine expert. They suggest wines to customers of restaurants and hotels. Certain educational and experience requirements are needed for one to become a sommelier. Those without these requirements are referred to as wine stewards.

I recommend: Find out what a sommelier does in a detailed article provided by The Princeton Review.