Catering Jobs

Find a career in catering employment
By Lorri Mealey, Owner The Boiler Room Restaurant 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.

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.
Try:  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.
Try:  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.
Try:  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.

• 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.