Cooks/dishwashers must develop kitchen skills to excel in this line of job. Each cook or dishwasher must learn to develop skills in food preparation, sanitation, and customer service. Cooks or dishwashers can be assigned to different areas, either in the kitchen area, food preparation, or in washing dishes. The scope of their responsibilities may include the cooking surface area, specific food items, or menu items. Also, they are expected to maintain the cleanliness of the kitchen, assist in preparing food, and may do any other duties demanded by the chef.

Cook/Dishwasher Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real cook/dishwasher resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

  • Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
  • Cook and prepare sandwiches and entrees throughout the shift, working with slicers, grills, and fryers.
  • Enter orders into pos system.
  • Organize groceries as to ensure use before expiration.
  • Host: open/close shifts, greet and seat tables, run seating board.
  • Serve food to customers, run the cash register and also buse tables and wash dishes.
  • Prepare final bill, present check to guest, accept payment, and process through the POS system.
  • Prepare ingredients before service and maintain cleanliness of all stations and keep all line cook supply with necessary food items.
  • Light cleaning: sweeping floors, mopping, washing dishes, wiping counters and cleaning stoves, fridge and sinks.
  • Operate large cooking equipment such as grills, deep fryers, bun toaster, steamers, and hot dog grills.
  • Prepare meals for customers, wash dishes and heavy cooking equipment, experience with grill, fryers, broiler, etc.
  • Operate various stations around the kitchen, including the grill area, fryers, salad preparation, pizza oven, etc.
  • Ensure food are stored and cook at correct temperature by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.
  • Serve tables, cook sandwiches and pizzas, prep cook, wash dishes, stock storage spaces when orders are delivered.
  • Operate commercial range, char broiler, slicers, along with miscellaneous choirs to keep the business in a presentable order.

Cook/Dishwasher Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 44% of Cook/Dishwashers are proficient in Wash Dishes, Customer Service, and Dishwashers. They’re also known for soft skills such as Sense of taste and smell, Dexterity, and Physical stamina.

We break down the percentage of Cook/Dishwashers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Wash Dishes, 44%

    Take customers order, cook the food when order and also had to wash dishes when the customers finish eating.

  • Customer Service, 12%

    Wash Dishes*maintain restaurant cleanliness*Wait tables*Provide excellent customer service*Cook orders

  • Dishwashers, 7%

    Prepared appetizers, loaded and operated commercial dishwasher.

  • Prep Food, 6%

    Wash dishes-Prep food-Cook food-Clear tables-Clean floors and kitchen equipment

  • Safety Standards, 4%

    Maintained sanitation and safety standards in food preparation areas.

  • Kitchen Equipment, 3%

    Instructed new staff in proper food preparation, storage, use of kitchen equipment and utensils, sanitation and safety issues.

Most cook/dishwashers list "wash dishes," "customer service," and "dishwashers" as skills on their resumes. We go into more details on the most important cook/dishwasher responsibilities here:

  • Arguably the most important personality trait for a cook/dishwasher to have happens to be sense of taste and smell. An example from a resume said this about the skill, "cooks must have a keen sense of taste and smell to prepare meals that customers enjoy." Additionally, other resumes have pointed out that cook/dishwashers can use sense of taste and smell to "cooked and prepared orders, and operated large-volume cooking equipment. "
  • Another trait important for fulfilling cook/dishwasher duties is dexterity. According to a cook/dishwasher resume, "cooks should have excellent hand–eye coordination." Here's an example of how cook/dishwashers are able to utilize dexterity: "job description:prep food and dishes with a lot of hands on work"
  • Physical stamina is also an important skill for cook/dishwashers to have. This example of how cook/dishwashers use this skill comes from a cook/dishwasher resume, "cooks spend a lot of time standing in one place, cooking food over hot stoves, and cleaning work areas." Read this excerpt from a resume to understand how vital it is to their everyday roles and responsibilities, "analyzed prisoner's social attitudes, mental capacity, character and physical capabilities for preparing food products. "
  • See the full list of cook/dishwasher skills.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Cook/Dishwasher Resume templates

    Build a professional Cook/Dishwasher resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Cook/Dishwasher resume.

    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume
    Cook/Dishwasher Resume

    resume document icon

    Don't Have A Professional Resume?

    What Mexican Food Cooks Do

    A Mexican Food Cook works at restaurants or similar establishments that specialize in Mexican cuisine. Their responsibilities revolve around cutting meat and vegetable in portions, cooking and preparing according to company menu and guidelines, monitoring the supply of ingredients, and maintaining the cleanliness of work areas. There are also instances where they must delegate tasks among staff, coordinate with managers, and resolve order problems. Mexican Food Cooks must work while adhering to the company and the government's health and safety regulations and standards.

    We looked at the average cook/dishwasher annual salary and compared it with the average of a mexican food cook. Generally speaking, mexican food cooks receive $664 lower pay than cook/dishwashers per year.

    While their salaries may differ, one common ground between cook/dishwashers and mexican food cooks are a few of the skills required in each craft. In both careers, employees bring forth skills like customer service, dishwashers, and safety standards.

    There are some key differences in responsibilities as well. For example, a cook/dishwasher responsibilities require skills like "wash dishes," "prep food," "mop floors," and "food preparation equipment." Meanwhile a typical mexican food cook has skills in areas such as "food handling," "patients," "food service," and "slicers." This difference in skills reveals how truly different these two careers really are.

    Mexican food cooks tend to make the most money in the retail industry by averaging a salary of $31,722. In contrast, cook/dishwashers make the biggest average salary of $27,723 in the hospitality industry.

    Mexican food cooks tend to reach similar levels of education than cook/dishwashers. In fact, mexican food cooks are 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

    What Are The Duties Of a Short Order Cook?

    A short-order cook takes responsibility for preparing foods in cafes and restaurants. Usually, they fry eggs, cook fries, and prepare sandwiches. Short order cooks work alongside line chefs in the foodservice market. Their manner of preparing food is quick, easy, and simple. They plan and handle work orders ensuring that all orders are complete and served on time. Strong communication, customer service, a good sense of taste, and the ability to work efficiently are necessary requirements for the job.

    Next up, we have the short order cook profession to look over. This career brings along a lower average salary when compared to a cook/dishwasher annual salary. In fact, short order cooks salary difference is $969 lower than the salary of cook/dishwashers per year.

    Not everything about these jobs is different. Take their skills, for example. Cook/dishwashers and short order cooks both include similar skills like "customer service," "dishwashers," and "safety standards" on their resumes.

    While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, several resumes showed us that cook/dishwasher responsibilities requires skills like "wash dishes," "prep food," "mop floors," and "bus tables." But a short order cook might use skills, such as, "food handling," "good communication," "food service," and "quality standards."

    On average, short order cooks earn a lower salary than cook/dishwashers. There are industries that support higher salaries in each profession respectively. Interestingly enough, short order cooks earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $31,094. Whereas, cook/dishwashers have higher paychecks in the hospitality industry where they earn an average of $27,723.

    When it comes to the differences in education between the two professions, short order cooks tend to reach similar levels of education than cook/dishwashers. In fact, they're 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    How an Assistant Cook Compares

    Kitchen helpers perform various kitchen tasks in restaurants, schools, nursing homes, and hospitals. Their duties and responsibilities include assisting cooks in the preparation of meal ingredients, helping other staff with unloading food items from delivery trucks, and washing and drying the utensils, dishes, and cookware. Kitchen helpers are also responsible for removing and replacing garbage bags and storing ingredients and food supplies in compliance with food safety standards. The requirements for this position may include a high school diploma, a license in food handling, and knowledge of food safety standards.

    The third profession we take a look at is assistant cook. On an average scale, these workers bring in higher salaries than cook/dishwashers. In fact, they make a $2,541 higher salary per year.

    Using cook/dishwashers and assistant cooks resumes, we found that both professions have similar skills such as "customer service," "dishwashers," and "safety standards," but the other skills required are very different.

    There are many key differences between these two careers as shown by resumes from each profession. Some of those differences include the skills required to complete responsibilities within each role. As an example of this, a cook/dishwasher is likely to be skilled in "wash dishes," "prep food," "mop floors," and "bus tables," while a typical assistant cook is skilled in "food handling," "dishes," "food service," and "cleanliness."

    Assistant cooks make a very good living in the hospitality industry with an average annual salary of $35,456. Whereas cook/dishwashers are paid the highest salary in the hospitality industry with the average being $27,723.

    Assistant cooks are known to earn similar educational levels when compared to cook/dishwashers. Additionally, they're 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    Description Of a Kitchen Helper

    Now, we'll look at kitchen helpers, who generally average a lower pay when compared to cook/dishwashers annual salary. In fact, the difference is about $5,907 per year.

    According to resumes from both cook/dishwashers and kitchen helpers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "wash dishes," "customer service," and "dishwashers. "

    Even though a few skill sets overlap, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a cook/dishwasher might have more use for skills like "prep food," "large-volume cooking equipment," "quality food," and "deep-fat fryers." Meanwhile, some kitchen helpers might include skills like "food handling," "food service," "cleanliness," and "culinary" on their resume.

    In general, kitchen helpers make a higher salary in the retail industry with an average of $27,239. The highest cook/dishwasher annual salary stems from the hospitality industry.

    The average resume of kitchen helpers showed that they earn similar levels of education to cook/dishwashers. So much so that the likelihood of them earning a Master's Degree is 0.5% more. Additionally, they're less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.