What is an institutional cook and how to become one

Key steps to become an institutional cook

1. Explore institutional cook education requirements

   Most common institutional cook degrees

   High School Diploma

   36.1 %

   Associate

   27.8 %

   Diploma

   16.7 %

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2. Start to develop specific institutional cook skills

   Skills	Percentages
   Food Handling	31.72%
   Kitchen Equipment	22.63%
   Culinary	15.08%
   Slicers	7.15%
   Mixers	7.02%

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3. Complete relevant institutional cook training and internships

   Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New institutional cooks learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an institutional cook based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real institutional cook resumes.

4. Research institutional cook duties and responsibilities

   • Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
   • Ensure customers convenience are met/exceed by accommodating and notifying customers of ingredients that may trigger food allergies or intolerance.
   • Provide leadership that promotes and exemplifies excellent customer service.

5. Prepare your institutional cook resume

   When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your institutional cook resume.

   You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an institutional cook resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

   Choose from 10+ customizable institutional cook resume templates

   Build a professional institutional cook 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 institutional cook resume.
   

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6. Apply for institutional cook jobs

   Now it's time to start searching for an institutional cook job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

   1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
   2. Consult your professional network
   3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
   4. Watch out for job scams