The catering industry is booming, with recent reports showing that employment and wages have increased dramatically, with 355,000 jobs becoming available. Working in catering has many benefits, including learning new skills, networking with professionals, and traveling.
Catering is more than just cooking food – it involves managing complex events, coordinating with other vendors, and ensuring guests are happy. If you aspire to work in the catering field, consider some of these great positions:
Catering Manager: Average Salary: $48,377
A catering manager is responsible for the food and beverage operations at various events. They work closely with event planners to ensure that all food and beverage requirements are met, and they also oversee a team of cooks and servers.
In addition to planning and coordinating menus, catering managers typically handle purchases, staffing, and budgeting. To be a successful catering manager, it is vital to have excellent organizational and interpersonal skills.
A degree in hospitality or hotel management is also helpful. However, many managers work their way up the ranks, often starting as short-order cooks, wait staff, or in food preparation.
Catering managers should be able to think on their feet and make quick decisions to ensure that events run smoothly.
Chef: Average Salary: $50,160
Chefs are responsible for the day-to-day operation of a kitchen, including menu planning, food preparation, and supervision of kitchen staff. Head or sous chefs typically have many years of experience in a commercial kitchen, and many have completed a formal culinary arts program, although some begin in the kitchen with on-the-job training as line cooks.
In addition to their practical skills, chefs must also be able to work well under pressure, maintain a clean and organized kitchen, adhere to OSHA safety standards, and communicate effectively with both kitchen staff and front-of-house personnel.
Banquet Server: Average Salary: $26,000
Banquet servers play an essential role in ensuring guests have a memorable and enjoyable experience at a special event. Duties include setting up the banquet hall, arranging tables and chairs, decorating the space, and serving food and drinks.
Banquet servers must maintain a professional and courteous attitude, even when working long hours or dealing with demanding guests. Regarding qualifications, most employers require banquet servers to have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Kitchen Porter: Average Salary: $28,780
A kitchen porter is responsible for keeping the kitchen clean and organized. They typically work in large commercial kitchens, such as those in hotels or restaurants. The duties of a kitchen porter include washing dishes, cleaning floors, and disposing of waste.
Some kitchen porters may also be responsible for preparing food or working with the chefs to plate dishes. Kitchen porters typically do not require formal qualifications, though some employers may prefer candidates with experience working in a kitchen. With experience, kitchen porters can often become cooks or chefs.
Catering Sales Director: Average Salary: $61,482
A catering sales director oversees a catering business’s sales and marketing operations, like developing sales strategies, setting quotas, and managing daily sales activities. To succeed in this role, a catering sales director must have excellent people skills and effectively communicate with customers.
They should also have a strong understanding of the catering industry and be able to identify trends and opportunities. Most catering sales directors have at least a bachelor’s degree in marketing or business administration. They should also have several years of experience working in the catering industry before taking on a leadership role.
Senior Food and Beverage Project Manager: Average Salary: $98,420
A senior food and beverage project manager oversees the planning, execution, and completion of food and beverage projects, working closely with clients to ensure all project requirements. The duties of a senior food and beverage project manager include conducting feasibility studies, developing project plans, coordinating with contractors and suppliers, overseeing construction progress, and troubleshooting any issues that arise.
To be a successful senior food and beverage project manager, you must have excellent communication and organizational skills and experience in the food and beverage industry. In addition, it is helpful to have a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management or a related field.
Food Vendor: Average Salary: $25,980
A food vendor is someone who sells food items to the public. There are many types of food vendors, from those who sell prepared meals to those who sell ingredients and raw products. Vendors and caterers work closely together to ensure that the catering company has adequate food and beverage supplies for an event.
The duties of a food vendor include handling customer inquiries, preparing and packaging food items, and keeping track of stock levels. Qualifications for this job vary depending on the type of food being sold since working with raw food may require a training or educational program, but most vendors will need some experience in customer service and food preparation.
Start Your Career in Catering With JobsFuel
A career in catering involves working long hours, often on your feet. It can be demanding and challenging, but it can also be gratifying. If you’re passionate about food and enjoy working with people, a catering career could be the perfect fit for you. To learn more about catering jobs, or find your ideal position visit Jobsfuel.com today.
