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Career Details

Career Details

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35-2013.00 - Cooks, Private Household


Prepare meals in private homes. Includes personal chefs.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
35,900
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
36,200
Estimate
Change in Employment
200.0
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+0.6%
Estimate
Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Plan menus according to employers' needs and diet restrictions.
  • Shop for or order food and kitchen supplies and equipment.
  • Peel, wash, trim, and cook vegetables and meats, and bake breads and pastries.
  • Prepare meals in private homes according to employers' recipes or tastes, handling all meals for the family and possibly for other household staff.
  • Stock, organize, and clean kitchens and cooking utensils.
  • Specialize in preparing fancy dishes or food for special diets.
  • Create and explore new cuisines.
  • Direct the operation and organization of kitchens and all food-related activities, including the presentation and serving of food.
  • Plan and prepare food for parties, holiday meals, luncheons, special functions, and other social events.
  • Serve meals and snacks to employing families and their guests.
  • Cool, package, label, and freeze foods for later consumption and provide instructions for reheating.
  • Keep records pertaining to menus, finances, and other business-related issues.
Supplemental
  • Travel with employers to vacation homes to provide meal preparation at those locations.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 88%
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 Food Production
  • 72%
    Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
 Sales and Marketing
  • 68%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
 Administration and Management
  • 65%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 English Language
  • 63%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Clerical
  • 58%
    Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
 Production and Processing
  • 57%
    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
 Mathematics
  • 54%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Economics and Accounting
  • 50%
    Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Domestic flatware and cutlery
  • Bakers' knives
  • Boning knives
  • Bread knives
  • Carving forks
  • Ladles
  • Meat cleavers
  • Meat forks
  • Paring knives
  • Perforated spoons
  • Scorers
  • Serrated knives
  • Serving spoons
 Domestic kitchen tools and utensils
  • Basting brushes
  • Bench scrapers
  • Colanders
  • Corkscrews
  • Cutting boards
  • Deep-fat thermometers
  • Digital kitchen timers
  • Digital scales
  • Fat skimmers
  • Fish spatulas
  • Frying thermometers
  • Garlic presses
  • Graters
  • Kitchen thermometers
  • Knife sharpening tools
  • Locking tongs
  • Mandolines
  • Measuring cup sets
  • Measuring spoon sets
  • Melon ballers
  • Mixing bowls
  • Offset spatulas
  • Omelet spatulas
  • Oven thermometers
  • Pastry cutters
  • Potato mashers
  • Poultry basters
  • Refrigerator thermometers
  • Rolling pins
  • Slotted turners
  • Swivel peelers
  • Vegetable peelers
  • Wire whisks
  • Wooden spoons
 Safety apparel
  • Butchers' gloves
 Computer printers
  • Computer laser printers
 Domestic kitchen appliances
  • Convection ovens
  • Countertop microwaves
  • Dishwashers
  • Electric grills
  • Food processors
  • Stand mixers
 Food preparation equipment
  • Icing piping tips
 Length and thickness and distance measuring instruments
  • Kitchen rulers
 Cookware and kitchen tools
  • Kitchen shears
 Domestic cookware
  • Kitchen skillets
  • Nonstick saute pans
  • Saucepans
  • Saute pans
  • Stockpots
 Labeling machines
  • Labelmakers
 Computers
  • Laptop computers
  • Tablet computers
 Domestic bakeware
  • Metal baking sheets
  • Muffin pans
 Removable storage media
  • Thumb drives
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Data management and query software
  • APPCA Personal Chef Office
  • Cooking e-books
 Finance accounting and enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • Cost tracking software
  • Intuit QuickBooksHOT
 Information exchange software
  • Email software
 Business function specific software
  • Food inventory software
 Network applications software
  • Web browser software
 Content authoring and editing software
  • WordPress
  • Work scheduling software
  • YouTubeHOT
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
FastForward at Virginia's Community Colleges is a short-term training program for high-demand industries, like healthcare, information technology, and skilled trades and infrastructure, helping Virginians get the jobs and salaries they need. Our goal is to get you trained, help you earn your certification, and get you into a career that can support you and your family. Explore the latest training program offerings by visiting FastForward
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
 Advanced
 Core
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College
 Programs
Tidewater Community College
 Programs
Virginia Western Community College
 Programs