Food Preparation Workers

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Restaurant crews take orders at the counter or drive-thru, prep ingredients, cook on the grill or line, bus tables, wash dishes, and greet and seat guests as hosts. It's one of the most common first jobs. It teaches speed, teamwork, food safety and dealing with customers, and people who stick with it can move up to shift lead, cook or manager.

Open the restaurant crew member guide

The guide checks the courses against your plan, with things to try each year. Free account needed.

High school courses that build toward it

• Foods and Culinary · Career and Technical

  Builds working with customers and clients, which this job uses.

• English 10 · English

  Builds reading and writing, which this job uses.

• Physical Education · Health and PE

  Builds working with customers and clients, which this job uses.

Ranked by how much the job relies on what each course teaches, from O*NET's knowledge ratings. Your school's own courses and the counselor have the final word.