Choosing a future profession is a very important and difficult task that everyone faces. There is an opinion that choosing a profession should be based on personal interests. That is why, if you are attracted to items such as labor or technology, you should pay attention to work. food service technologist. Today in our article we will talk about the features of this profession.
What is this profession?
Food Service Technologist - This is a person who produces culinary products. In addition, he is responsible for the quality of the goods; therefore, he also exercises control functions.
Such work has a rather long and interesting history of its development. So, the first technologists can be considered workers of the royal court, namely those who have tasted royal food. After that, with the advent of taverns, the work of technologists became more relevant and in demand. Today, such employees are integral employees of catering organizations.
If you give a brief description of the profession of a technologist, it should be noted that he participates in the cooking process, is responsible for the quality of food and its safety. Thus, we can say that the work of the calculator technologist is very responsible and difficult.
Nevertheless, before you finally connect your life with this profession, you should evaluate all the features of the work.
The advantages of the work of a catering technologist include:
- relevance in the labor market (due to the fact that various catering establishments are constantly opening - cafes, restaurants, canteens - the technologist will not be left without a workplace);
- a sufficient level of material remuneration for labor (traditionally, the wage level of a food service technologist is above the national average);
- status (a person holding the post of technologist is respected in society).
Among the disadvantages, the fact that the work of a specialist is associated with great responsibility. So, the technologist must be 100% sure that the food products are completely safe, respectively, he must be confident in the quality of work of cooks, confectioners and other people subordinate to him. In addition, he is the person in charge in the case of various inspections by certification authorities, the sanitary-epidemiological service, etc. Moreover, due to such a high level of responsibility, the specialist is stressed that can negatively affect the psychological health of the employee.
Thus, we can conclude that the profession of a food service technologist is characterized by both pluses and minuses. It is very important to evaluate them carefully so as not to regret your own choice in the future.
Responsibilities
For the work of a food service technologist, as well as for other professions, there is a professional standard. All responsibilities are detailed in job description. In addition, the activities of a specialist are regulated unified tariff-qualification reference book of jobs and professions of workers, and internal documents of the organizationwhere the technologist works.
In general, the standard tasks of a specialist include:
- organization of production processes;
- equipment placement;
- employee training;
- compilation of the menu;
- distribution of responsibilities in the kitchen;
- use in the course of production the most advanced technologies;
- monitoring the operation of equipment in the kitchen;
- recipes development;
- quality control of the products used;
- drawing up technological maps of dishes;
- Calculation of calories per serving
- use of the latest trends and innovations in the culinary field;
- monitoring compliance with hygiene and sanitary standards;
- drawing up the necessary documentation.
It is important to note that This list of responsibilities is not final or exhaustive. Accordingly, each employer can change and supplement the tasks prescribed by the technologist, in accordance with which he does his work.
When employment is very it is important to familiarize yourself with all the documents that govern the activities of a specialist, in this case, you will be ready in advance, and if necessary you can adapt.
One way or another, but it should be remembered that for failure to perform or improper performance of their duties, the technologist can be punished (up to criminal).
Knowledge and skills
Due to the fact that the catering technologist performs a large number of diverse functions, he must have a large amount of specialized professional knowledge and skills. Among them are:
- knowledge of labor protection rules;
- ability to follow quality standards;
- knowledge of cooking technology;
- understanding food classification;
- knowledge of the regulatory framework, laws and regulations that govern the professional activities of a specialist;
- ability to understand specialized documentation;
- document management skills;
- ability to use specialized equipment;
- the ability to identify low-quality products;
- knowledge of cost standards;
- understanding the fundamentals of economics;
- ability to communicate correctly with regulatory organizations;
- ability to carry out preventive measures.
It should be borne in mind that not only professional characteristics, but also the personal qualities of a food service technologist are important. The most important of them are:
- the presence of aesthetic taste;
- high sensitivity to tastes and smells;
- good memory;
- cleanliness;
- sociability;
- tact;
- stress resistance and emotional stability;
- accuracy;
- punctuality;
- creativity;
- honesty;
- leadership skills.
The person who combines these professional skills and personal characteristics can be as successful as possible in his profession.
Education
If you want to get the profession of catering technologist, then first of all you need to get specialized education. Moreover, depending on the specific enterprise (its scale and level), the employer may require the candidate for the position diploma of higher or secondary vocational education.
So, after graduation (9th or 11th grade), you should start looking for the appropriate educational institution. Wherein it is worth giving preference to such organizations that are located in large cities or the capital, since they are respected and respected among employers. After you have decided on the educational organization (university, college, technical school, etc.), you should visit the admissions office and find out what subjects you need to take at the State Security and Examination exam, and whether there are requirements for entrance exams (for example, some universities offer applicants to take math or Russian).
Depending on the chosen educational institution, level of training and program, the period of study can vary significantly. In this case, you need to learn as responsibly and carefully as possible. Their attention should be paid not only to theoretical training, but also to the acquisition of practical skills. In this regard, it is very important to carefully approach the passage of internships and internships, which are provided for by the curriculum, as well as to make a high-quality report on production and diploma practice.
In the event that you already have a basic education, but want to change the scope of your professional activity, you should go special retraining and retraining courses. Usually they do not last very long and allow you to get a position of interest.
However, even after that you should not stop your education. So, in order to stay abreast of all the latest trends and innovations in the professional field, it is necessary to attend events such as conferences, seminars, master classes, etc.
Thanks to this, you will remain a relevant and sought-after employee.
Where does it work?
After graduation young specialist is not always immediately accepted to the post of catering technologist, he can do simpler work until he gains the necessary experience. Then you can apply for the work of a technologist. If you work in a large enterprise, then in the future you will be able to get a position senior technologist or head of the relevant department.
If you are not interested in career growth, then you can work at any catering company (cafes, restaurants, canteens, etc.). Otherwise, you can open your own business.
If we talk about the level of salary, then it depends on a large number of various factors:
- level of education (specialists with higher education receive more than those employees who have a college or technical school diploma);
- work experience (with an increase in work experience, wages also increase);
- region of residence (capital salaries are higher than salaries in the regions);
- specific place of work (material remuneration of employees of large companies is higher than that of those working in small firms), etc.
If we talk about the average for the country, then it is about 50,000 rubles.
In this way, food service technologist - This is a very creative and interesting profession. However, be prepared for the fact that employers will make high demands on you regarding professional knowledge, skills and personal qualities.