Counter Attendant

Job Duties

Counter attendants work in cafeterias, coffeeshops, and carryout dining facilities. They are responsible for taking orders from customers and serving food to those same customers. Those who work in coffeeshops usually take orders from customers who are sitting at a counter, relay the order to the kitchen, and hand off the order to the customer when it is ready. They may refill orders of coffee, soda, or other types of beverages. Some may create milkshakes and ice cream sundaes. Those who work in cafeterias mostly serve food that is already on display, such as that on steam tables. They may also carve meat, serve vegetables, ladle sauces and soups, and pour beverages.

Counter attendants take orders from customers who want to take food with them. Attendants may wrap up items and put them in carryout containers. They often wipe down counters, create checks, and accept payments. Some make sandwiches, salads, and other short-order items. Some work at drive-through windows at fast-food restaurants taking orders from customers on the go.

Job Skills

Those interested in counter attendant positions should have a good memory so they can remember customers' orders. They should have a neat and well-groomed appearance. They need to have a courteous and pleasant personality. Their customer relations skills must be of the highest caliber, and they should be able to function calmly in situations where stress is extremely high.

Income

In 2002, counter attendants earned a median hourly wage (including tips) of $7.32. Earnings ranged from the lowest 10%, who earned less than $5.87, to the highest 10%, who earned more than $10.39. Most counter attendants earn more because they acquire higher tips, rather than a higher hourly wage.

Training and Education

There are no specific educational requirements for counter attendant positions, although many employer prefer applicants who have graduated from high school. Many employees acquire these jobs because they have an immediate need for income, rather than a long-term interest in the profession. Many are in their late teens or early twenties and have little or no job experience. Some are full-time college or high school students. Hotels and restaurants with higher-class standards prefer applicants who have experience in the occupation. These establishments also offer higher wages. Most counter attendants learn their skills by observing more experienced waiters. Some employers train their employees using audio/video materials, and some employees receive restaurant training from vocational schools, restaurant associations, and large restaurant chains.

Employment

In 2002, counter attendants held about 467,000 jobs.

Job Outlook

Between 2002 and 2012, employment of counter attendants is expected to increase about as fast as the average. Some employment growth will result from new job openings, but the vast majority of job openings will be due to the extremely high turnover rate in this occupation. Keen competition is predicted for positions in fine dining establishments and popular restaurants.

To learn more about hospitality, retail, and travel related careers, please visit our section on Hospitality Schools for more information.

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Bus Person

Job Duties

Bus persons, also known as dining room attendants, work in restaurants and other dining facilities assisting waiters and waitresses in serving customers. When a customer first arrives at a restaurant, bus persons usually serve them water as well as items such as bread and butter. After a customer has finished eating, bus persons pick up their dirty dishes, silverware, and glasses and take them away to the kitchen. They replace dirty table cloths and set tables with silverware, glasses, and napkins. In the kitchen and dining room, they restock many different types of items such as table clothes, napkins, silverware, and dishes.

Bus persons are responsible for refilling table items like salt and pepper shakers. They keep the service bar stocked with soups, salads, and desserts. They wipe down counters, glass shelves, service equipment, and other surfaces within the dining facility. They help serve food to customers and help waiters and waitresses with any other small tasks that need to be done. They typically vacuum the restaurant at the beginning and end of the day, and clean up any spills that occur during the course of the day.

Job Skills

Those interested in obtaining jobs as bus persons need to have certain personal attributes. They must have a neat and well-groomed appearance. Their personality must be pleasant and polite. They should be in good health and have good physical endurance. They should be able to get along well with others and follow instructions well. And they must have well-developed manual dexterity.

Income

Bus persons usually earn minimum wage plus tips. Experienced workers can earn more, but this is not very common. Many bus persons work part time, depending on the restaurant. Many are required to work evening and weekend shifts to coincide with peak restaurant hours. Bus persons are usually provided one or two meals per shift by their employer, and some employers offer health, life, and dental insurance.

Training and Education

Applicants for bus person positions do not need to have any previous experience as the job is almost always an entry-level one. Depending on the county, applicants may be required to hold a food handler certificate before they can begin working. Food handler certificates are granted to those who take an approved food handler course from an authorized training school. The course usually costs no more than $20. County health departments can typically provide applicants with a list of locations where they can attend a food handler course.

After a bus person is hired, they undergo on-the-job training to learn whatever skills their employer requires them to know. For those bus persons who have the interest and ability, promotional opportunities are available in the restaurant world. Bus persons may advance to waiter/waitress, preparation cook, cashier, or bartender. Some employers offer on-the-job training for experienced and capable bus persons who wish to advance to these positions. Another way for bus persons to advance is to find work in restaurants where they make higher tips.

Job Outlook

Between 2002 and 2012, employment of bus persons is expected to increase about as fast as the average. This will be due to increases in population, personal incomes, and amount of leisure time available. The occupation has an extremely high turnover rate, and most job openings are a result of workers leaving their jobs.

To learn more about hospitality, retail, and travel related careers, please visit our section on Hospitality Schools for more information.

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Become A Restaurant Manager

This article provides an overview of Restaurant Manager careers and the requirements to become a restaurant manager. This article will outline a restaurant manager's job duties, salary levels, and employment prospects, as well as discuss the career's necessary skills, training, educational requirements, and certification requirements.

Restaurant Manager Job Duties

Restaurant managers run the daily operations of restaurants that prepare and serve meals and beverages to customers. A restaurant manager's job duties can vary depending on the type of restaurant that they manage. In large and full-service restaurants, they would share many duties with an executive chef who would oversee kitchen operations and food preparation. In a small or limited-service restaurant, many of these kitchen responsibilities would also fall on the restaurant manager. The job duties of a restaurant manager can include:

• Coordinating activities between various departments (kitchen, dining room, and banquet operations)
• Ensuring customer satisfaction
• Overseeing inventory
• Ordering food, equipment and supplies
• Arranging for routine maintenance and upkeep of the restaurant and its equipment
• Planning for routine services, such as linen service
• Performing administrative functions
• Maintaining records
• Performing work shift scheduling
• Performing human resource functions, including recruiting, hiring, and firing
• Performing employee training
• Monitoring employee performance
• Supervising routine food preparation operations in limited-service eating establishments (e.g., fast food restaurants, sandwich shops, etc.)
• Assisting executive chefs in selecting successful menu items
• Inspecting the quality of fresh food items
• Pricing various dishes
• Cooking, depending on the type and size of the restaurant
• Bussing and cleaning tables, depending on the type and size of the restaurant
• Tracking industry trends and conducting market research
• Handling financial operations, such as budgeting, paying bills, and payroll
• Handling cash receipts and performing banking duties

Restaurant Manager Job Skills

Restaurant management is a demanding job with long work days of 12 or more hours, often 7 days a week. It also requires a very wide range of skills, including:

• Good organization and attention to detail
• Good business skills and comfort dealing with money and other financial matters
• Good people interaction skills for dealing with both customers and employees
• Good ability to deal with problem employees and irate customers
• Good employee motivation skills
• Good communication skills
• Flexibility and an ability to deal with a rapidly and ever-changing environment
• Good ability to deal with crisis
• Good ability to coordinate many things simultaneously
• Good problem resolution skills
• Good ability to deal with stress

Restaurant Manager Income

The Bureau of Labor Statistics categorizes restaurant managers with food service managers. As of 2002 they reported that food services managers made about $35,790, with the top 10% earning $67,490. In 2002, the median income for full-service restaurant managers was $37,280. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) reports that the typical range of income for a restaurant manager is between $30,000 and $70,000.

Training and Education Required to Become a Restaurant Manager

National and regional restaurant chains strongly prefer to hire individuals who graduate from 2-year or 4-year college hospitality management programs with degrees in restaurant and institutional food management. A bachelor's degree in food service management is a very strong preparation for a career in restaurant management.

Most restaurant chains also have rigorous management training programs.

Self-service and fast-food restaurants, fill management positions by promoting experienced preparation and service workers.

The NRAEF provides certification to enhance an individual's credentials. They provide the certified Foodservice Management Professional (FMP) credential recognizing professional achievement for food service managers.

Click here for information on schools offering Restaurant Management Training and the programs that they offer.

Restaurant Manager Employment

The food services industry is a huge industry with $1 billion per day in sales. According to the NRAEF, half of all adults eat in a restaurant every day. Over 10 million people are employed by the food service industry. In 2002, there were about 386,000 food service managers in the United States. Of that, almost 290,000 were restaurant managers of full-service or limited-service restaurants.

Restaurant Manager Job Outlook

The need for restaurant managers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations over most of the next decade. Most new jobs will come in full-service restaurants and limited-service eating establishments. Individuals with an associate or bachelor degree in food service management should have the best prospects for employment.

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Bartender

Job Duties

Bartenders fill drink orders for customers. They receive orders from customers seated at the bar or from waiters who have taken the orders in a dining area. Bartenders are required to check the identification of customers seated at the bar to determine if they are of legal drinking age. They prepare mixed drinks, pour draught beer, and serve wine. They have a special knowledge of drink recipes and use this knowledge to quickly prepare many different types of complex drinks. Bartenders also stock supplies such as garnishes, ice, and glasses. They may operate a cash register, serve food, or order inventory of liquor, mixes, and other supplies.

Some bartenders who work at service bars have much less contact with the public. These are small bars usually next to a restaurant's kitchen where bartenders only fill drink orders placed by waiters. Some service bars require bartenders to push buttons on an automatic drink-making machine. These bartenders must still be very quick in handling a large number of drink orders. Most bartending work is done by hand.

Job Skills

Those interested in bartender positions should have a good memory so they can remember customers' orders. They should have a neat and well-groomed appearance. They need to have a courteous and pleasant personality. Their customer relations skills must be of the highest caliber, and they should be able to function calmly in situations where stress is extremely high.

Income

In 2002, bartenders earned a median hourly wage (including tips) of $7.21. Earnings ranged from the lowest 10%, who earned less than $5.76, to the highest 10%, who earned more than $11.96. Most bartenders earn more because they acquire higher tips, rather than a higher hourly wage. Because service bartenders do not usually receive tips, they are often paid a higher hourly wage.

Training and Education

There are no specific educational requirements for bartender positions, although many employer prefer applicants who have graduated from high school. They must usually be at least 21 years of age. Some acquire bartending skills through vocational or technical schools. Many employees acquire these jobs because they have an immediate need for income, rather than a long-term interest in the profession. Many are in their late teens or early twenties and have little or no job experience. Some are full-time college or high school students. Hotels and restaurants with higher-class standards prefer applicants who have experience in the occupation. These establishments also offer higher wages. Most waiters learn their skills by observing more experienced waiters. Some employers train their employees using audio/video materials, and some employees receive restaurant training from vocational schools, restaurant associations, and large restaurant chains.

Employment

In 2002, bartenders held about 463,000 jobs. Jobs are found throughout the country, but were most plentiful in large metropolitan areas.

Job Outlook

Between 2002 and 2012, employment of bartenders is expected to increase about as fast as the average. Some employment growth will result from new job openings, but the vast majority of job openings will be due to the extremely high turnover rate in this occupation. Keen competition is predicted for positions in fine dining establishments and popular restaurants.

To learn more about hospitality, retail, and travel related careers, please visit our section on Hospitality Schools for more information.

http://www.education-online-search.com/articles/careers/hospitality_careers/bartender

Airline Pilot

Job Duties

Airline pilots fly commercial airliners. The crew of a commercial airliner is usually composed of a captain and a copilot, and sometimes a flight engineer. The captain is in command and directs all operations on the plane; the copilot shares responsibility with the captain for communicating with air traffic controllers and monitoring instruments; and the flight engineer makes minor repairs during the flight and helps monitor the instruments as well. Pilots inspect the aircraft before departure, checking everything from engines, controls, and instruments to cargo and baggage. They monitor weather predictions and determine the safest and most efficient route.

The most difficult aspects of the flight are the takeoff and the landing. Careful coordination between the flight crew is required during these precarious periods. The time between takeoff and landing, when the aircraft is in the air, is relatively simple. The pilots depend mostly on the autopilot computer. They may alter altitude or heading if weather or other circumstances demand it. When visibility is poor, pilots rely completely on their high-tech, sensitive instruments to fly the plane. Pilots can even land a plane completely without any visibility at all.

Job Skills

Airline pilots must have 20/20 vision and pass a strict physical examination. They need to be free of physical handicaps that could prevent them from executing their duties. They should be able to make quick decisions and accurate judgments under intense pressure and stress.

Income

In 2002, airline pilots eared a median annual income of $109,580. Earnings ranged from the lowest 10%, who earned less than $55,800, to the highest 10%, who earned more than $101,460. They typically receive benefits such as life and health insurance, retirement plans, and free or reduced airline travel.

Training and Education

In order to fly any planes that transport passengers, pilots are required to possess a commercial pilot's license with an instrument rating from the FAA. To qualify, applicants must by at least 18 years old an have 250 hours of flight experience. They must pass a physical and a psychological examination, as well as a written test covering flight knowledge. They must demonstrate their flying ability to the FAA. Commercial airline pilots also are required to hold a airline transport pilot's license, which requires 1,500 hours of flying experience along with a minimum age of 23. They are usually required to hold an additional advanced rating, such as multiengine aircraft or aircraft-type ratings. Many pilots gain valuable experience in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Most airlines require applicants to have at least 2 years of college and almost all prefer to hire applicants who are college graduates. New pilots begin by working as copilots or flight engineers. They also undergo 3 to 6 weeks of training from the airline. Pilots are also required to complete continuing education and simulator checks twice a year for the duration of their careers.

Employment

In 2002, airline pilots held about 79,000 jobs. Most were based near major metropolitan airports.

Job Outlook

Between 2002 and 2012, employment of airline pilots is expected to increase about as fast as the average. A growing population and economy will continue to increase demand for air travel. However, the industry is particularly sensitive to economic cycles, and during recessions, some airlines will temporarily furlough pilots. Job opportunities are expected to be good at regional airlines and low-fare carriers. Opportunity will be best for those pilots with the greatest number of flying hours.

To learn more about hospitality, retail, and travel related careers, please visit our section on Hospitality Schools for more information.

http://www.education-online-search.com/articles/careers/hospitality_careers/airline_pilot