Optional · 1 of 3

Certifications and skills that pay

• Food protection manager certification

  A manager level food safety exam. Required on duty in most jurisdictions, and it makes you promotable straight away.

• Butchery

  A cook who can break down whole animals saves the restaurant money and is hard to replace.

• Baking and pastry

  A separate discipline in the same building. Pastry cooks are scarce in most cities.

• Allergen and alcohol service training

  Short courses that larger employers ask for and often pay for.

• Ordering and inventory

  The moment you can control food cost you stop being paid like a line cook.