The Food Services Assistant of any restaurant in the food industry is considered to be responsible to carry out the catering of various requirements of the customer, and follow up the fulfillment of them by working in tandem with the kitchen staff. She/he is also expected to assist the cooks in the cooking of meals and serving them. She/he is also required to help with the maintenance of the kitchen inventory along with arrangement of the dining hall setup. Other than this there are some of the common food service job responsibilities of a food service assistant.
Broadly speaking, there are several pre requisites for a Food Services Assistant:
1. Possess basic knowledge of routine kitchen duties which involve food preparation and service.
2. Must be able to follow the general clean up procedures after meals.
3. Ability to perform the given work and meet the time schedules.
4. Practice good hygienic habits.
5. Interact harmoniously with the other staff and treat customers with utmost courtesy.
6. Ability to guide and direct the work of others
7. Ability to lift up heavy things
8. Ability to stand for extended periods of time
9. Helping in preparation and cooking of vegetables, fruits, and many more food items
10. Assisting in salads, sandwiches, beverages, salads, and many more
11. Serving to the customers
12. Operating a dishwasher
13. Carrying out other duties that are assigned
A Food Services Assistant holds the eye of the customer at all times. This is the reason why this job profile requires one to be efficient in extending services to the satisfaction of the customer. An innate ability to make quick decisions on behalf of the organization is also an important quality desired by this job profile. A minimum academic qualification of vocational course or a hotel management degree is a must to apply for the job. Included in the skill set are soft skills which are imperative to build a good relationship with the customers as well as the co workers in the restaurant.
Training of a Food Services Assistant is given when required to upgrade the skill set of the employee. This training is usually undertaken in off seasons at various hotel management colleges which provide vocational courses on specific subjects. A minimum of 3-4 years of experience is initially required to apply for the post of a Food Services Assistant. He is promoted to Senior Food Services Assistant in food service jobs after a minimum of 6 years.
The need and demand for Food Service Assistants is ever present in today's market. The ever increasing number of hotels and restaurants provide excellent job opportunities to a Food Services Assistant. Employees with good skill sets are in high demand everywhere in order to help the restaurant face the cutthroat competition in the market. Food Services Assistants perform a small but significant role in improving the prestige of the restaurant. Usually this service is recognized and Food Services Assistants are promoted to higher echelons of managerial posts.
As mentioned above, the skill sets of the employee play a vital role in deciding the remuneration package. They are decided by placing the role played by the Food Services Assistant in context to the hierarchical order of the restaurant and the budget which is assigned for the wages. A minimum of $14 an hour is normally discussed and it can be negotiated with the supervisor. It can accumulate around $20,000 to $25,000 per year.
The working hours of the Food Services Assistant vary between 37-40 hours a week. This job includes shift works, early starts, weekend works, overtimes, and public holidays. Part time and temporary versions of this job will be available in the holiday season. Food service assistants work all over the world in restaurants hotels, camps, schools' canteens, and also in hospitals.
