Are Your Skills as a Chef Transferable?

In this article, we will discuss the skills that answer the question: Are your skills as a chef transferable? Many roles within healthcare and the catering arm of such, have transferable skills. The most obvious is being able to provide excellent culinary service and a high standard of customer service or care.

Are Your Skills as a Chef Transferable?

To enter the NHS as a cook or chef, you need a catering qualification, usually at level 2 or 3. Employers also expect catering experience. Some cooks or chefs enter the NHS as catering assistants and take qualifications while they are working. There are no set entry requirements for catering assistants.

General skills

Working in food services can be a first job or a way to make extra cash while you get through any studying you might be undertaking. Some people choose to build a long-term career, working their way up the ladder to senior restaurant management positions. If you get a job in food services, the skills you gain will look good on your CV. Even if you decide to change industries, there is a range of transferable skills that will impress any hiring manager.

Transferable skills are gained through work and study. These skills are valuable for any job, regardless of the industry. For example, communication, teamwork, time management, and technology experience are all skills that potential employers across many industries look for.

• Teamwork
• Communication
• Customer service
• Attention to detail
• Health and safety skills

All of the above bullet points outline what you need to become a successful chef, in our blog we discuss more about how to become a successful chef.

Specific catering skills

There are some obvious skills that you could transfer from a role as a chef to a similar role in the catering industry in a healthcare setting. Skills such as food preparation, storage and management will be similar. Menu planning skills will be comparable, there will be differences in terms of the details of the menu and the type of food being prepared. Generally, the overarching skills will be quite similar and easily transferable if you move roles.

Teamwork is about supporting your colleagues and making sure tasks are completed efficiently. For example, if you work in a restaurant, there will be a dinner-time rush. The servers, chefs, bartenders and managers all need to support each other. If someone doesn’t play their part, customers will be left hungry.

If you are already working within a catering role and looking to move sectors or begin an entirely new career, get in touch with the team at Cucumber who will be able to direct you in finding a new role for you.