Being a school chef is exciting yet tiring. Working in a fast-paced environment is a real test. The long working hours that include other responsibilities besides cooking is something you must prepare for mentally. However, things don’t have to be rough if you find ways to make the work easier. Time management skills are crucial in such settings to help you do things on set timings.
As a school chef, failure to manage your time can completely mess up your schedule and that of the school, considering the amount of food to prepare is a lot. This article highlights methods of simplifying work as a school chef.
How a school chef can make their work easier
Proper time management skills directly affect your productivity and work state. All work is simplified when there is a plan or routine to follow. Here are three things you can do to manage your time better and make your job easier.
Learn to prepare ahead of time
The preparation process can be easy when working in a school since you are familiar with the food breaks. Making food for many students is a huge task. It’s impossible to prepare multiple ingredients while cooking and keeping an eye on everything on the stove. You may end up burning or serving sub-standard food, which can affect your reputation as a chef.
Whether the first meal of the students is breakfast or lunch, preparation before any shift is a must. It gives you time to sort and lay out ingredients and ample time to cook them to the best of your ability. Avoid wasting time and doing things last minute, as you can even injure yourself trying to beat the time.
Delegate responsibilities
The school chef is usually the head of the kitchen, so they can delegate chores to other kitchen staff. To do this successfully, you must have good discipline, excellent time management, and proper art of preparation. This way, it is easier for them to follow through with what you want and to your standard.
Don’t overwork yourself trying to do it all. To succeed as a team, you must accept help from the staff/cooks. Effective communication is vital rather than being bossy. When everyone understands your requests, the work becomes more manageable and successful. You leave work feeling less tired and set for the next day.
Proper planning and organization
Planning your day or tasks helps you know what to do and when to do it. You tend to forget things when in the middle of chaos or trying to juggle several duties at a go. Writing down helpful tips, responsibilities, and plans for the day or week helps identify where to focus and direct your energy. Use your phone, book, or sticky notes for this so you can look the points up now and then.
Besides the tasks, the organization can extend to the actual kitchen. It’s advisable to have all ingredients arranged neatly in the pantry or any other storage location. This minimizes the mess before cooking begins, as it may disorient you as the chef. Also, cleaning up and putting things back in their places saves you time the following day.
Bottom line
Working as a school chef can be difficult if you don’t plan or manage your time. You’ll find yourself rushing to be on time which is overwhelming and tiring. Doing this makes your work twice as hard, and with time you lose the zeal to perform or show up for work. Learn to prepare stuff early enough to have enough time to attend to all duties. Share some responsibilities with other kitchen staff and practice planning and organizing your tasks and the kitchen itself. This way, your work becomes more straightforward and exciting.
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