Are You Cut Out for Catering?

A successful catering career requires many skills and talents--love of cooking, entrepreneurial skills, the ability to work well with people, and solid business expertise. People with these qualities--and the right career training--do well in catering, a segment of the food service industry that's growing even faster than the restaurant business as a whole.

A combination of experience and formal training may be the surest path to a successful catering career. Many catering and culinary arts schools offer courses in business skills such as planning, budgeting, and staffing. Through education and experience as an intern or employee at a catering company, aspiring caterers can learn a wide variety of other essential skills, such as ordering ingredients and supplies, selecting linen, serving alcoholic beverages legally and safely, and managing the logistics of serving large numbers of people.

Catering Career Outlook
There are lots of career options out there. As a caterer, you might own your own business, deliver handmade take-away meals, cater sporting or political events, or provide contract catering services for hospitals, hotels, and schools.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects all jobs in the culinary arts to increase up to 17 percent through 2014, with catering expected to grow faster than average. Earnings for catering positions vary widely from city to city and depend heavily on the type of catering. Work hours can be long and include late evenings, holidays, and weekends, but many caterers prefer this schedule to the 9-to-5. For people who love to cook and enjoy satisfying hungry clients, catering may be the perfect career.