Cook
Cooks plan and prepare dishes for restaurant customers. The often-busy working pace of kitchens requires speed and organisational skills. Cooks must also have manual skills, imagination and a good sense of colour, taste and smell. They can work in hotel restaurants, high-end dining restaurants, staff restaurants or catering companies, for example.
Various restaurants from dining to hotel and staff restaurants. Cafés. Companies in the party and catering industry. Ships.
Cooks must be familiar with raw materials, food products and preparation methods. They must also be able to take nutrition recommendations and special diets into account. The work requires manual skills and a slightly artistic eye, imagination and a good sense of colour, taste and smell.
Cooks must be economical in handling raw materials and food products. Hygiene competence is a key area of expertise of restaurant cooks, and it includes food hygiene, handling, hygienic working methods and self-monitoring. The ability to self-assess food is also required in the profession.
The working pace of a kitchen is often high, which demands good cooperation and interaction skills as well as speed. Cooks also need customer service skills and the ability to receive feedback. Preparing a fresh dish quickly also requires organisational skills.
Continuous standing is particularly demanding for the back and legs. Working as a cook can be difficult if you are allergic to different food products and washing chemicals.
You can complete a vocational qualification in Restaurant and Catering Services (restaurant cook) in upper secondary vocational institutions. After gaining competence, you can complete a further vocational qualification in Food Services (institutional cook or restaurant cook) and a specialist vocational qualification in Special Diet Services (dietary cook). The qualification can also be completed through an apprenticeship training.
Persons who in their work handle unpackaged and perishable foods in a food space must confirm their hygiene proficiency with a Hygiene Passport. Hygiene Passport Tests are arranged by Hygiene Passport Examiners approved by the Finnish Food Safety Authority (Evira), which operate independently and issue Hygiene Passports.
Median salary
2369 €/mo
Private sector
2364 €/mo
Public sector
2378 €/mo
The data is based on the median income, meaning the amount of salary which is the middle of the salary amounts arranged in order of magnitude.
Source: Statistics Finland's structural statistics on wages and salaries