Thanksgiving is just around the corner here in the United States, and many foodies are licking their lips in preparation for turkey, stuffing, potatoes, pumpkin pie, and more. Did you know that you can turn that love of food into a job? Of course, working as a chef is possible, but this isn’t your only option if you love food and want a food-related job. We already took a look at some great food industry jobs available – let’s take a look at even more options out there:

• Working as a Brewmaster

If you love food, you probably also love drinks, including beer and wine. Working as a brewmaster, where you’ll help create frothy new flavors, is definitely an option. This is a job that combines science, agriculture, and taste-testing to create an awesome final product.

• Driving an Ice Cream Truck

Ice cream trucks are not a thing of the past! In sunny locations year-round (and during the summer in the rest of the country), ice cream trucks are rising in popularity. Food trucks of all types are actually becoming super popular in cities across the country, so even if ice cream isn’t your thing, a restaurant on wheels might be an ideal choice for you. They cost much less to start than a typical restaurant or you can find jobs working for others who are starting up food trucks.

• Writing in the Travel Industry

Travel writing is a great option if you like to explore the world and don’t mind putting pen to paper (or hands to keyboard, to be more accurate). As a travel writer, part of your job will be to explore the food options wherever you go. It’s a little different than being a food critic, but the idea is similar.

Do you have a passion for tasty treats? If you love cooking (and eating!), a career in food might be perfect for you. While there are many paths to becoming a chef, you can also consider other jobs in this industry. You aren’t limited to working in a restaurant kitchen!

So what are some of your other food-related career options?

• Television Chef: While a television chef does still spend time cooking, in this field, you also need to connect with fans. There’s also a teaching element to becoming a television chef. If you have dreams of being the next Bobby Flay, start small by working on set, even with local cooking shows. You can also show off your personality online, by hosting your own video blog.
• Nutritionist: If you have a passion not just for food, but also for health, working as a nutritionist or dietitian might be the right choice for you. Nutritionists work closely to ensure that people are getting the right foods they need, whether it be in a hospital setting, through one-on-one training, or otherwise. Right now, nutritionists are also getting involved in federal politics, as they’re campaigning for better funding for healthy school lunches.
• Farm Work: By working on a farm, you’re getting back to the basics with food. Small farms especially allow you to work providing fresh and even, in some cases, organic ingredients to chefs around the world. The best food is made with the best products!
• Franchise Owner: Working at a restaurant may not be your cup of tea – but what about owning your own business? One of the ways to become a business owner is to open a franchise location. One of the biggest advantages to opening a restaurant that’s part of a franchise is that they are often nationally recognized, so you have a built-in fan base.
• Food Critic: One of the most fun jobs for a foodie is to work as a food critic for a magazine, newspaper, or website. You’ll get to eat the best foods at awesome restaurants from around the world in this role, but it can be hard to find a food critic position as someone new to the field. Consider starting your own website and doing reviews of places where you eat already in order to build your portfolio.

Of course, in addition to all of these fun food careers, you can also consider simply becoming a chef. To work in this field, you can go two routes – go to school to learn more about food or get started working as a dishwasher in kitchen and slowly work your way up the ladder. Both paths to becoming a head chef can be advantageous.

The new season of Top Chef just started on Bravo, and some of the dishes they make sound downright yummy. Others…not so much. Have you ever watched Top Chef or another cooking-related show and thought, “I could do just as good, if not better!” during the show?

It’s never to late to put your money where your mouth is and go back to school to become a top chef yourself!

Getting a culinary degree doesn’t limit you to just being a professional chef, though. There are many types of chef jobs available, from catering parties to baking fresh breads for grocery stores to cooking on a cruise line. Once you get an education in this field, the possibility really are endless, as cliche as that sounds.

So how do you get started in a new career in the culinary world? The top schools require you to have experience working in a commercial kitchen, so getting a job in this field is definitely a step in the right direction. Restaurants typically don’t require a degree for most of their line cooks, though you may have to start from the bottom, washing dishes and chopping vegetables. You could even work at a fast food restaurant to gain experience.

If it isn’t realistic for you to quit your current job and begin working a Applebee’s, don’t worry – there are many culinary schools who accept students with no culinary experience. Most schools have separate programs for pastry chefs, so you can choose your passion, cooking or baking, and focus specifically on those skills. Some schools even have separate programs for those who want to find cake decorator jobs.

Not every professional chef goes to culinary school. If you have a passion for being in the kitchen and are willing to put in the time, you can start as a dishwasher and work your way up the ranks to be a sous chef or even an executive chef. Some of the best, most award-winning chefs in the country never went to culinary school. Passion, dedication, and attention to detail can help you become a top chef someday, whether or not you have a degree and no matter what your age.

Happy Wednesday. At the JobMonkey, “hump day” is hot job days, which is when I post three of the hottest new job leads from the JobMonkey Job Center.
If you are looking for a new job, the Job Center is the place to be.

This free resource for job seekers features hundreds of job opportunities from around the world, in every imaginable field. Leads are updated daily, so be sure to check back frequently. And if you haven’t already become a registered user (it’s free!), take a moment to do so. It’s the best way to take full advantage of the Job Center.

This week’s Hot Jobs is focusing in on casino jobs. These three jobs are just the tip of the cache of casino gigs right now, so be sure to click on over to the Job Center if you’re interested in working at a casino.

1. IT Technician Job, Palms Resort Casino, Las Vegas, NV
The Palms Resort in Las Vegas is looking for a high school graduate to serve as an Information Technology Technician. Apply online at the casino’s website.

2. Sous Chef, Treasure Chest Casino, New Orleans, LA
Boyd Gaming & Treasure Chest Casino is looking for a sous chef to coordinate and administer all food preparation and presentation under the direction of Executive Chef. Candidates must have at least six months of experience in a similar position, be able to lift and carry 40 pounds, and have excellent communication skills.

3. On Call Box Office Agent Job, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV
The Hard Rock Casino is looking for a Box Office Agent to sell show tickets to guests via the computerized ticketing system. Candidates must have at least one year in a customer service position, preferably with ticket office sales experience.

If you are a foodie or a would-be chef, then you will definitely want to visit JobMonkey’s Guide to Cooking Careers. Today, I wanted to give you just a “taste” of some of the super cool — or at least, highly unusual — chef jobs we have featured over there.

Considering this a little appetizer to whet your appetite (sorry, no more bad eating or cooking puns!)

Executive Chef on a Cruise Ship
An executive chef heads the cruise ship galley. He or she must have extensive experience (read: at least eight years) in restaurants or hotel kitchens. Responsibilities include supervising the entire galley staff, planning all food and coordinating beverages, and maintaining quality control. Executive Chefs earn between $4,300 and $5,200 per month. Not bad for sailing the seven seas with a spatula in hand!

Prison Cooks
It’s not exactly working on a cruise ship, but cooking for the prison population presents challenges and opportunities all its own. Prison cooks must make the menu and oversee the kitchen staff. You will need to get creative, since budgets are notoriously low for prison food and you will be working with a very limited palate of ingredients. Salaries don’t compare with five-star restaurants, although they are competitive with the dining industry at large. I’m just not sure how much crossover there is to the “general population” eateries after you’ve “done your time”.

Grocery Store Baker
You know all those lovely fresh bagels, breads, donuts and cakes at your local grocery store? Guess who is responsible for them? The grocery store baker! You can’t be afraid of early hours to be a grocery baker. Most have to arrive before dawn to prepare freshly baked goodies in time for the store to open. In addition to standing over a giant Kitchen Aid, bakers are also responsible for ordering and maintaining ingredient stocks, overseeing hygiene and cleanliness, and supervising staff.

Check out more cool chef jobs at the JobMonkey.

Have you always wanted to be a chef? Maybe you have dreamed of working in the finest restaurants of Paris or New York. But ten this recession-riddled economy turned you off and convinced you that you should pursue a more “secure” field.

Well, then, check out this post about recession-proof culinary jobs. They may not be as glamorous as working in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower, but these recession-proof jobs will allow you to make a respectable living while practicing the art of your culinary trade. Making the short list were cooking jobs in the educational field (especially at private schools), corporate catering and personal cook/nanny.

To learn more about becoming a professional cook, including educational and training programs and more on job opportunities, check out JobMonkey’s section on Chef Careers.

Happy Hump Day. The week is half over, which means it’s time for a Hot Jobs update. Every Wednesday, I post three new job listings from the JobMonkey Job Center.

If you are in the market for a new job, then you should make the Job Center your first stop every morning.

Our database is updated daily, with jobs from around the country and the world — in every imaginable field. The best part is that our job center is completely free to job seekers.

This week I have three resort jobs, all in lovely and exotic locations. (I’m thinking I might want to apply for the one in Aruba!) There is a chef job in the Bahamas, a general manager position in Aruba and a director of revenue management in Florida. Read on to learn more.

1. Cook Job, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, New Providence, Bahamas
Sheraton Hotels in New Providence is hiring a new cook to prepare food, set up banquet stations and ensure that sanitation and safety standards are met. The ideal candidate will be a high school graduate with English language fluency, basic computing skills and limited kitchen experience. The candidate must all be able to comply with all immigration laws required to have employment status.

2. General Manager Job, Westin Hotels and Resorts, Palm Beach, Aruba
The Westin Hotels is looking to hire a general manager for its Palm Beach, Aruba resort. The manager will be responsible for overseeing and managing daily hotel operations and staff; developing short-term and long-term financial and operational plans; preparing the hotel’s annual budget; and monitoring guest satisfaction systems and monthly financial reports. Other duties include maintaining product and service quality standards and implementing local and national marketing programs. The ideal candidate will have at least two to four years of senior hotel operations experience at a similar property, proven leadership capabilities, and experience reading and assessing profit and loss statements. He or she should also hold a Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent combination of education and work experience.

3. Director of Revenue Management, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Sandestin, Florida
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Florida is looking for a new Director of Revenue Management to be responsible for leading the resort’s revenue and yield strategies.

Areas of revenue responsibility are group and transient rooms, food and beverage, meeting room rental, local catering and outlet centers. The position will maintain overall responsibility for budgeting, implementing and maintaining costs. Specific duties include ensuring the accuracy of room revenue budgets, keeping rate parameters within set-out guidelines, maintaining accurate forecasting and improving occupancy, strategizing room revenue optimization, and maximizing room revenue. The ideal candidate will be able to earn the support of hotel employees and integrate Intrawest values in interacting with guests and staff. These values are Guest Loyalty, Employee Experience, Striving to be the Best, Team Play, Playing Safely and Financial Strength. Eligible candidates must also hold a Bachelor’s Degree and have four to 10 years of related experience. Limited travel will be required.

If you want to work at a resort, but none of these jobs are the right fit, be sure to run a search on Resort Areas at the Job Center. There are dozens of recent listings!

If you are a high school senior, you are probably freaking out a little bit right now. College tuition is skyrocketing; your parents’ ability to pay for college may be significantly diminished; and who whether you will even be able to find a job when you graduate.

These concerns seem to be pretty wide spread, according to this recent article from the Virginia Times Dispatch.

And they are motivating a lot of high school students (and college graduated career-changers, for that matter) to pursue technical education.

What are the benefits of a two-year (or less) vocational-technical training program over a traditional four-year degree? The time commitment is far shorter, the tuition is significantly cheaper, and the fields you study tend to pursue readily employable.

In other words, if you pick the right program, you will have a job waiting for you when you finish — in a career that is relatively recession-proof. A major plus given the current economic situation. Plus, as one young woman interviewed for the story pointed out, if you still want to pursue a four-year degree but need to pay for it yourself, these training programs give you access to well-paying jobs in the meantime.

So, just what are these magical, recession-proof fields? According to the article, some of them include:

- Auto and truck mechanic
- Cosmetologist
- Professional chef
- Electrician

Do you want to learn more about being a diesel mechanic or professional chef? Follow the above links to the JobMonkey section on that topic.

Happy Wednesday — or, should I say, Happy Hot Jobs Day!

Every Wednesday, I post three job leads from JobMonkey’s free job center. If you are looking for a new job, this is a post you don’t want to miss. This week, I have a news editor position in Iowa, a business manager with an ABC-affiliate in Houston, and an executive chef in Park City, Utah. If none of these gigs sound up your alley, be sure to check out JobMonkey’s extensive list of jobs.

As always, our job database is updated daily and it’s free to job seekers!

1. News Editor Job, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Station KGAN/KFXA in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is looking to hire an experienced news editor. This FOX and CBS affiliate station is searching for someone familiar with linear editing and studio camera operation. The ideal candidate will be a college graduate with past editorial experience, although the station is willing to train the right person. To get the job, you must be willing to work weekends and holidays.

2. Vice President / Business Manager, American Broadcast Company, Houston, Texas
KTRK-TV is an ABC owned station in Houston, Texas, with an immediate opening for a Vice President / Business Manager. The person in this position will be responsible for overseeing all accounting and budgetary reporting, strategic fiscal planning, and operations of a major market network station. The ideal candidate will be a strong leader, with a solid foundation in business plus an intimate knowledge of the media industry. The person hired must have excellent communication skills, be extremely detailed oriented, and be able to work in a high-pressure environment that includes financial and time deadlines. Candidates with a CPA and/or MBA are preferred.

3. Executive Chef Job, The Canyons Ski Area, Park City, Utah
The Canyons Ski Area is looking to hire an executive chef responsible for developing and managing all aspects of food preparation and presentation at the resort. The person in the position will oversee food quality, safety and budgeting, as well as staff training and supervision. Ability to stand for extended periods of time. The ideal candidate will have trained at a nationally recognized culinary arts school or apprenticed with a professional chef. He or she will also have at least five years of relevant professional cooking experience, and a broad depth professional knowledge in cooking and presentation, menu planning, ordering and inventory control, and production control. Experience in budget management is a plus.