• Characteristics of resort cooking jobs differ than those found in a typical restauant.resort image by Svetlana Kashkina from Fotolia.com
  
  With a few exceptions, such as geographic considerations, being a resort cook is similar to being a cook in any professional kitchen in terms of training and job duties. However, there are some aspects of resort cooking that differentiate it from other types of cooking. For example, customer volume may vary greatly in a resort setting, resulting in extended periods of down time for kitchen staff. Also, the exceptionally high turnover rate inherent to resort work makes it difficult to cultivate the strong team dynamics that make a kitchen operate efficiently.
  
  

Locales

• With locations in national parks, forests and wildlife preserves, resorts have a presence in all 50 U.S. states. The geographic diversity of a resort’s surroundings has a strong bearing on its amenities, level of luxury and housing options. Geographic considerations may also play a role with resort cooking, for example measures may have to be taken to address high altitudes.
  
  

Pay

• A resort cook’s net pay often has more to do with a resort’s policies than her position. Although a resort cook can expect wages of $11 to $15 per hour, the industry standard for a line cook position, other factors influence the amount he actually receives. For instance, resorts that provide employee housing and staff meals impose salary deductions and adjust an employee’s pay accordingly.
  
  

Hours

• Kitchen staff at resorts usually work a 40-hour-per week schedule, particularly if the employees live on the property. Because of a near non-existent commute time, living in close proximity to the workplace often provides ample opportunity for overtime, especially during a resort’s busy season.
  
  

Housing

• Depending on location and resort policy, some resorts offer on-site housing or reduced rent for employees living in apartments that have business agreements with the resort. For safety and liability issues, a resort may require an employee to live on the property if arduous conditions, such as severe weather in a mountainous environment, could endanger the employee during a work commute.
  
  

Benefits

• Benefits are usually included in an employee’s hiring package, and may include non-traditional bonuses. Depending on the resort type, discounts on amenities such as spa services, access to driving ranges in off-peak hours and reduced rental fees for off-road vehicles help the resort persuade employees into longer tenure agreements and offset high turnover rates.
  
  

Variables

• Like any service-based enterprise, resorts cater to their clientele. However, the resort industry differs in that seasonal influences typically alter hours of operation and timing of meal services, ultimately affecting the kitchen staff. For instance, breakfast service will begin at an earlier hour to satisfy the schedule of hunters during a gaming season, or a resort will extend their lunch times to accommodate the arrival of tour buses during summer months. The issue of remoteness presents a unique set of challenges, such as longer product delivery times and the possible inability to receive certain items altogether, such as fresh seafood. Also, due to reduced tourist traffic during off-seasons, many resorts offer only seasonal employment.
  
  

Considerations

• Typically self-sustaining communities themselves, resorts present sets of conditions not found in typical kitchen settings. A resort cook must adjust to the insular environment of the resort, particularly if geographical isolation or weather inhibits travel to and from the resort for long periods of time. Not uncommon in mountain resorts, a cook must sometimes endure months without leaving the resort due to travel restrictions. Also, resorts can legally charge considerably extra for staple items such as gasoline if sold on resort property.