DIETARY MANAGER

The Food Service Management program offers an option in Dietary Management with graduates responsible for directing and controlling the following: menu planning, food purchasing, food production and service, financial management, employee recruitment, training and supervision and (in some settings) nutritional assessment and clinical care. Commonly identifi ed benefi ts of this career choice include: It’s challenging; it involves caring for people and working with people; it’s fulfilling, it’s a good long-term career (Source: DMA member survey, 1999). Working conditions may include varied hours, long days and the requirement to juggle multiple demands. Dietary Managers work with both people and paperwork. They tend to be energetic, results-oriented problem-solvers who thrive on challenge and enjoy teamwork. Dietary Managers may fi nd themselves working in hospitals, long-term care, schools, correctional facilities and many other settings. Employment of food service managers is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2010. Employment in foodservice is not very sensitive to economic conditions, so ongoing employment is a good bet (Source: U.S. Dept. of Labor). The career outlook for Dietary Managers is good. As institutions deal with more government regulations, the need for qualifi ed Dietary Managers increases (Source: East Texas Area Health Education Center).