animal related

How To Get A Job As A Butcher

Butchers work in slaughter houses, meat-cutting plants, processing plants, supermarkets, and privately owned butcher shops.  In the past butchers preformed all the tasks associated with meat from slaughtering right up to customer sales.  Today, there is more specialization and the term Butcher has come to refer to the person the public deals with at the retail level.

Those who want to work as Butchers must have excellent eye-hand coordination, and manual dexterity.  Butchers must also be detail oriented, patient, careful, responsible, and fastidious in their hygiene.  They must be physically fit, able to lift heavy loads, and spend most of their working days on their feet, handling cold materials and possibly in cold areas.  Butchers must be knowledgeable about meat, from the various cuts, to how they can be cooked.  Modern Butchers must be able to work quickly, safely and efficiently.  They must have good communications skills and enjoy interacting with customers.

During a typical work day, Butchers perform a variety of duties.  They may cut and package steaks, chops, roasts, and other cuts.  They may educate customers regarding different cuts of meat and their preparation, as well as how meat has been stored and cured, how animals have been raised and how they have been slaughtered.  They may weight, wrap, and label meats for sale, conclude sales, and keep equipment and the work area immaculate.   If you want to get a job as a Butcher and own your own shops you will also have to order supplies, negotiate wholesale prices, check in-coming orders, keep equipment in good condition and repair, hire and dismiss employees, and keep financial and supply records.

Although today many cuts of meat come to the shops pre-packaged, to work as a skilled Butcher you should still be able to operate modern automated equipment as well as power saws and slicers, hand saws, knives, and cleavers.  You must understand how to handle and store meat in order to avoid contamination and spoilage.  You must enjoy interacting with the public.

Education

There are no specific educational requirements for working around meats.  Some employees receive only on-the-job training.  These employees are not true Butchers.

If you want to become a skilled Butcher, start off by getting a high school diploma or GED.

The best way to decide  if you want to become a Butcher is to get some experience in the business, either in a meat-cutting plant, a super market meat department, or an independently owned butcher shop, where you can observe all aspects of the Butcher  business.  This is a learning experience so concentrate on learning all you can rather than salary.  Ask questions.

If you decide that you want to get a job as a Butcher, take a training course.  These are available in trade schools, vocational schools, and some colleges.  Entry qualifications vary.  Most training programs take from one to two years. Here you will learn about health and safety regulations, food preservation, animal anatomy, and everything else you need to know to become a Butcher.

Get the best training you can afford, and then get a job where you can work with an experienced Butcher.

Some Unions are involved with apprenticeship programs.  This is also an excellent way to start your career.

Those with sufficient education and experience may advance to positions as department managers, buyers, and private shop owners.