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Become a Caterer
You will learn: what a caterer does and how to cater, how to develop your skills to succeed in a catering career, how to get hired for a job as a caterer, and how to start your own catering business and get clients.
What Happens in the Caterer Certificate Course
The Caterer Certificate course is an online learning program with suggested readings from the textbook (IAP Career College Guide to Become a Caterer). This course is self directed, which means you may study and complete assignments at times that are most convenient for you from the comfort of your own home.
This part-time Caterer Certificate Course has a recommended completion date of 6 weeks from the start of the program, however, you may choose to complete the course in as little as 4 weeks or as long as 12 weeks, depending on your schedule.
The Caterer Certificate Course has been created to allow you to complete it without any teaching assistance. However, if you have questions or need assistance, you can receive help from a Faculty Member throughout the 6 weeks of the course. Your Faculty Member is a valuable resource person who can provide you with personal teaching assistance to help you succeed in the course and advice to help you succeed in the career.
Course Topics
The Caterer Certificate Course has been developed to meet high academic standards, ensuring that as a graduate you can display with pride the Caterer Certificate you will earn from the International Association of Professions Career College.
Topics covered in the Caterer Certificate Course include the following:
Getting Ready
- Catering Skills and Knowledge
- Creativity – The Magic Ingredient
- Other Skills and Knowledge You Will Need
- On-the-Job Learning
- Other Ways of Learning Catering
- Resources for Self-Study
Starting Your Catering Business
- Choosing a Catering Specialization
- Full-Service Catering
- Corporate Catering
- Catering Styles for Any Event
- Business Planning
- Your Kitchen
- Obtaining Supplies and Equipment
- Financial Matters
- Setting Your Fees
- Working with Support Staff and Contractors
Running Your Catering Business
- How to Do a Client Consultation
- Client Consultations for Private Events
- Client Consultations for Corporate Events
- Preparing an Estimate
- Getting a Signed Contract and Getting Paid
- Planning Your Menus
- Cooking for Special Diets
- Planning a Catered Event
- Developing a Schedule
- Hiring Staff for an Event
- Working with Your Client’s Site
- Transporting Prepared Food
- Cleaning Up and Loading Out
Getting Clients
- Choose Your Target Markets
- Marketing Tools
- Marketing Techniques
- Getting Free Media Publicity
- Promotional Events
- Creative Marketing Ideas
- Responding to Inquiries
- Meeting with Prospective Clients
- Selling to Corporate Clients
What Is Included in the Caterer Certificate Course
This all-inclusive Caterer Certificate Course package includes:
- Registration for the Caterer Certificate Course
- Access to a Faculty Member to provide you with personal teaching assistance and career advice
- (Optional) 2023-2024 membership in the IAPO International Association of Professional Caterers for only $2.99 per month
- Downloadable Caterer Certificate personalized with your name and the seal of the International Association of Professions Career College which you may print
- (Optional) Opportunity to order official certificates printed on fine linen paper and embossed with the gold seal of the college
- Textbook: IAP Career College Guide to Become a Caterer (e-book edition)
Register for the Caterer Certificate Course
HOLIDAY SEASON SPECIAL
It’s easy to change or cancel your course registration. See our FAQ page for details.
You can have all this for an incredible price. It can cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to take other programs. (We found courses based on old editions of our guides with registration fees of up to $999 and more.) We are able to offer you online courses at a significantly lower cost to you because of our expertise from over 20 years of producing the leading online guides for non-traditional careers.
Our online certificate courses have previously been offered for a registration fee of $297 U.S. and include a textbook and professional membership – a total value of almost $377.
HOLIDAY SEASON SPECIAL: This all-inclusive registration package for the Caterer Certificate Course is priced as only $149.00 for the December 11, 2023 course.
Register today for the Caterer Certificate Course. Enrollment is limited and registration is on a first come first served basis, so we recommend that you register early for the Caterer Certificate Course online to avoid disappointment.
If the course is full, please email support@iapcollege.com to be notified when a new course date is scheduled.
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How Much Money Can You Make as a Caterer?
As a caterer, your income is determined by a number of factors, including: your experience, location, business model and whether you’re an employee or own your own catering business. According to data from PayScale, the average income for a small business owner in the United States is $73,000 - however this can range up to $182,000 or more.
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What Does a Caterer Do?
A caterer or catering business is hired to provide food, beverages, and service for functions ranging from intimate dinner parties to weddings, conferences, and other events for hundreds or even thousands of people. With thousands of catered events taking place every day, there is tremendous demand for caterers. Catering is a multi-billion dollar a year industry, and is one of the fastest growing food service segments.
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How Do I Become a Caterer?
Earning a certificate as a caterer will equip you with the principles and techniques for becoming a professional caterer. A certificate also provides evidence of your expertise, assurance of your professionalism, an important credential for your resume, a competitive advantage when marketing your services and higher earnings (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
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What is the Caterer Certificate Course?
In IAP Career College’s part-time online Caterer Certificate Course you will earn certification as a caterer and learn important principles and practical step-by-step techniques for getting started in a career as a professional caterer. This online course has a recommended completion date of 6 weeks, however it may be completed in as little as 4 weeks or as long as 12 weeks. The course has been created to allow you to complete it without any teaching assistance, however as a student you have access to Faculty Members to provide you with personal teaching assistance and career advice.
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What is IAP Career College?
The International Association of Professions Career College (IAP Career College) is a leading online career college offering affordable online certificate courses and professional certifications for non-traditional and "dream" careers. When you take a part-time online certificate course with IAP Career College, you can schedule your learning around your life - you can work at your own pace, at the best times for you and from the comfort of your own home. IAP Career College and affiliated company FabJob Inc (the leading online publisher of guide books on how to get started in a dream career) have served over half a million career changers on six continents since 1999.
