Food Critic Job Description

Sure, it's all you can eat, but it isn't any fun. I eat for a living!

Eating for work. Few would turn down that job. Becoming a food critic is one of the most highly sought-after jobs in journalism. Hiring is very competitive, and only the most talented are likely to be hired. The job requires superb writing skills and an exquisite palate.

Selecting Restaurants

Reviewers must conduct a lot of research

A restaurant reviewer must conduct extensive research to identify new or interesting fooderies that readers may want to read about. This requires contacts within the restaurant industry who, in a big city, can offer tips about new restaurant openings.

Compilation

Food critics may have to compile a calendar

Food critics may be required to maintain a list of restaurants, categorized by cuisine, price range, and region.

Research

Lots of eating is involved

It isn't enough to say whether a dish was good or bad. A reviewer must be able to evaluate the quality of the ingredients used, the proficiency of the service, and the attractiveness of the presentation. In some cases, this evaluation is done by having detailed knowledge of food and its history. Reviewers may have to have eaten many variations of a dish to be able to discuss the quality of the execution of a particular dish. In other words, you have to eat a lot of grilled cheese to know whether the grilled cheese in front of you was made by a trained chef.

Background

You will need to draw on a college degree and industry experience

A 2010 help-wanted ad for a food writer in Dallas asked applicants to have "Professional kitchen experience and/or education." Many restaurant reviewers have degrees in journalism. Getting hired usually requires examples of written work. Many restaurant critics start out as freelance writers or bloggers. The pay for beginners can be meager. Some start for extremely low wages in hopes of generating clips to show prospective employers. In newspapers, critics may start in the features department focusing on food, then get a promotion to a critic. Median salary for writers in 2008 was $53,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Writing

Lots of writing is involved

In addition to writing articles of various lengths for print publication, food critics may be required to blog about restaurants, new openings, closings, and inexpensive lunch spots that don't merit a full review but are noteworthy nonetheless. The writing process may also entail conducting interviews with a chef or owner of a restaurant. In addition, a restaurant critic may sometimes be required to write news articles about the restaurant business.

Administrative Duties

Restaurant reviewers may be required to keep track of expenses. This may entail storing receipts, paying with credit cards, documenting others who shared in a meal and, in the case of freelancers, invoicing a publication for content and storing records for tax purposes.

References

• Lookout Media; "Nice Job, A guide to cool, odd and gruesome ways to make a living."
• Careebuilder.com; Dream jobs that aren't
• Bureau of Labor Statistics; Authors, Writers and Editors

Resources

• Association of Food Journalists