Example Career: Dietetic Technicians

Career Description

Assist in the provision of food service and nutritional programs, under the supervision of a dietitian. May plan and produce meals based on established guidelines, teach principles of food and nutrition, or counsel individuals.

What Job Titles Dietetic Technicians Might Have

• Cook Chill Technician (CCT)
• Diet Assistant
• Diet Tech (Dietetic Technician)
• Dietary Aide

What Dietetic Technicians Do

• Observe patient food intake and report progress and dietary problems to dietician.
• Prepare a major meal, following recipes and determining group food quantities.
• Supervise food production or service or assist dietitians or nutritionists in food service supervision or planning.
• Plan menus or diets or guide individuals or families in food selection, preparation, or menu planning, based upon nutritional needs and established guidelines.
• Analyze menus or recipes, standardize recipes, or test new products.
• Conduct nutritional assessments of individuals, including obtaining and evaluating individuals' dietary histories, to plan nutritional programs.
• Determine food and beverage costs and assist in implementing cost control procedures.
• Develop job specifications, job descriptions, or work schedules.
• Deliver speeches on diet, nutrition, or health to promote healthy eating habits and illness prevention and treatment.
• Refer patients to other relevant services to provide continuity of care.
• Select, schedule, or conduct orientation or in-service education programs.
• Provide dietitians with assistance researching food, nutrition, or food service systems.

What Dietetic Technicians Should Be Good At

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Dietetic Technicians Should Be Interested In

• Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

What Dietetic Technicians Need to Learn

• Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.