Am I Suited For This Job?

Butchers must:

• keep work areas clean and sanitary
• follow safety procedures
• be able to work with machinery in a challenging environment
• have familiarity with food handling, food safety, food preparation and presentation
• have good vision and hand-eye coordination
• physical strength and stamina
• have excellent personal hygiene

As a butcher you’ll be on your feet for most of the workday. You require physical strength for lifting heavy pieces of meat, so general good health is essential. Good hand-eye coordination is also important as you will work with sharp instruments such as knives and saws in addition to other meat cutting machines.

You may work behind the scenes in a refrigerated room preparing cuts of meat for display, or behind a retail counter sharing your expert knowledge and filling orders.

Butchers who work in smaller stores have more varied work and more contact with the public than those in large wholesale firms, so good customer service is important.

It’s a good career choice for someone who likes a fast-paced environment, likes working with people, and enjoys working as part of a team.
Sources: Go2HR: Meatcutter,  Meatforce: Canadian Professional Meat Cutters Association (CPMCA),  CPMCA: Retail Meat Cutter,  Career Cruising (profile for ‘butcher’)