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This position has closed. Northwestern Medicine removed this listing from their careers page on Oct 5, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Cook - Food & Nutrition, Part-time, Rotating

Northwestern Medicine · Huntley, IL · Part time · Health Care Provider

Posted Sep 23, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 5, 2026

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

This job has rotating shifts at Huntley. How do you handle schedule changes?

What they are checking: Whether they can adapt to a hospital kitchen that runs every day of the year.

Tell me about a time you were short on time and still had to get food out on schedule.

What they are checking: Whether they stay organized and keep quality up under time pressure.

What would you do

You check the steam table and a hot item has dropped below a safe holding temperature. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they act on food safety right away and document it, which protects patients.

How do you make sure the food you serve looks good and tastes good, not just safe?

What they are checking: Whether they care about flavor and presentation, which affects whether patients actually eat.

You notice a coworker skipping a sanitation step. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they will speak up on food safety with a peer in a respectful way.

About the work

Walk me through how you would follow a recipe to make a large batch for patients and the café.

What they are checking: Whether they follow approved recipes and scale them accurately, which matters for patients on special diets.

How do you know when chicken, fish or pork is safely cooked?

What they are checking: Whether they use thermometers and know safe temperatures instead of guessing by color or time.

How do you prepare a meal for a patient whose diet order says low sodium or a modified texture?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that diet orders are medical instructions, not suggestions.

Tell me about your knife skills and which cuts you use most often.

What they are checking: Whether they have real, safe knife skills, which the posting lists by name.

How do you keep raw meat and ready-to-eat foods from cross-contaminating in a busy kitchen?

What they are checking: Whether they follow sanitation practices that protect people with weak immune systems.

Which kitchen equipment are you comfortable using, and how do you use a slicer safely?

What they are checking: Whether they know how to use and clean dangerous equipment correctly.

Practice this interview out loud.

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Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Northwestern Medicine.

The Cook II reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards. • Supports the Food and Nutrition Team by preparing hot food and meal items in a safe and sanitary manner. Responsibilities: • Measures, mixes, and prepares ingredients according to approved recipes. • Demonstrates understanding and proper use of kitchen equipment including, but not limited to: blenders, mixers, grinders, slicers, ovens, steamers, etc. • Demonstrates consistent use of knife skills (chopping, slicing, dicing, paring) • Prepares and presents café, patient, and catering menu items according to recipes and standards. • Prepares and presents sauces, soups, stews, casseroles, and desserts meeting established dietary guidelines. • Cooks meats, fish, and fowl safely in a variety of ways such as baking, roasting, broiling and steaming. Carves meats into individual servings according to recipe and/or diet order. • Monitors and records temperature of steam table and hot held items throughout service period. • Tests foods being cooked to ensure doneness. Adjusts heat controls as needed. Insures foods are prepared, held or served at proper temperatures. • Produces food that is flavorful and attractively presented. • Only changes ingredients or seasonings when directed by chef or culinary leader. • Maintains product levels and appearance of service stations. • Consults with manager regarding handling of any leftovers. • Observes infection control and HACCP practices at all times. • Proper completion of all daily temperature logs and daily production sheets. Assists supervisor with corrections as needed. • Maintains kitchen/station in a safe and organized manner. • Manages work schedule efficiently completing tasks at assigned times. • Monitors cooking equipment as needed. Communicates with a manager to initiate any repairs. • Other duties may be assigned by managers or supervisors due to operational needs. Required: • High School diploma or equivalent; or in lieu of high school diploma/GED, must have a minimum of 1 year relevant experience in any of the following: cooking, production, or food service. • Successful completion of Safe Food Handler certification within 1 year of hire. Preferred: • Previous healthcare cooking experience. • Completion of some culinary schooling • Basic knowledge of special diets. Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status. Background Check Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check. Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. Benefits We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Click on or copy and paste URL to your browser to view detailed benefits information NorthwesternMedicine Career Page https://jobs.nm.org/benefits Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility by Employment Classification to determine benefits eligibility for job postings. If sign-on bonus is included in a job posting eligibility is as followed: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign-on bonus. Exception : New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position as a Registered Nurse at NM may be eligible.