Infographic of the Week: LinkedIn’s Who’s Who of the Food Industry

Food and the holidays go hand in hand. From turkey and stuffing to latkes, roasts and innumerable holiday parties, ’tis the season to be devouring. At this most food-centric time of year, LinkedIn did a deep dive into food production and food & beverage to create the food industry talent infographic below.

The image illustrates some pretty interesting data, like nearly 75 percent of companies are small businesses with 50 employees or less and that most food related jobs are posted in the summer and fall, pre- holiday madness. And while small businesses far outnumber their big food production counterparts, bigger companies employ the vast majority of professionals in certain regions. For example, the most food dense regions include Sioux City, Iowa – which houses a bevy of Tyson Foods facilities – and Merced, California – which is a hotbed for food manufacturing. The city of restaurants, The Big Apple, didn’t even make it into the top five.

The top skills for food service professionals include food safety, inventory management and sales, according to the graphic. And while traditional means of acquiring those skills exist – like business school and training programs – they can be cost and/or time prohibitive for professionals looking to grow or launch their food career. This is why we are developing a series of classes to help veterans and budding talent alike fast-track their success. But first we need your input about which classes and skills will help you achieve your 2014 goals. Please take 2 minutes to share your feedback HERE.