Food Service. It's often thought of as a stop-gap, low-paying, low-prestige job but not always as a career.

It suffers a bad rap, an expert in the field contends. Dr. Johnny Sue Reynolds, chairman of hotel and restaurant management at the University of North Texas, says that even entry-level jobs such as flipping hamburgers or taking orders create and enhance skills that transfer readily to other careers. And those who remain in the industry find opportunities for advancement come more rapidly than in many other fields.

Restaurant managers, who may have started out at minimum wage, often earn salaries in the $60,000-$80,000 range after just a few years in the field, Reynolds says. Six-figure salaries are not uncommon for the more experienced.

"Yes, the hours can be long and sometimes inconvenient, but no more so than in most other fields," she says. "You pay your dues in every occupation."

Reynolds says the food service industry is growing, and that UNT graduates are in demand. "We could place dozens, probably hundreds, more graduates than we have," Reynolds says.

Statistics back her up. The National Restaurant Association says that the industry provides work for nearly 8 percent of those currently employed in this country, and that one out of every four retail outlets in the United States is an eating or drinking establishment. Those establishments have more than 9 million employees.

The field is a fluid one, as restaurants come and go quite rapidly, but sheer numbers make layoffs less traumatic than in other careers. And for those who want to relocate or simply see the country, good positions are available in virtually all parts of the nation.

The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association is predicting that food service sales will grow more than 5 percent in 1999, up from about $350 billion this year. They further predict that full-service restaurants will grow faster than quick-service (the industry term for fast-food) restaurants.

College degrees are not a prerequisite for many of these jobs, and some companies provide their own managerial training.

McDonald's Hamburger University is a well-known example.