Does working part time have an affect?

While you are exposed to the job less than someone working 40 hours a week, it shouldn't affect how quickly you pick things up. I think that if you word your rebuttal like you have here, it's going to look a bit foolish.

I also think it's a bit foolish to say that working 29 hours doesn't expose you to enough. If you were working hard and *trying* to learn, you should have had just about everything picked up in 30 days. You may not have been an expert at it, but you would have a working knowledge of it.

You should say that you are still continuing to learn. Say that you will make more attempts to seek out knowledge and to learn more about the things you are lacking in currently. Then, do so.

Your math doesn't work. 3-4 shifts or 6 hours of less is a maximum of 24 hours. 29 hours a week is 7.25 hour long shifts 4 days a week.

You might have learned faster with more hours but you shouldn't blame that. Instead concentrate on what you can do to improve. Also what you would have done differently if you knew it was important.

Don't blame the job instead explain you weren't exposed to variety of foods growing up so many were new to you but you will be asking more questions and studying produce. Start with leafy greens take a camera phone to the grocery store and take pictures of those you don't know. You are bound to know iceburg lettuce even if you don't know it by name and green cabbage. Look at all the kinds of cabbages and lettuces then look at the the other greens like mustard greens, Swiss chard, kale, collard greens. Look at the differences like color and texture take pictures maybe writing notes about which are which. At least list all the names and you can find pictures on the internet. Buy one a week you have never had and take it home to cook and taste. All recipes will have recipes try two or three ways. Greens like kale and mustard can be steamed and divided into different dishes and then tried with butter, vinegar or basalmic vinegar to see what taste best to you or cooked with bacon and onion. After you have explored greens check work to see if you learned all they have if they have someone like long choy you might not have in the grocery ask a cook what it is and he/she can say it is like other choy pretty much taste the same. If they have too many try an asian grocery to get to know more.

Then once you master greens move on to squashes or roots until you have learned everything. Let the boss know you are mastering them quickly and well so if someone asks you to bring them something you can find it and know you are correct.

Then you will get better reviews and more hours.

say what you said here

" i feel if i worked more often i would have learned much more at a faster rate. "