Knowing how to cook appetizing dishes is only part of the equation as you search for chef jobs. The other part is to whet a hiring manager’s appetite through a tasty resume or curriculum vitae. Our chef CV example below may give you a few ideas for your own CV, and the tips after it should help as well. It is important to keep in mind that a CV is not the same as a resume; for example, a CV can include personal information such as sex, nationality, and hobbies.
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883 Tiger Eye Lane , Roanoke, Virginia 11111
E: melissa.j.lang@anymail T: 555-555-1112
Attentive chef with seven years of experience in Italian cuisine. Well-versed in managing kitchens that serve up to 70 tables. Credentials include the ability to motivate staff and to ensure cohesive kitchen operations. Emphasis on creating innovative dishes, using fresh, seasonal produce, and meeting a wide range of dietary limitations.
- Physical stamina
- Creativity
- Budgeting
- Menu design
- Proficiency in programs such as IPro Restaurant Inventory, Culinary Software Services ChefTec, and Microsoft Excel
- Well-versed in video developing, blogging, and podcasting
- Leadership
- Collaborating with kitchen staff, dining room staff, and outside vendors
- Negotiating food and ingredient prices
- Supervised day-to-day kitchen operations, including a staff of 10 and 70 tables.
- Featured in The Roanoke Times article, “Italian cuisine that’ll make your taste buds sing!ÀšÃ¢Ã¢€š¬
- Streamlined inventory process to speed up deliveries and to cut down on supply turnover by 25 percent.
- Redesigned menu in 2014 with a focus on more pictures, enhancing dining revenue by 75 percent.
- Collaborated with marketing specialist to produce videos and blog posts about Italian cooking tricks and tips.
- Recruited, hired, and trained all staff members.
- Served as second-in-command at a cozy neighborhood Italian restaurant.
- Worked with executive chef to improve dishes and to train staffers.
- Served as point person for lunch operations during the week.
- Helped set up and run online and phone ordering program that increased revenues by 30 percent.
- Conducted mini-workshops at schools of all levels.
- Created a top-selling pasta dish with seafood.
- Sharpened knives, chopped vegetables, and tidied kitchens for an American cuisine restaurant.
- Reported to sous chef.
- Assisted in food order completion as necessary.
- Maintained clean work area that met hygiene standards.
- Supervised Monday lunch periods on occasion.
Not surprisingly, I love to cook for my family. I also volunteer at a homeless shelter twice a month to make the food a bit more delicious. Physical passions include hiking and geocaching.
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Chef CV Must-Haves
What Does a Chef Do?
It is oversimplifying to say chefs cook food and supervise the cooking of food. In fact, they can expose people to cuisines from other countries and take their taste buds on an adventure. They work at such varied locations as cruise ships, five-star restaurants, diners, and even for presidents. Some chefs own their restaurants, and as this chef CV example indicates, many specialize in certain areas of cuisine such as Italian, Southern food, soul food, Indian, Chinese, Thai, or Mexican. They often coordinate menus, must negotiate with vendors and suppliers, and source places for the freshest and tastiest produce. Executive chefs often get to the top of the kitchen after serving as sous chefs, commis chefs, and chef de parties. At some places, they work in service of a greater cause such as environmental awareness or diabetes awareness.
Tips for Creating a Great Chef CV
Keep a few tips in mind as you craft a chef CV. For example:
– List any dishes you are especially good at creating or which you have given unique twists to.
– Use metrics when possible (ex: online menu redesign led to 30 percent increase in orders, or a line of pasta dishes you created was the restaurant’s top seller seven months out of 12).
– Don’t say you lack expertise in a certain area. Instead, focus on what you do well.
– Go through job descriptions for relevant terms and phrases to include in your resume (software programs, area of cuisine, etc.).
– Don’t forget to proofread your CV!
– Include a link to your online portfolio in the contacts section, if applicable. It could showcase photos of dishes you have created and even feature videos of you preparing well-received meals.
– Highlight any areas of social/health focus such as cooking sugar-free food, sourcing organic produce, gearing your dishes toward children, or volunteer work you have been involved in with employers.