Best Chef Resume Guide + Tips + Example
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Working as a chef can be an incredibly rewarding experience. From the satisfaction of creating a delicious meal to the camaraderie of working with a team in a busy kitchen, there are many positives to the profession. Working in a professional kitchen can be a fast-paced and challenging experience, but it can also be incredibly rewarding to see a customer’s satisfaction when they taste a dish you have prepared.
A great job as a chef demands a compelling chef resume. Not sure what that looks like? Don’t worry! We’re here to help! Our chef resume example and tips will help you write a great resume that showcases your team leadership and operations management skills so you can get the job you want.
Start by editing this culinary chef resume sample, or explore our library of customizable resume templates to find the perfect resume template for a culinary chef job.
Sample resume for a culinary chef (text version)
Angelica Brannen
Atlantic City, NJ 08404
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com
Professional Summary
Accomplished chef with over 15 years of comprehensive experience working in the food service industry. Adept at strictly monitoring kitchen activities and meeting health code standards. Specialties in Italian and American cuisine. Strong organizational, leadership and management skills. Ready for new challenges creating tasty meals for successful establishments.
Work History
July 2014 – Current
Carmine’s Italian Restaurant
Lead Chef
- Develop and cook exciting, memorable dishes that brought new customers into the establishment and bolstered restaurant revenues to $3.5 million per year.
- Mentor and lead more than 10 kitchen staff at all levels to prepare each for demanding roles.
- Spearhead menu planning, recipe development and day-to-day management for two locations, as well as catering operations.
January 2011 – June 2014
Cafe 2825
Chef
- Hired, trained and managed all kitchen staff, including employee development, issuing disciplinary action and conducting performance reviews.
- Planned promotional menu additions based on seasonal pricing and product availability.
- Introduced new market items and spearheaded the production of the highly popular Sunday brunch, generating an increase of 15% in monthly revenue.
July 2006 – December 2010
Capriccio – Philadelphia, PA
Sous Chef
- Assisted with the development of full, tasting and special events menus for 300 guests to meet all establishment needs and maintain strong customer levels.
- Plated every dish with attractive flair to meet strict restaurant standards and maintain a stellar business reputation.
- Acted as head chef when required to maintain continuity of service and quality.
Skills
- Recipes and menu planning
- Signature dish creation
- Fine-dining expertise
- Specialty in Italian food
- Team leadership
- Operations management
- Effective communications
- Quality standards
Education
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Science Culinary Arts & Sciences
Certifications
Food Handler’s certification – (Updated 2024)
5 essentials of a top resume for a culinary chef
Contact details
Add your contact information to the top of your resume so hiring managers can contact you. As our chef resume sample shows, your contact information must include your full name, city, state, ZIP code, phone number and professional email address. If you have a LinkedIn profile and a professional website, add them last.
Need more inspiration? Find more chef resume examples in our library of resume samples to help you find the best chef resume examples
Professional summary
A professional summary, also known as a personal statement, is a concise, three-to-five-sentence statement that tells the hiring manager who you are and what you offer. A resume summary for a chef must include job-relevant skills and one or two notable accomplishments. It should touch on how long you’ve been in the industry.
Here’s an example of a strong professional summary for a chef resume:
“Experienced chef with more than 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Skilled in providing excellent customer service, maintaining high standards of food safety and sanitation, and creating innovative and delicious dishes. Possesses a strong work ethic and team-oriented attitude and a commitment to delivering exceptional dining experiences. Ready to bring culinary expertise to a new setting.”
However, if you are just starting out in your career, it’s better to write a chef resume objective.
Skills
Create a skills section on your chef resume so hiring managers can see if your skill set matches their needs. A chef resume template will have a separate section for your job-relevant skills in a bulleted list.
As our chef resume sample shows, chef skills for a resume should include both hard skills like food preparation and soft skills like leadership.
Work history
Whether this is your first job or you’ve been at it for decades, your chef resume must include a section to display your job history. In reverse-chronological order, display your current and previous employers and provide company names, locations and the dates you worked for them. Include three bullet points of measurable achievements for every job you list.
Your measurable achievements might look like this:
- Coordinated and supervised the kitchen staff of a 5-star restaurant, resulting in a 10% increase in customer satisfaction.
- Implemented cost-saving measures that reduced food waste by 15%.
- Pioneered the use of locally-sourced ingredients in fine dining, resulting in a 20% increase in customer loyalty.
Education
A resume for a chef job must include an education section. In reverse-chronological order, show the name of the schools and the years that you graduated using bullet points. If you did not attend college, then list your high school information and the classes or training you’ve taken since graduating. If you started from an apprenticeship, then list it here.
To become a chef, you will need to complete a culinary education, which typically includes a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on experience. A formal degree program may be necessary for some chef positions, and many aspiring chefs choose to pursue a degree in Culinary Arts or Baking and Pastry Arts. You may also choose to complete a certificate program in the culinary arts, which may take anywhere from six months to two years to complete. Additionally, many chefs hone their skills through apprenticeships, internships, and on-the-job training.
See why My Perfect Resume is a 5-star resume builder
Action words for a stand-out culinary chef resume
Use action words and numbers to make your descriptions compelling.
Here’s a short list of perfect action words for a chef resume:
- Direct
- Create
- Organize
- Plan
- Introduce
- Expedite
- Ensure
- Develop
- Mentor
- Spearhead
- Maintain
- Produce
- Execute
- Cook
- Collaborate
- Develop
Need the perfect resume for a chef job now? Our Resume Builder has all the tools you need to create a professional resume in minutes! We’ll help you fill in your template. Then you can make edits on the fly, download your finished resume, save it in multiple file formats and send it to your target employer. It’s that easy!
Top skills for a culinary chef resume
Chef resume skills include planning, preparing and creating dishes that will tantalize the taste buds and delight the customer. You will need to be organized and efficient, while also using your creativity and passion to create something special.
Review the job description closely and match the required skills to the skills and traits that fit you.
As a chef, your skills might include:
- Organization
- Planning
- Interpersonal skills
- Teamwork
- Collaboration
- Verbal communication
- Flexibility
- Multitasking
- Patience
- Mental agility
- Physical agility
- Creativity
- Leadership
- Patience
Pro tip: To stand out, add technical skills such as knife skills and cooking techniques specific to the job.
Certifications for a culinary chef resume
A certification is not required to work as a chef but having at least one can put you ahead of the pack. Hiring managers will be impressed with your industry, in-depth knowledge and passion for your profession.
Certification options for chefs include:
- Certified Fundamental Cook
- Certified Culinarian
- Certified Chef De Cuisine
- Certified Master Chef
- Personal Certified Executive Chef
Pair your resume with a matching cover letter
Culinary chef resume FAQ
1. How should you tailor a resume for a chef role?
To create a targeted resume for a chef job, look for chef job descriptions and take note of specific skills and qualifications employers usually require — cleaning and sanitizing food preparation areas, being flexible in shifting working conditions, or assisting other chefs in placing of meat, fish and produce orders, for instance. Match your qualifications to the job requirements.
Specific job requirements for a chef job might include:
- Demonstrated culinary skills and knowledge of food preparation techniques.
- Ability to read and comprehend recipes.
- Knowledge of food safety standards and sanitation regulations.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to effectively manage kitchen staff.
- Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Ability to work independently or as part of a team.
- Knowledge of kitchen equipment and their appropriate use.
- Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends.
2. What does a culinary chef resume look like?
A chef resume will vary from person to person, but you should pay attention to these resume writing basics:
- Choose the correct resume format.
- Keep your resume short and to the point. If you have less than 10 years of experience, then it should be one page long; if you have more than 10 years of experience, then it’s acceptable to have no more than two pages.
- Ensure your resume is formatted correctly, meaning margins should be one inch on all sides and line space should be single or 1.5 inches.
- Only use appropriate fonts, like Times New Roman, Arial, or Helvetica, in 11-12 points on the body and 14-16 points on headers.
- Proofread your resume more than once before sending it to potential employers.
Now that you’ve got the basics to creating a good resume, here’s how to stand out as a top chef:
- Highlight your experience. Make sure to include any professional experience you have in the restaurant industry, highlighting the skills and accomplishments you achieved in past roles.
- Showcase your creativity. Describe the unique dishes you have created in the past or any creative ideas you have for future menu items.
- Demonstrate leadership. Talk about any leadership roles you have held in the past, such as leading a team or developing recipes.
- Stress your attention to detail. Explain how you make sure to follow recipes and quality standards, and how you take extra care to ensure the highest level of quality in your dishes.
- Demonstrate your commitment. Show your passion and commitment to the job by describing how you have stayed up-to-date on trends and techniques in the field.
- Showcase your communication skills. Explain how you interact with vendors, colleagues, and customers, and how you handle challenging situations.
3. What are some tips for creating an excellent resume for a culinary chef job?
A culinary chef resume will vary from person to person, but you should pay attention to these resume writing basics:
- Keep your resume short and to the point. If you have less than 10 years of experience, then it should be one page long; if you have more than 10 years of experience, then it’s acceptable to have no more than two pages.
- Ensure your resume is formatted correctly, meaning margins should be one inch on all sides and line space should be single or 1.5 inches.
- Only use appropriate fonts, like Times New Roman, Arial, or Helvetica, in 11-12 points on the body and 14-16 points on headers.
- Proofread your resume more than once before sending it to potential employers.
4. What if I have no previous professional experience?
If you have no work experience as a chef, on your chef resume, highlight any past academic or extracurricular activities, skills and experience that show that you can be a good fit for the job, such as volunteering to help an organization create meals for seniors. These activities should depict your ability to produce work professionally and efficiently. In your summary, emphasize important intangible skills that also apply to the job, such as the ability to strategically plan a menu or manage kitchen inventory.
Here are some transferable skills you can add to a no-experience chef resume if they apply to you:
- Organization
- Multi-tasking
- Time Management
- Attention to Detail
- Problem Solving
- Creativity
- Flexibility
- Adaptability
Do’s and don’ts for building a culinary chef resume
- Use measurable achievements to describe your chef skills and experience. For example, “Reduced food costs by 10% while still delivering high-quality dishes.”
- Use action words such as “monitor,” “prepare” and “create” to make an impact on your chef resume.
- Tailor your resume to your target chef job.
- Use keywords from the job description throughout your chef resume.
- Format your chef resume so that it is easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
- Lie about your chef experience and skills. Instead, emphasize your best job-relevant skills, such as food cost management and attention to detail.
- Boast that you’re the “best chef ever.” Instead, highlight job-relevant achievements such as “Awarded as the 2018 “Best Chef” title by the National Restaurant Association.
- Include irrelevant personal information such as your ethnicity and age.
- Add skills and experience that are about something other than being a chef.
- Forget to proofread. A chef resume with errors is unprofessional.
Top 4 tips for acing a culinary chef interview
Research first.
- Use measurable achievements to describe your chef skills and experience. For example, “Reduced food costs by 10% while still delivering high-quality dishes.”
- Use action words such as “monitor,” “prepare” and “create” to make an impact on your chef resume.
- Tailor your resume to your target chef job.
- Use keywords from the job description throughout your chef resume.
- Format your chef resume so that it is easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
Practice your answers.
Practice makes perfect! Be sure to practice for your interview by reviewing the most common interview questions, such as:
- What Have You Accomplished That Shows Your Willingness to Work?
- What Goals Have You Established for Yourself?
- How Would Your Coworkers Describe You?
Then, prepare to answer chef job-related questions, like:
- What experience do you have in a professional kitchen?
- How do you handle working in a high-pressure environment?
- What challenges have you faced in the kitchen and how did you overcome them?
And some possible behavioral questions such as:
- Tell me About a Time You Created a Goal and Achieved it.
- Describe a Time When You Had to Cope With a Stressful Scenario.
- Tell me About a Time You Were Able to Diffuse an Angry Coworker.
Write down two or three possible answers for each question, then practice answering them with a friend.
Prepare questions to ask during the interview.
After the hiring manager and potential colleagues question you, they will likely offer for you to ask them some questions. Always have at least three for each person you speak with; doing so shows that you’re interested and have been paying close attention.
Some questions you might ask for a chef job are:
- What is the average size of the dinner rush?
- What type of kitchen equipment is available for use?
- What type of menu items do you specialize in?
Gather references
Have professional references ready during your interview. It comes in handy, especially if the hiring manager offers you the job on the spot. Make a list of two former colleagues and a former manager willing to speak highly about your abilities to perform the culinary chef job.
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Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Chefs and Head Cooks
- Career Girls. How to Become a Chef
- Careeronestop. Occupation Profile. Chefs and Head Cooks
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Chef Resume Example
Kellie is a Certified Professional Resume Writer with 20+ years of experience in digital media and is passionate about helping job seekers navigate their careers. She earned a B.A. in English and writing from Temple University.