The restaurant industry is a competitive field and it may seem impossible to land a job as a head chef. A head chef needs to be creative, energetic, and authoritative. Restaurant run on very thin margins, and potential employers will want to know that you can help keep their restaurant open, popular, and profitable. Your resume needs to communicate your experience, qualifications, and expertise to potential employers.
The role of the head chef requires a special mix of skills. You need to be able to develop and exciting and enticing menu, manage a very busy kitchen and make sure that the kitchen meets industry and health code standards. Employers therefore need someone who is an effective manager and a wonderful chef. Your resume needs to reflect these qualities. Note any specializations and certifications on your resume. If you have experience in fine dining, large scale catering, or other niche areas, let potential employers know. This kind of information will help you stand out from the pack.
See the head chef sample resume below to help you write your own resume.
Head Chef Resume Questions
Unless you have decades of experience in the industry, your resume should fit on one page. Even if you have won awards or have extensive work experience, your ability to express your qualifications succinctly works in your favor. It shows that you prioritize well. Limiting your resume to a single page that leaves sufficient white space is visually appealing, as shown in the head chef resume sample. It increases the chances that a headhunter or prospective employer will actually read the majority of your resume rather than skimming it and deciding it would take too long to finish.
Creating an atmosphere that produces delicious meals and draws a crowd is as much of a science as it is an art. While the primary technical skills needed for a chef are cooking related, acute organizational skills are also necessary. A head chef must have a sharp business acumen in order to manage budgets and run the kitchen efficiently and safely. It is also helpful to be able to identify and analyze the marketing trends of the industry in order to compete with other restaurants in the area.
Achievements come in many forms. The head chef resume sample shows how to accent accomplishments throughout your resume. The professional summary and highlights section showcase the high points of your career. You can list awards you have won, standards you have surpassed, and books you have published. Your work experience section is where your achievements really shine, though. Take three or four responsibilities from each job and describe them as accomplishments that raised the bar for performance of the tasks.
No chef is an island. It takes a dedicated team for any restaurant to run smoothly. Because teamwork is such a necessary skill in this industry, it should permeate every section of the resume. You can use the professional summary and skills section to describe your management style and commitment to collaborating with the kitchen staff to accomplish the same goal. Under each position, list at least one specific way you streamlined protocols or standards to motivate staff and improve output.
The easiest way to make your resume stand out to recruiters is to match it as closely as possible to the description of the job you’re applying for. As shown on the head chef resume sample, the professional summary is a great place to use some of the same keywords you find in the description. Use the spacing of your resume to draw the reader’s eye down the page to your experience section. Once the reader is there, wow him or her with details of how you left each job better than you found it. The resume builder takes you through a step-by-step process to create a personalized resume that employers will notice.
Your Head Chef resume writing skills are top-notch but what about your Head Chef cover letter writing skills? Use our cover letter sample to polish your skills and get the job you want.
Show Resume TextResume Text
Pierre Garcon
123 Fake Street
City, State, Zip Code
Cell: 000-000-0000
email@email.com
Summary
Accomplished Head Chef who has worked in several of the finest restaurants in the area. Adept at developing an enticing menu, managing a very busy kitchen and making sure that the kitchen always meets health code standards. Specializes in French and Italian cuisine.
Highlights
- Named outstanding local chef twice by local media
- Has published two very popular cookbooks
- Very strong organizational and communication skills
- Strict monitor of all kitchen activities
- Takes job very seriously
- Always maintains an air of professionalism
Work Experience
April 2010 to February 2015 Chez Gustav – City, State Head Chef
- Elevated the restaurant from a three-star rating to a four-star rating in just one year.
- Developed an innovative way for maintaining the kitchen's cleanliness standards while working during the day.
- Became a media figure that drew people to the restaurant on a regular basis.
September 2004 to April 2010 Bambino's – City, State Head Chef
- Restructured the kitchen staff to make operations more efficient and smoother.
- Added several dishes to the menu that are still being offered to this day.
- Worked closely with management to develop new marketing methods for increasing revenue.
June 1993 to September 2004 Company Name – City, State Head Chef
- Developed a method for scheduling kitchen help that improved morale and productivity.
- Established an internship program with several of the local colleges.
- Often mingled with guests to answer questions and take suggestions.
Education
1993 Premier University, City, State Bachelor of Arts, Culinary Arts
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