4 Chef Resume Examples & Templates for 2024

Chefs are culinary professionals who oversee the preparation and presentation of food in restaurants, hotels, and other dining establishments. They create menus, develop recipes, manage kitchen staff, ensure food quality and safety standards, and often handle inventory and budgeting. Writing an excellent chef resume lets you showcase your culinary expertise, creativity, and leadership skills which is a perfect recipe for attracting the recruiters’ attention.

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Chef Resume Example

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Entry-Level / Junior Chef Resume Example

An entry-level or junior chef is typically new to the culinary field but has a solid foundation in culinary techniques and a passion for cooking. They are eager to learn and contribute to the kitchen while developing their skills. Here's a resume sample for an entry-level chef:

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Middle Chef Resume Example

A middle-level chef has a few years of experience in the field and is proficient in various culinary techniques and kitchen management. They have developed a good understanding of kitchen operations and can handle more complex culinary tasks. Here's a middle-level chef resume sample that I’ve created for you:

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Experienced / Senior Chef Resume Example

An experienced or senior chef has extensive experience in the field and is highly skilled in managing kitchen operations, creating innovative menus, and leading culinary teams. They are capable of ensuring high efficiency and quality in various culinary functions. Below you’ll find a resume sample for a senior chef.

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Resume Templates for Chefs

After analyzing 11 million resumes using the Zety Resume Builder, these are chefs' top 3 resume template choices.

Cascade

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For chefs, the Cascade resume template is an excellent choice. Its dual-column layout prioritizes clarity and organization, distinctly separating your personal details from your professional experience. I find that this template’s clean design allows you to showcase your culinary skills, kitchen management abilities, and menu development achievements effectively. Such minimalistic resume style ensures that your key qualifications and career highlights are presented without unnecessary distractions, giving your resume a professional and polished appearance.

Concept

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The Concept resume template is ideal for chefs who prefer a practical and modern resume design. This template stands out because of its single-column layout combined with a stylish sidebar that highlights your contact information and core competencies. The main section provides ample space to detail your work history and significant culinary achievements. I believe the Concept’s sleek and polished format helps draw attention to your expertise in diverse cuisines, team leadership, and kitchen operations. This elegant template ensures your resume is professional and visually appealing.

Diamond

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From my perspective, the Diamond is a visual resume template offers a sophisticated and detailed presentation for chefs. Its two-column design effectively divides personal details and a professional summary on one side, with comprehensive sections on experience, education, and certifications on the other. The Diamond template’s use of bullet points and section dividers enhances readability and directs attention to your culinary accomplishments, such as menu creation, catering events, and managing kitchen staff.

How to Write a Chef Resume:

1. Use the Best Chef Resume Format

You wouldn't throw food on the cooking surface before it's heated up, would you? Same here—You can't just skip right to the writing on a resume for chef jobs. According to the National Restaurant Association, 63% of American adults have, at some point in their lives, worked in the restaurant industry. If you want to stick to this career path, your resume must be awe-inspiring.

Show them what’s cooking with the proper chef resume format:

• Go with the reverse-chronological format. It’s the most common, so restaurant managers and head chefs will instantly recognize it. List the most recent items first (in experience and education), followed by the one before that, and so on.
• Use popular resume fonts such as Calibri, Didot, or other fan-favorites.
• Apply consistent line spacing: 1 to 1.15.
• Set the font size to11–12 points.
• Utilize resume headings (13–14 points) to show where each section starts.
• Set regular resume margins: 1 inch all the way around.
• Use bullet points, aligned neatly like the buttons on your chef’s coat.
• Save your chef's resume as a PDF because the PDF format keeps the layout in shape (unlike the way your lobster bisque keeps no one in shape).

There are other formats you could consider for your chef resume. See our guide: 3 Resume Formats: How to Choose the Best One [Examples]

2. Describe Your Chef Experience on a Resume

“Wow. This chef! I’m so glad I chose this!” That’s what diners say upon tasting your food. But, it’s also the reaction you hope to elicit from the restaurant manager as they read your chef's resume job description.

Here's how to rave about your work experience in a way that tingles their tastebuds like a tart ceviche:

• Are chef jobs in your employment past? Then choose the most relevant chef duties that match the interests of this particular eatery. List your past cooking responsibilities in detail, and if you can, present your accomplishment in a tangible, quantified way.
• If you've never been a chef before, you'll have to work just a bit harder. If you were, let’s say, a barista before, list your relevant restaurant duties and kitchen achievements that translate perfectly, whether for Michelin 3-star restaurant job applications or for your local happy place.

When detailing your experience as a chef, focus on your culinary skills, kitchen management, and ability to create exceptional dishes. Here are some sample responsibilities for chef’s resumes:

Chef Keywords for a Resume

• Develop and execute menus that showcase culinary creativity and meet customer preferences.
• Oversee daily kitchen operations, ensuring food quality, safety, and sanitation standards are maintained.
• Train, supervise, and mentor kitchen staff, fostering a collaborative and efficient work environment.
• Manage inventory, including ordering, receiving, and storing food supplies to ensure freshness and minimize waste.
• Prepare and cook high-quality dishes, ensuring consistency and presentation align with restaurant standards.
• Collaborate with front-of-house staff to ensure seamless service and customer satisfaction.
• Monitor food costs and manage budgets to achieve financial goals and profitability.
• Innovate and introduce new recipes and techniques to keep the menu current and appealing.
• Handle special dietary requests and accommodate food allergies or preferences.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, conducting regular inspections and maintaining records.

To make your resume more impactful, use action verbs to effectively convey your responsibilities and achievements in your chef role. I’ve prepared some examples for you down below:

Chef Resume Action Verbs

• Developed
• Executed
• Oversaw
• Trained
• Managed
• Prepared
• Collaborated
• Monitored
• Innovated
• Ensured

Looking for the right achievements to add to a resume for chef jobs? Check out this guide: How to Put Achievements on a Resume - Complete Guide (30+ Examples)

3. Add Education to Your Chef Resume

You may not need a fancy university education on a chef's resume. Still, it doesn't mean you can skip talking about your academic past.

So, here's how to add education to chef resumes:

• List Degrees and Certifications: Start with your highest degree or certification, including the name of the degree, major, and the institution where you earned it.
• Include Dates: Mention the start and end dates for each educational program. If you're still studying, use the format "Expected Graduation: [Month, Year]."
• Highlight Relevant Coursework: If applicable, list a few courses relevant to the job you're applying for, especially if you lack work experience in the field.
• Mention Honors and Awards: Include any academic honors, scholarships, or awards to showcase your achievements.
• Use Reverse Chronological Order: Arrange your education history, starting with the most recent or current education and working backward.

One last thing: have you earned your culinary school certificate or a degree from college? In that case, leave your high school history off your resume.

Want to make the best use of education on a chef's resume? Then check out: How to Put Your Education on a Resume

4. Highlight Chef Skills on a Resume

Two events force a restaurant manager to jolt right up in excitement: a perfectly prepared dish, and… an amazing chef resume. So, it's time to list your chef skills and cooking abilities.

The skills section is similar to the spices you add while cooking—essential, but the wrong ones can destroy it. Don't give them ginger when the recipe calls for garlic.

What are some popular chef skills for resumes? I’ve prepared some examples:

Chef Resume Skills

Hard Skills

• Vulcan 70in. Gas Range
• Infrared Salamander Broiler
• Beef Grinder 5000 Maintenance & Use
• Restaurant Intercom Operation
• Food Safety Consciousness
• Culinary expertise
• Knife handling
• Baking
• Ingredient selection
• Pastry preparation
• Food presentation

Soft Skills

• People Skills
• Time Management
• Communication skills
• Decision making
• Attention to detail
• Creative thinking
• Teamwork skills
• Leadership skills
• Management skills

But wait—These are random chef skills, and you shouldn't just add these to your resume. Browse the chef job description from the job offer like a menu, and take note of resume keywords from the responsibilities section. Then, simply use them to select the most relevant skills for your resume.

Pro Tip: Remember to list cuisines. To have the trifecta on your chef resume, listing the regional or international cuisines you're familiar with is just as crucial as listing hard skills and soft skills.

5. List Other Sections on a Chef's Resume

Your resume now has all the main ingredients. But, to really spice it up, add some extra components. This will help you snap up one of the best job offers out of 22,000 job openings projected to appear each year from 2022 to 2032.

Here are the most popular additional sections for chef resumes:

1. Volunteer Experience

Volunteer work on a resume looks awesome, whether for head chef resumes or junior chef resumes. However, stick to adding only the most relevant instances.

2. Hobbies & Interests

Like the right wine, there are interests and hobbies that pair well with a chef's resume. For example, sports such as volleyball show you work well in a team, and gardening shows you are knowledgeable about different fruits and veggies. 

3. Professional Certifications & Awards

Have any cooking certifications or chef awards? Remember to add them to a resume for chef jobs.

4. Foreign Languages

Like understanding French cooking methods as well as Indian cuisine, a second language opens up many opportunities.

Read more: What to Put for Additional Information on a Resume?

6. Create a Chef Resume Objective or Summary

You know the way people love your culinary creations? You want the restaurant owner to love your chef's resume like that. That means you need a personal chef resume objective or chef resume summary to use as a heading statement. 

Here's how to decide which heading statement is right for chef resumes:

• Use a resume summary if you have plenty of experience working with professional chefs. A summary statement brags about your chef experience and achievements to make their mouths water.
• Use the resume objective if you have no chef experience to talk about in your resume. The objective statement gives the restaurant your culinary career goals and includes a numbered achievement to verify you're as talented as you claim.

Hungry for more examples of a resume summary or resume objective for chef jobs? Check out our guides: How To Write A Resume Summary and Resume Objective Examples

7. Write a Cover Letter to Match Your Chef Resume

Would you serve a lobster without a plastic bib and a little two-pronged fork? Similarly not ready to serve is a resume without a chef cover letter. 

Here are a few flavorful tips for delivering a chef cover letter they’ll eat up:

• Format the cover letter before you begin to write.
• Use a compelling cover letter introduction.
• Talk up your skills and experience in the body paragraphs.
• Sell yourself well in your cover letter and show them why you're the perfect chef for this restaurant.
• Explain why this restaurant is the best place for you to work.
• Use numbered achievements to verify you're as skilled as you say.
• End your chef cover letter with a strong closing statement.

Read more: Professional Chef Cover Letter Samples [Sous, Executive, Pastry]

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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If you're considering other similar jobs in the food industry, make sure to see a dedicated resume writing guide:

• Cook Resume
• Sous Chef Resume
• Bartender Resume
• Fast Food Resume
• Restaurant Resume
• Restaurant General Manager Resume
• Banquet Server Resume
• Server Resume
• Baker Resume
• Example Resumes for 500+ Jobs

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

• https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/research/industry-statistics/national-statistics/
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/chefs-and-head-cooks.htm