Chef Resume Example & Template

Chef Resume Template

Average chef salaries in the US

The following table includes information from O*NET Resource Center by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license, this data is pulled from the most recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment & Earnings report (as of 10/16/2024), featuring the top states by use.

Four chef resume writing tips

Whether you’re looking for your first chef position or you’re a seasoned professional, these four tips will help you write a chef resume that convinces hiring managers you’re the right candidate for the job.

1. Display your certifications and skills

The fastest way to boost your resume is to list your certifications, and create a strong resume skills section. You should consider earning certifications if you don’t have any.

A certifications section is only one part of a resume — you also need to understand which hard and soft skills you should include, and how.

Hard skills are techniques or knowledge you learned from training or schooling. Chefs are experts in the culinary industry, and have extensive knowledge of food, business, and safety guidelines. Have a look at our list of hard skills for a chef resume:

• Menu creation
• Culinary expertise
• Management skills
• Customer service skills
• Supply management
• Certifications
• Food sanitation
• Knowledge of food trends

Soft skills are character traits that show how you interact with others at the workplace. Chefs need soft skills because they need to delegate many tasks and ensure everyone works harmoniously. Here’s a list of soft skills for chefs:

• Organization skills
• Time management skills
• Interpersonal skills
• People skills
• Leadership skills
• Adaptability
• Communication skills
• Attention to detail

Emphasizing these key skills on your chef resume gives you an edge, because being a good chef requires not only a talented palate but also leadership, organization, and hard work.

These are the career and salary prospects for chefs in 2020:

2. Open your resume with a resume objective

A resume objective gives hiring managers a reason to continue reading your resume. The candidate in the sample above has written an effective resume objective, for these reasons:

• They describe their years of experience as well as the kind of food that they specialize in
• They show the scope of what they can handle by including how many tables they can serve
• They mention their innovation and creativity in using ingredients to create new menus

As you can see, they’ve persuasively demonstrated why they’d be a good candidate for the job. Hiring managers who see their resume will continue reading their resume to learn more about their skills, achievements, and experience.

3. Target your work experience bullets to the job ad

Back up the claims you made in your resume objective with examples in your work history section, listing them in a bullet format.

Below, we highlight the three strongest bullet points from the above chef resume sample. We also bold the strongest parts of each bullet point:

Redeveloped entire menu in 2019, increasing sales revenue by 150%

The above bullet point proves that the candidate can create new dishes rather than just follow instructions by only cooking the same dishes. The candidate also shows that they can create new products that attract new customers, stick to the restaurant’s budget, and increase profits.

Overall, this candidate proves they know how to make a restaurant stay profitable by providing great food.

Notice how the sales increase is quantified — you should include accomplishments on your resume in the same way by providing numerical values describing your work experience.

Developed process that reduced waste by 40% and improved supply turnover by 70%

As shown above, the chef’s ability to decrease waste not only helps with the restaurant’s profits but also supports the environment.

Managed relationships with vendors, negotiating prices of ingredients and equipment that resulted in 10% savings on budget

Here, the candidate illustrates that they understand how to cut expenses for the restaurant, helping it remain profitable.

4. Use action verbs for an impactful resume

Each bullet point should start with an action verb — a verb that begins your bullet points and adds depth and detail to your resume. We list the most common action verbs chef resumes use:

• Accomplish
• Assist
• Clean
• Cook
• Create
• Delegate
• Deliver
• Designate
• Develop
• Ensure
• Provide
• Prepare
• Organize
• Manage
• Meet
• Record
• Supervise
• Train

Additional resources

Want more insight into the daily life of a chef before deciding if it’s the right career path for you? Take a look at this video by sous chef and YouTuber Ryan Dean Dexton:

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