how to make a resume for a culinary job

• • Spearheaded a team of 20+ chefs resulting in a 30% increase in kitchen efficiency and reduced food preparation times.
• • Revamped the seasonal menu which contributed to a 25% rise in customer satisfaction and positive reviews.
• • Reduced food waste by 15% through implementation of a strict inventory management system and training staff on waste reduction techniques.
• • Collaborated closely with local vendors to source high-quality ingredients, strengthening vendor relationships and obtaining favorable pricing.
• • Organized monthly cooking workshops, elevating culinary skills and fostering a culture of continuous learning among kitchen staff.
• • Managed successful kitchen operations for a farm-to-table restaurant, ensuring a consistent 95% occupancy rate during peak dining hours.
• • Created and executed a sustainable sourcing program that lowered ingredient costs by 20% while maintaining high food quality standards.
• • Introduced a new training protocol that reduced staff turnover by 10% and improved overall team morale.
• • Led the restaurant through a critical rebranding phase which saw an increase in profits by 18% within the first year.
• • Designed and implemented a seasonal rotating menu that emphasized local produce and artisan products, drawing in a diverse food enthusiast crowd.
• • Oversaw daily kitchen operations in a busy Italian eatery, leading to a sustained customer return rate of 40%.
• • Conceptualized and presented a series of signature dishes, which accounted for 35% of total sales within six months of introduction.
• • Conducted comprehensive staff training, ensuring all team members were proficient in new health and safety protocols.
• • Participated in local culinary competitions, securing media coverage that increased restaurant visibility and patronage.

5 Culinary Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Your culinary resume must highlight your experience with diverse cuisines and kitchen management skills. It should clearly reflect your journey and proficiency in the culinary arts. Ensure your resume showcases your ability to work in high-pressure environments and your commitment to food safety and hygiene. These vital details set the stage for your professional culinary narrative.

All resume examples in this guide

Traditional

Resume Guide

Resume Format Tips

Resume Experience

Skills on Resume

Education & Certifications

Resume Summary Tips

Additional Resume Sections

Key Takeaways

One specific resume challenge you might face in the culinary industry is effectively showcasing the breadth of your skills and unique culinary creations to potential employers. Our guide provides targeted advice on how to articulate your culinary accomplishments and tailor your resume to stand out in a competitive market.

• Get inspired from our culinary resume samples with industry-leading skills, certifications, and more.
• Show how you can impact the organization with your resume summary and experience.
• Introducing your unique culinary expertise with a focus on tangible results and achievements.

If the culinary resume isn't the right one for you, take a look at other related guides we have:

• Hotel Bartender Resume Example
• Catering Resume Example
• Cook Resume Example
• Reservations Manager Resume Example
• Fine Dining Resume Example
• Restaurant Operations Manager Resume Example
• Barback Resume Example
• Kitchen Manager Resume Example
• Front of House Manager Resume Example
• Cocktail Bartender Resume Example

Optimize your culinary resume format to pass the recruiters' assessment

What recruiters are looking for is systematised content that is clear and coherent. Thus, your culinary resume needs to answer requirements and why you're the best candidate for the role from the get-go.

• Sorting your experience in the reverse chronological order - starting with your most recent and relevant roles. This is an excellent choice for more experienced professionals;
• Writing your contact information (e.g. personal phone number and email address ) and your portfolio or LinkedIn link in your culinary resume header. If you're wondering to include a photo or not, always make sure that it's appropriate for the country you're applying in;
• Use the basic, most important culinary resume sections - your experience, education, summary, etc. Use your resume's real estate wisely to tell a compelling, professional story and match job description's keywords;
• Don't go overboard with the length of your resume. One page is absolutely fine if you happen to have under a decade of relevant experience.

Are you still wondering if you should submit your culinary resume in PDF or Word format ? The PDF has a few more advantages, as it doesn't change the format and the text can't be altered upon application.

Format matters most when your culinary resume is assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS).

The ATS parses resumes, looking for specific keywords, skills or experience that match the job description.

P.S. We recently did a study on how the ATS works and were able to demystify three of the biggest misconceptions about how it assesses candidate resumes.

To pass the ATS evaluation, select any of the serif or sans-serif fonts. Popular choices that would help your culinary resume stand out include Raleway, Exo 2, Montserrat, etc.

Most traditionalists go for Arial or Times New Roman, but it's often the case that many candidates choose these fonts, and you'd thus lose points on the uniqueness front.

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The more time and effort you've put into obtaining the relevant certificate, the closer to the top it should be listed. This is especially important for more senior roles and if the company you're applying for is more forward-facing.

The six in-demand sections for your culinary resume:

• Top one-third should be filled with a header, listing your contact details, and with a summary or objective, briefly highlighting your professional accolades
• Experience section, detailing how particular jobs have helped your professional growth
• Notable achievements that tie in your hard or soft skills with tangible outcomes
• Popular industry certificates to further highlight your technical knowledge or people capabilities
• Education to showcase your academic background in the field

What recruiters want to see on your resume:

• Diverse Culinary Skill Set - Mastery of various cooking techniques and cuisines.
• Professional Experience - Past roles in reputable restaurants or food service establishments.
• Creativity and Menu Development - Proven ability to create innovative and appealing menus.
• Food Safety and Sanitation - Knowledge and certifications in proper food handling and safety protocols.
• Leadership and Team Management - Experience in supervising kitchen staff and coordinating kitchen operations.

The culinary resume experience section: a roadmap to your expertise

The resume experience section provides you with an opportunity to tell your professional narrative.

Recruiters, reading between the lines of your resume, use the experience section to better understand your unique skill set, accomplishments, and what unique value you bring about.

Discover five quick steps on how to write your experience section:

• Curate only relevant experience items to the role and include the company, description, and dates; all followed by up to six bullets per experience item;
• Each experience item should feature tangible results of your actions - if you can include a number or percent, this will further highlight your aptitude;
• If you've received any managerial or customer feedback, use short excerpts of it as further social proof of your technical or people skills;
• Make sure you're using the appropriate verb tense when listing your responsibilities;
• Within the description for each role, you could summarize your most noteworthy and relevant achievements.

Now, take note of how a real-world culinary professional received opportunities at industry leaders with these resume experience sections:

• Efficiently managed a team of 15 kitchen staff at a high-volume, fine dining establishment, consistently hitting operational efficiency goals by 20%.
• Developed a seasonal menu featuring locally sourced ingredients, leading to a 25% increase in customer satisfaction and a 30% boost in repeat business.
• Spearheaded a waste-reduction initiative that cut food costs by 18%, while maintaining quality standards and diner satisfaction.
• Oversaw daily culinary operations in a fast-paced hotel restaurant, serving over 500 guests daily with a team of 20 cooks and assistants.
• Implemented a training program that improved kitchen staff skills, reducing cooking errors by 40% and increasing kitchen throughput.
• Collaborated with the front-of-house management to redesign the dinner service flow, reducing wait times by 25% during peak hours.
• Oversee the food preparation process for a modern fusion restaurant, incorporating innovative cooking techniques such as sous-vide and molecular gastronomy.
• Launched a signature dish that became a social media sensation, drawing in an average of 100 additional patrons per week.
• Partnered with local farms to ensure the use of fresh, sustainable ingredients, resulting in enhanced flavor profiles and a 15% increase in menu prices supported by clientele.
• Created a revamped dessert menu for an upscale patisserie, which led to a 50% increase in dessert sales and notable mention in 'Foodie Magazine'.
• Trained a team of 10 pastry interns in advanced baking techniques, ensuring high quality and consistency in production.
• Organized and executed catering events for up to 300 guests, customizing dessert options to fit client needs while staying under budget by 10%.
• Led a kitchen brigade in a busy seafood restaurant, handling over 1000 covers per week and maintaining a 5-star hygiene rating throughout tenure.
• Reduced ingredient costs by sourcing directly from local fishermen, improving margins by 22% without sacrificing quality.
• Curated multiple cooking workshops that enhanced the brand's community presence and attracted a wider customer base.
• Managed food inventory and procurement for a trendy vegan eatery, reducing food spoilage rates by 35% through better supplier negotiations and stock management.
• Conducted monthly cooking classes that increased patron engagement and boosted weekday sales by 20%.
• Pioneered a plant-based menu that catered to diverse dietary restrictions, making the restaurant a popular choice among health-conscious diners.
• Optimized kitchen workflows in a busy city café, which increased service speed by 30% and significantly improved customer reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor.
• Initiated a sourcing partnership with local organic coffee farms, elevating the café's reputation for freshness and supporting the local economy.
• Launched a successful breakfast burrito line that became the café’s best-selling item, contributing to a 40% increase in morning sales.
• Direct the culinary program at a boutique winery, pairing complex dishes with exclusive wine selections to enhance the tasting experience for guests.
• Achieved a 95% satisfaction rate on guest feedback forms through meticulous attention to detail and a personalized approach to menu creation.
• Initiated a farm-to-table event series that attracted food critics and increased banquet bookings by 30% year-over-year.

Quantifying impact on your resume

• Include the number of menu items developed to showcase creativity and contribution to culinary diversity.
• List the percentage increase in customer satisfaction from menu enhancements to demonstrate customer-focused improvements.
• Mention the decrease in food waste through improved management to highlight cost-saving and sustainability efforts.
• Quantify the size of teams managed or trained to establish leadership and team development skills.
• State the number of food safety certifications obtained to emphasize commitment to standards and ongoing education.
• Detail the revenue growth achieved from special promotions or events to reflect direct impact on business profitability.
• Record the volume of meals prepared during peak service times to exhibit efficiency and high-volume production capability.
• Specify the reduction in order fulfillment times post-process optimization to show operational improvement.

Action verbs for your culinary resume

Culinary resume without experience: a walk-through guide

If you don't happen to have any relevant experience yet, you can substitute this with:

• Short-term gigs and stunts - like month-long internships, that you have done during your university days
• Contract work - be specific about the relevance and outcomes of each role you include
• Resume format that prioritizes your skills - the functional-skill-based format or hybrid format could work
• Research roles - feature those especially prominently if you've participated in a noteworthy project or your role was of utmost importance to the project's success.

Recommended reads:

• How to Put Cum Laude on Your Resume
• When Should You Include Your High School on Your Resume?

If you happen to have some basic certificates, don't invest too much of your culinary resume real estate in them. Instead, list them within the skills section or as part of your relevant experience. This way you'd ensure you meet all job requirements while dedicating your certificates to only the most in-demand certification across the industry.

Creating your culinary resume skills section: balancing hard skills and soft skills

Recruiters hiring for culinary roles are always keen on hiring candidates with relevant technical and people talents. Hard skills or technical ones are quite beneficial for the industry - as they refer to your competency with particular software and technologies. Meanwhile, your soft (or people) skills are quite crucial to yours and the company's professional growth as they detail how you'd cooperate and interact in your potential environment. Here's how to describe your hard and soft skill set in your culinary resume:

• Consider what the key job requirements are and list those towards the top of your skills section.
• Think of individual, specific skills that help you stand out amongst competitors, and detail how they've helped you succeed in the past.
• Look to the future of the industry and list all software/technologies which are forward-facing.
• Create a separate, technical skills section to supplement your experience and further align with the culinary job advert.

Top skills for your culinary resume:

Knife skills

Food preparation

Recipe development

Menu planning

Food safety and sanitation

Cooking techniques

Culinary math

Plating and presentation

Ingredient knowledge

Time management

Adaptability

Attention to detail

Stress management

Communication

Problem-solving

Multitasking

If you failed to obtain one of the certificates, as listed in the requirements, but decide to include it on your resume, make sure to include a note somewhere that you have the "relevant training, but are planning to re-take the exams". Support this statement with the actual date you're planning to be re-examined. Always be honest on your resume.

Qualifying your relevant certifications and education on your culinary resume

In recent times, employers have started to favor more and more candidates who have the "right" skill alignment, instead of the "right" education.

But this doesn't mean that recruiters don't care about your certifications .

Dedicate some space on your resume to list degrees and certificates by:

• Including start and end dates to show your time dedication to the industry
• Adding credibility with the institutions' names
• Prioritizing your latest certificates towards the top, hinting at the fact that you're always staying on top of innovations
• If you decide on providing further information, focus on the actual outcomes of your education: the skills you've obtained

If you happen to have a degree or certificate that is irrelevant to the job, you may leave it out.

Some of the most popular certificates for your resume include:

The top 5 certifications for your culinary resume:

• Certified Executive Chef (CEC) - American Culinary Federation
• ProChef Certification (ProChef) - The Culinary Institute of America
• Certified Culinary Educator (CCE) - American Culinary Federation
• Certified Sous Chef (CSC) - American Culinary Federation
• Certified Master Pastry Chef (CMPC) - American Culinary Federation

The more trusted the organization you've attained your certificate (or degree) from, the more credible your skill set would be.

• How to List Continuing Education on Your Resume
• How To List Certifications On A Resume (Examples Included)

Choosing between a culinary resume summary or objective

Many may argue that, in recent times, the culinary resume summary or objective has become completely obsolete.

But the reality is different as both of these resume sections provide you with an opportunity to :

• integrate culinary-vital keywords
• showcase your accomplishments
• answer why you're applying for this particular role.

The difference (between the summary and the objective) is that the:

• Resume objective puts your career goals in a more prominent position.
• Resume summary focuses more on career milestones.

We recommend you select the summary if you happen to have plenty of experience you'd like to spotlight from the very start of your culinary resume.

Meanwhile, the objective is ideal for those candidates who'd like to further prove their suitability for the role with their goals and soft skills.

We've featured some industry professional culinary resume samples to the best resume summary and objective structures:

Resume summaries for a culinary job

• With a decade of experience as an Executive Chef in a Michelin-starred establishment, I possess a comprehensive understanding of high-end cuisine production and management. My technical expertise encompasses molecular gastronomy and sustainable sourcing, leading to the significant achievement of a 30% increase in diner satisfaction scores.
• Having honed my skills for over 15 years as a Pastry Chef, I've mastered the art of crafting exquisite desserts, specialty bread, and innovative confections. Awarded 'Best Dessert Menu' by the National Restaurant Association, my background includes spearheading a bakery section in a top NYC restaurant, yielding a 20% yearly growth in sales.
• Transitioning from a successful career in software development, my analytical skills and 10-year experience in project management are ready to be channeled into culinary arts. I'm eagerly aiming to apply my systematic approach and relentless creativity to achieve culinary expertise and contribute to a kitchen's success.
• After thriving in corporate event planning for 8 years, my extensive experience in client service, operational logistics, and passion for food has driven me to pursue a dynamic career in the culinary industry. I am committed to leveraging my event coordination prowess to enrich customer dining experiences and streamline kitchen operations.
• As an enthusiastic individual with a strong passion for flavors and an eagerness to learn, my objective is to immerse myself in professional culinary arts. My goal is to cultivate my skills, bring fresh ideas, and contribute to a dynamic kitchen team, despite having no prior professional culinary experience.
• With no professional kitchen experience but an unwavering passion for gastronomy and a commitment to learning, I seek to develop my culinary skills. Ambitious to understand diverse cooking techniques and food cultures, I aim to contribute creatively to the culinary team as I embark on this new professional journey.

Other culinary resume sections to support your expertise and skills

Recruiters are always on the lookout for that culinary candidate who brings about even more value to the role.

This can be either via their personality or additional accreditations they have across the industry.

Add to your resume any of the four sections that fit your profile:

• Projects for your most impressive, cutting-edge work;
• Awards or recognitions that matter the most;
• Publications further building up your professional portfolio and accreditations;
• Hobbies and interests to feature the literature you read, how you spend your time outside of work, and other personality traits you deem may help you stand out .

Key takeaways

• Ensure your culinary resume uses a simple, easy-to-read format that reflects upon your experience and aligns with the role;
• Be specific within the top one-third of your resume (header and summary or objective) to pinpoint what makes you the ideal candidate for the culinary role;
• Curate information that is tailored to the job by detailing skills, achievements, and actual outcomes of your efforts;
• List your certifications and technical capabilities to demonstrate your aptitude with specific software and technologies;
• The sections you decide on including on your culinary should pinpoint your professional expertise and personality.

Looking to build your own Culinary resume?

• Resume Examples

Area of Expertise: A Smart Way to Curate Resume Experience and Skills

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7 Cook Resume Examples + Complete Guide

Best for senior and mid-level candidates

There’s plenty of room in our elegant resume template to add your professional experience while impressing recruiters with a sleek design.

Resume Builder

Like this template? Customize this resume and make it your own with the help of our Al-powered suggestions, accent colors, and modern fonts.

Cook Resume

• Cook Resumes by Experience
• Cook Resumes by Role

Everyone likes food, and it takes a distinctive person to prepare it. But not everyone can handle the prep work, cleaning, and inventory management that’s part of a cook’s role. 

Food creation is your passion, but those skills don’t necessarily translate to  building a resume . That’s where we come in—we want to help you design a thoughtful, structured resume so employers know your skills.

We’ve reviewed hundreds of job descriptions and resumes to see what employers look for in 2024. Our seven cook resume samples and writing tips will help you navigate the ins and outs of what to include in your own resume. We’ll help you create a resume that’s a surefire recipe for success! 

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• Metrics are any sort of numbers you can associate with your tasks. For example, did you memorize a certain number of recipes, improve efficiency by working with your team during slow hours, or did you improve the customer experience using your verbal communication skills? 
• Choose a template that gives you plenty of room to include optional sections, like certifications, depending on your experience.

Entry-Level Cook Resume

• An objective can quickly show an employer how your job history has prepared you to become a cook and why your personality is the right fit for their institution.
• If you worked retail, demonstrate your customer service abilities, memorization skills, and attention to detail. 

Experienced Line Cook Resume

• Proper  resume formatting  can make your resume easy to read and pretty to boot. Start by listing your work experience in reverse-chronological order to show your most recent experience first. 
• If you’ve trained or hired associates, collaborated with your team to save money, or implemented new inventory technology, list it in your work experience. 

Restaurant Cook Resume

• Does your restaurant cook resume show all these? If not, go back to the drawing board and exploit your past experiences that present you as a terrific cook. Your collaboration efforts with the rest of the team also have a place here.

Fast Food Cook Resume

• Unknown to you, and a majority of other applicants, your server role can be pivotal in getting you the job. Capitalize on your upselling skills and mention how that increased the size of the average check.

School Cook Resume

• For example, if you list collaboration as a skill, be sure to demonstrate that in your job description bullet points, too. 
• If you’re applying to work at a school with 800 students, an employer will have more confidence in you if they know you’ve cooked meals for large volumes of people before. 

Breakfast Cook Resume

• A summary can subtly speak to your specialty as a breakfast cook while communicating what you can bring to the table (pun intended). Include things like your years of experience, special skills, and the job title you’re seeking.
• As a breakfast cook, food presentation matters. Resume presentation matters, too, so you should always run your resume through a  resume checker  or spellcheck system to ensure your document is polished, precise, and perfect.

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