Chefs and Head Cooks Resume Examples and Templates: Craft a Resume That Gets You the Job

In the culinary world, your food speaks volumes—but when you’re applying for a chef position, your resume needs to speak first. Whether you’re a head chef, executive chef, pastry chef, or a commis chef, having a professionally written resume is crucial to landing your dream role in a competitive kitchen.

This article offers real-world chef resume examples and templates, along with resume writing tips from experts and tools to help you create a professional resume that will impress any hiring manager.

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Why You Need a Strong Chef Resume

Hiring managers look for more than just cooking talent. They want leadership, menu development skills, kitchen operations management, and soft skills like time management and communication. Your chef resume should demonstrate not just your cuisine expertise, but also how well you manage a team, handle pressure, and maintain food safety and quality.

Whether you have 10 years of experience as a senior chef or are just starting your culinary career, this guide will help you write a chef resume that gets noticed.

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Chef Resume Examples and Templates: What Makes a Great Resume?

1. Choose the Right Resume Format

Most professional chef resumes use the chronological resume format, listing your work history from most recent to oldest. If you’re changing careers or have employment gaps, consider a functional resume that emphasizes key skills over dates.

Use a clean and modern resume template that makes it easy for recruiters to scan. A template for 2025 should include ample space for your resume summary, skills section, and experience section.

Tip: Use a resume builder tool to speed up the process and ensure your resume is ATS-optimized.

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Sample Chef Resume Summary

Your resume summary sits at the top of your resume and should give a quick snapshot of your qualifications.

Chef Resume Summary Example:

Passionate and experienced head chef with over 10 years of experience leading busy kitchens in fine dining and hotel environments. Expertise in menu development, food preparation, and kitchen staff training. Known for reducing food waste and improving service efficiency by 25%. Skilled in French, Mediterranean, and modern fusion cuisine.

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Work Experience: Showcase Your Culinary Journey

Your experience section should include quantifiable achievements and clear responsibilities. Focus on your accomplishments rather than generic job duties.

Chef Resume Example – Work Experience

Executive Chef *The Grand Oak Bistro, New York, NY March 2016 – Present*

• Directed a team of 15 kitchen staff, including sous chefs and line cooks, ensuring smooth kitchen operations.

• Developed seasonal menus that increased customer satisfaction by 30%.

• Reduced food waste by implementing strict inventory protocols.

• Maintained consistent 5-star health inspection ratings.

Sous Chef *La Belle Vie, Chicago, IL June 2012 – Feb 2016*

• Collaborated on daily menu development and recipe testing.

• Oversaw food preparation and ensured food safety compliance.

• Trained new staff on culinary techniques and hygiene protocols.

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Resume Skills: What to Include in the Skills Section

A strong skills section can make your resume stand out to hiring managers and resume checkers. Include both technical and soft skills relevant to your chef role.

Top Skills for a Chef Resume:

• Menu creation and planning

• Food costing and inventory

• Kitchen equipment operation

• Time management

• Leadership and team coordination

• Budget management

• Food safety and sanitation

• Plating and presentation

• Customer service

• Creativity and innovation

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Education and Certifications

Include your degree in culinary arts or a related field, as well as certifications that highlight your qualifications.

Education Example:

Associate Degree in Culinary Arts Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts

Certifications:

• ServSafe Food Handler Certification

• Certified Executive Chef (CEC) – American Culinary Federation

• CPR & First Aid Certified

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Chef Resume Objective (If You’re Entry-Level)

If you’re just starting out, use a resume objective to highlight your passion and goals.

Chef Resume Objective Example:

Motivated commis chef with a diploma in culinary arts and hands-on experience in fast-paced kitchen environments. Eager to contribute to a professional kitchen by supporting food preparation, maintaining cleanliness, and learning under an experienced executive chef.

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Bonus: Chef Resume Samples by Role

• Pastry Chef Resume Sample
• Executive Chef Resume Example
• Sous Chef Resume Sample
• Private Chef Resume
• Chef de Partie Resume Example
• Commis Chef Resume

Each sample follows the best chef resume practices and uses a clear, modern resume format designed for recruiters.

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Chef Cover Letter Tips

Pair your chef resume with a tailored chef cover letter that explains why you’re a good fit for the kitchen culture and outlines specific experience as a chef. Highlight achievements, such as improving customer retention or designing successful seasonal menus.

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Final Tips for Writing Your Chef Resume

• Tailor your resume for each chef job by using keywords from the job description.

• Use action verbs like “directed,” “created,” “managed,” “developed,” and “reduced.”

• Keep your resume to one page if you have less than 10 years of experience.

• For experienced chefs, a two-page resume is acceptable if well-organized.

• Use a strong resume skills section to emphasize both leadership and technical ability.

• Try our resume builder for formatting help and suggestions from professional resume writers.

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Conclusion: Write a Chef Resume That Gets You Hired

A chef resume can feel challenging to get right—but with the correct structure, resume writing tips, and the right chef resume template, you’ll be ready to impress any hiring manager. Use these chef resume examples and templates to create your resume, and you’ll be well on your way to your next great chef position.

Looking for help crafting a resume that’s tailored to your career? Our certified professional resume writers and resume guides are here to help. Whether you’re applying for an executive chef position or transitioning from sous chef to head chef, we’ll help you create a professional resume that opens kitchen doors.