Chef CV Example & Writing Guide

A chef CV should consist of just the right ingredients to pique the interest of hiring managers and persuade them to invite you for an interview.

Restaurant owners and managers don’t have a lot of time to spend pouring over your CV, so how do you make a great impression and ensure you catch their attention?

With dozens of occupation-specific CV examples and writing guides, Resume.io is an expert resource for job seekers at every stage of their careers. In this CV guide, together with our chef CV example, you can expect to learn more on the following topics:

• The role of a chef and what this entails
• Tips on how to write your chef CV
• The most effective format to use for your chef CV
• Ensuring each of your CV’s essential sections is effective: header, summary, employment history, skills, and education
• Advice on the best layout and design to use for your chef CV

What does a chef do?

Chefs have overall responsibility for the kitchen. They can work in various settings, including restaurants, hotels, and schools. In each type of setting, they plan the menu, deal with the food preparation, and manage the kitchen staff to deliver high-quality meals as promptly as possible

Most chefs work over 50 hours a week as it is a high-pressure and extremely busy role.

How to write a chef CV

Your chef CV, like all CVs, must include the following essential sections to adequately cover the your skills and experience:

• CV header
• CV summary
• Employment history
• Skills
• Education

When writing each of these sections, it's important to be mindful of the target employer. For instance, consider the difference in tone you would adopt for a prestigious restaurant rather than a laid-back local café. Make tweaks to your CV to suit each job application.

The best way to build rapport before you even meet someone is to find out about them. Get a feel for the hiring manager and make sure to customise your CV for the job specs. At the same time, scrutinise the posted job requirements for keywords and phrases that stand out — especially those used multiple times. Be sure to use those keywords throughout your chef CV. This is your best precaution to avoid rejection by automatic tracking systems (ATS),  commonly used to electronically screen online job applications.

Choosing the best CV format for a chef

The best format to use for your chef CV is reverse chronological. It places your employment history section at the forefront with the education and skills following later.

One time when you might consider diverting from this format is when you lack relevant experience and want to focus on education or transferable skills instead. For instance, you might be looking for a trainee chef role, and are qualified but haven't yet developed expertise in industry roles.

Another instance when some job seekers adopt the functional (skills-based) or hybrid (combination) CV format is to reflect self-employment rather than employee work experience. Again, they might emphasize transferable skills, or even projects or clients, instead of places worked.

Feel free to swap different CV sections to suit the situation. But for most experienced chefs who have worked in a series of employee positions, reverse chronological is the best option.

CV header

Before getting into the content of your CV, one section at a time, it’s important not to overlook a critically important design element that helps make the document look more inviting to read. That is the CV header, which displays your name, occupation and contact information prominently on the page. It not only adds visual interest but also makes it easy for hiring managers to contact you later when you’re shortlisted for an interview. The impact is more striking when you apply the same header design to your CV and cover letter.

CV summary example: the starter

The summary (also known as the personal statement or profile) is the first section hiring managers will see on your chef CV. It's a short synopsis of your experience and skills to date — a brief introduction to you.

The summary only needs to be a few sentences long, and should include dynamic action verbs such as "led," "managed," planned,” organised,” or "demonstrated." It's not necessary to start each statement with the 'I' pronoun. Just jump right in with descriptive adjectives and adverbs supporting the action statements.

Below is the summary section of our chef CV example.

Employment history sample: the main course

The employment history section is the "main course" of your chef CV — i.e., the most influential section of the hiring case you're presenting.

Begin with your most recent position and work backwards to the earliest. Below each dated employer heading, create bullet points highlighting the duties of the role. You don't need to describe every aspect of every role; or even include every job. Keep it short and relevant cover the important points. Again, lead with action verbs and omit the "I" pronoun.

Because chefs plays an essential part in managing teams of kitchen staff, they naturally aim to meet performance targets.That’s why you should try to incorporate “success statistics” to support your work experience highlights. Focus on results, not merely duties. 

For instance, instead of "responsible for ensuring a quick turnaround of meals from kitchen to table," you could say, "ensured meals were prepared and on the customer's table within 15 minutes." It gives the hiring manager a clearer insight into the deliverables they could expect from you, making your chef CV more persuasive.

Below you’ll find the employment history section from our chef CV sample.

CV skills example: the accompaniment

Your CV skills section serves as the “bread” accompanying the “main meal” discussed above. It supports the work experience you describe, adding a little extra value.

A chef is an all-rounder who requires a wide array of skills. Therefore, your CV skill section should show the hiring manager what you're good at and what makes you the right person for the job. As a chef, you need to possess a good combination of hard and soft skills. You need to have the hard skills and training required to understand food, cooking, and preparing meals, but you also need the soft skills of communication, working under pressure, and managing stress. Therefore, your CV skill section should show the hiring manager what you're good at and what makes you the right person for the job. 

Check out the skills section from our chef CV example below.

Chef CV education example: the dessert

As there are no specific educational requirements for a chef, the education section can sit at the bottom of your CV. On-the-job training may be more relevant; however, education is still significant. 

If you have relevant qualifications as a chef, but no work experience, you may want to switch the education and employment history sections around. This would put your education and training qualifications above what would normally be the employment history section. These qualifications would include certifications and any culinary courses you've completed with the latest at the top. 

Take a look at the education section from our graduate chef CV example for some inspiration.

CV layout and design: the finished product

Just as you would want your finished dishes to taste great, you also want to ensure the finished product is aesthetically pleasing. The same applies to your CV layout and design. But that doesn’t mean you need to overthink your CV layout and design. Simply strive to ensure that the document is clean, uncomplicated and visually appealing.

Key takeaways for a chef CV

1. Use a clear structure when writing your chef CV, ensuring you cover the most important aspects of your skills and experience.
2. Make sure your CV is targeted to each role you are applying for.
3. Ensure positive language throughout your CV, along with relevant keywords.
4. Check out our adaptable chef CV sample for more ideas on creating a great page layout.