Line Cook CV Example & Writing Guide

If you want to pursue your passion for food, your work as a line cook — also known as a chef de partie — should be a cut above the rest. This fast-paced job requires a huge amount of commitment to develop and work your way up the ranks. 

That means it is extra important that your chef de partie CV shows your prospective employer why you’re the right fit for those chef whites. But how do you make sure that you create a CV that’s to everyone’s taste? 

Just like preparing your favourite dish, there are some important steps you need to follow in order to cook up the perfect chef de partie CV. Your CV is how you communicate your skills and potential as a chef de partie. Most of all, you want to leave the hiring manager wanting more so that they invite you to an interview.  

But don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be hard. Before you know it, you’ll have a document that you’ll be proud to send to your ideal employer. As long as you put in the work, there’s no reason why you can’t craft a CV worthy of a chef’s kiss. 

CV guide for a line cook CV

We know that running a kitchen is very much a team effort, so why not let us join the assembly line? At Resume.io, we have hundreds of CV examples that cover numerous professions, backed up by an easy-to-use CV builder. 

This CV guide and corresponding line cook CV example will cover the following:

• How to write a line cook CV
• Choosing the right CV format for a line cook
• How to add your contact information
• Using summaries
• Adding your line cook experience
• Listing education and relevant experience
• Picking the right CV design/layout
• What the line cook market looks like and what salary you can expect

How to write a line cook CV

The very first step in writing your line cook CV is understanding what sections to include. Your CV should contain the following elements:

• The CV header
• The CV summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The CV skills section
• The education section

Just like you want to impress your clientele from the very first bite, the hiring manager should be able to tell from a glance at your CV whether or not your application is a good fit. 

Each section of your CV needs to come together to build a picture of why you’re the person for the job. By the time the hiring manager has finished reading, they should understand that you’re the only one who can bring what’s needed to the table.

But how can you do this? It’s important to identify how your skills and experience align with what a restaurant is looking for in a chef de partie. Perhaps your training is a perfect fit for their needs? Or maybe you’ve already worked in a similar environment? 

Brainstorm some of your ideas before you start writing. The answers to those questions are going to help you to write with the hiring manager’s preferences in mind.

Here’s a tried and tested list of considerations when you’re trying to captivate the hiring manager’s attention: 

• Optimise your CV by taking note of the keywords in the job description and making sure they’re present in your content. This will stop it from being filtered out by ATS screening software.
• Do your research about the restaurant or company you’re applying to and adjust your content and tone accordingly.
• Choose a CV template that reflects both your professionalism and creativity as a chef de partie
• Shine a light on what you’ve achieved so far in previous or current roles that is relevant to this line cook job vacancy.

Choosing the right CV format for a line cook

As a chef de partie, your CV should be well organised, well presented, and clear. In short, it’s a reflection of what will be expected of you when you step foot into a kitchen. 

When it comes to the best CV format, we recommend sticking to the classic reverse chronological format. This is defined mostly by the employment history section, which is listed in reverse chronological order. 

Seasoned job seekers applying for specialist roles could also explore a skills-based CV format. Consider the expectations the hiring manager has when it comes to  reading the CVs of potential candidates. Most hiring managers prefer the reverse chronological format as it is easy to skim. 

However,  the best way to communicate your experience and skill set to them should inform your final decision on your CV format.

When it comes to choosing a CV template to house the format that you’ve chosen, there are a variety of options available in our CV builder. 

The type that you choose will ultimately depend on the type of establishment you’re applying to. While a fine dining restaurant might appreciate a more conservative and professional layout, a contemporary casual eatery may prefer something modern. 

Include your contact information

Like your chef whites, your CV header is the first impression someone will have of you. It sets the tone not only for your CV but for your entire professional profile. It needs to convey what kind of professional you wish to be seen as, and most importantly ensure that your contact information is clear.

The header — as its name suggests — should always be at the top of your CV so that your contact information is easy to find. Hiring managers won’t have enough time to search for it, so make sure it is legible.

It may seem like a simple thing to do. But you can avoid making silly mistakes when you list your contact information with the following points:. 

• Full name & title. List your first and last name and make sure that the title you use is that of the role you’re applying for.
• Professional email address. Use a clean format like [email protected]. Avoid quirky emails that could prompt questions about your professionalism.
• Phone number. Include a number that is easy to get in touch with you on. Make sure your voicemail message is a professional one, just in case you miss that first call.
• Location. List your city. Your full address and postcode are no longer necessary and it’s not recommended to share them at this stage. If applicable, include 'Willing to relocate'.
• LinkedIn. Depending on its relevance and if you’ve kept it up-to-date, include your LinkedIn profile.

Don’t include:

• Date of birth: There is no need to share your age and not doing so protects you from potential age discrimination.
• Personal details: You don’t need to provide potential employers with your marital status, social security number, passport number, or any other sensitive information.

Make use of a summary 

If you’ve got something special to offer to the hiring manager, then the summary is the place to let them know. You want to quickly communicate your unique value proposition. Two to three sentences are more than enough to introduce yourself as a line cook who can shake up their kitchen for the better. 

Line cooks may lean towards verbs such as prepared, developed, collaborated and even fostered. Teamwork is a huge part of restaurant work. The completion of dishes often depends on multiple people working towards the same result, so show that it’s also a priority for you. 

A great way to ensure that you capture the most important qualities for this job? Write this section of your CV last. Once you’ve completed the other sections, go through your content and imagine yourself as that potential employer trying to identify what separates you from other applicants. 

Make a note of the skills you think you could be applicable in particular for the role you’re applying to and voilà! Writing a summary that is guaranteed to impress suddenly becomes a piece of cake. 

You can find adaptable chef de partie CV examples summary below:

Outline your line cook work experience

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. The reverse chronological CV format is the best framework to put into action when you write about your experience as a line cook. In this format, your current or most recent job appears at the top of the list. Then you work your way back to your earliest job, which will be positioned last. 

Save your words for your interview. For each of your previous roles, include a subheading outlining your job title, employer, dates of employment, and location. Under each of these subheadings, you can utilise concise bullet point statements to describe your key achievements.  

The work experience you detail in these bullet points should be written and curated in a way that’s suited for the job you’re applying to. Dynamic action verbs work well for this, such as monitored, evaluated, cleaned, prepared, and more.

As opposed to just listing your responsibilities, angle your writing towards the outcomes and results you influenced. Your colleagues are going to need to count on you during food services. The very first step towards winning their trust is to convince your potential employer that you’re up to the job. In order to accomplish this, avoid empty, generic phrases that could be used to describe any line cook in your field. 

Not sure what to replace them with? Consider some of these phrases as suggestions to help you create your own: 

• "Oversaw deliveries and monitored stock to ensure accuracy and supply of integral ingredients"
• "Maintained standards of cleanliness resulting in consistently superior hygiene ratings "
• "Assisted with the preparation of food items for over 300 customers per night"

We know that this isn’t a job in which you can quantify every single accomplishment. The proof of your work ethic is in the team effort that comes together. But don’t undersell yourself. These are just some of the tips you can use to show off your experience and the skills you’ve made every effort to sharpen. 

For more ideas on how to draft your employment history section, take a look at the line cook employment history CV sample below:

Include the relevant key skills that make you a great line cook 

Your duties will greatly vary as a line cook, as you may be responsible for multiple tasks from keeping an eye on stock to prepping food before service starts. Don’t be shy about giving those skills the limelight that they deserve on your CV. 

Your CV skills list should be a balanced mix of hard and soft skills that ultimately boil down to why your skill set matches the one that the hiring manager is looking for. In your line of work, your hard skills are the fundamentals of your job, such as impeccable knife skills. 

Soft skills, on the other hand, are what set you apart from other line cooks. These are skills that often need to be honed over time or things you have a natural talent for. For instance, your ability to build and maintain a good rapport with your colleagues or to keep a cool head under pressure. We’re sure you have a great mix of both!

If you’re drawing a blank on what other skills you could include, our CV builder offers numerous pre-written key skills to choose from. All you need to do is set the proficiency ranges. Remember, whatever you choose to include, the skills should be selected based on their relevance concerning the role you want, not how impressive you feel they are.

Don’t forget about the importance of the language you’re using to list your most important skills. Familiarise yourself with and then insert the keywords from the job posting into your skills section. Always make sure it’s tailored to the skills you truthfully possess, of course. 

Don’t forget that your skills can be communicated in other sections of your chef de partie CV, too. For example, in your work experience section and professional summary, highlight your:

• Excellent organisation by talking about your ability to keep a clean workstation.
• Attention to detail by finding a strong example of when you helped the team to avoid a culinary disaster.
• Ability to deliver under pressure by detailing your work load during the busiest peaks in restaurant visitors.

 Here’s what the skills box looks like in our chef de partie CV example.

Detail your education & relevant line cook certifications

Although becoming a line cook doesn’t require formal qualifications, the education section is the space in which you can detail any training or education you have undertaken. In the case that you haven’t studied at university, remember to list your secondary school education. 

On the other hand, if you did undertake further studies to get to where you are, make sure you use your education section to highlight this. It will aid you in standing out from other applicants. Besides, your educational background — regardless of where it was earned — paints a picture of you as a three-dimensional individual and well-rounded candidate. 

When listing each qualification, you’ll need to include the name of the qualification, the institution where it was earned, your dates of attendance, and the location. Much like the employment section, your education section should be listed in reverse chronological order. You can also mention other awards or accreditations you’ve earned in this section, too.

Beyond formal education, remember you can also utilise this section to list any other certifications you hold as well as training related to the job. If you have multiple trainings that are relevant to include for this job, you can even list them under their own, new subheading.

Here are some examples of relevant trainings, certifications, and qualifications you could consider including in your chef de partie CV’s education section:

• Higher National Diploma in catering, hospitality, or similar
• Technical certificate in catering and/or professional cookery
• Foundation degree in the Arts in professional cookery or similar
• Apprenticeship as a chef or similar role
• BTEC International in hospitality

Use the CV sample content below for an idea of how to list your educational background as a line cook on your CV. 

Pick the right CV layout and design for a line cook CV

As a line cook you’re no stranger to working behind the scenes. Clients won’t normally get to see what goes on behind the closed doors of a kitchen. However, making yourself seen and noticed is what it’s all about when it comes to your CV layout and design. 

It’s time to come front of house and show potential employers what you’re capable of. Your CV design can help you to do exactly this. The hiring manager will appreciate a design that’s reader-friendly and above all: clean.  

The key to an eye-catching chef de partie CV may go against your initial thoughts. Employers don’t want chaos and gimmicks when they read a line cook's CV. They want something polished and fuss-free. So, save your creativity for the kitchen and prioritise efficiency when it comes to your chef de partie CV. 

In order to do this, focus on clean lines or clear spaces for separating sections. A polished but modern font and a simple colour palette should do the trick to catch the eye of potential employers. 

Use your professional judgement as to whether bold colour could work for your application. Monochrome is a safe bet for the world of fine dining, but if you want to apply to more contemporary and creative eateries then a touch of brightness might work in your favour. 

Or, you can give our professionally and field-tested CV templates a go so you don’t have to worry about creative visuals or formatting your CV’s structure. 

Line cook text-only CV example

Line cook job market and outlook

Perhaps it has something to do with the long hours spent on your feet, but it’s relatively easy to find casual or part-time work in the restaurant industry. Job opportunities can usually be found in chain restaurants, contract catering, and hotels. 

 The hours you work will vary depending on the type of establishment you find a role in. You may find part-time work quite easily in this field. Most line cooks will find themselves working evenings and weekends on occasion, if not regularly.

What type of salary you can expect as a line cook 

Line cooks’ salaries can range from £17,000 to £22,000 according to current data. However, undertaking training can open up more possibilities on the restaurant career ladder, with the potential to earn more. 

If you’re new to the profession, like most industries, you can expect to start at the lower end of the salary range. You may even find yourself working at an hourly rate.

Key takeaways for building a line cook CV

1. You are joining an industry that demands you to be quick on your feet. Highlight specific examples of work experience that demonstrates your efficiency.
2. Soft skills make the person behind the cooking equipment. Remember to include them in your skills section and beyond!
3. Your CV is a reflection of you. It needs to be organised and polished, much like your kitchen station will be.
4. Specific formal qualifications aren’t a must for this profession. But underlining any training that you have undertaken could give you an edge over other candidates.