Cook Chef Resume Sample
Matthew Maples
Address: 5855 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85711
Phone: (520) 514-0909
Email: [email protected]
Current job: Cook at Sushi Garden, Tucson, AZ
Objective
To secure a position as a cook at one of the state’s most excellent and exceptional food service establishments and to contribute my culinary expertise in preparing outstanding and commendable dishes to provide customers with a world-class dining experience.
Skills
- Experience working in a wide array of working environments
- Experience working as head chef, as well as working alongside other cooks
- Experience supervising kitchen aids and line cooks
- Specialty in ethnic cuisines: Mexican, Latin-American, Middle Eastern, and Sushi
- Polite, courteous, and professional with all customers, colleagues, and supervisors
- Commitment to clean, safe, and sanitary practices and working environment
- Familiarity and compliance with state and county food safety regulations and policies
- Able to aid in the lifting of goods and loads
- Experience boiling, frying, basting, grilling, roasting, and broiling meats, fish, and vegetables
- Experience in baking and pastry preparation
- An outgoing and dynamic personality
- Excellent public relations skills
- Superb communication and interpersonal skills
- Detail oriented
- Knowledge of and experience with wine, spirits, and liquors
- Knowledge of checking freshness of raw foods
- Ability to organize and prioritize workload effectively
- Ability to clean and sanitize work environment, equipment, utensils, silverware, and dishes
- Flexible and adaptable to change
- Ability to work independently or in a team environment
- Ability to measure, mix, weigh, prepare, and season ingredients in line with recipes
Experience
Cook at Sushi Garden, 2020-present
Tucson, AZ
Duties and Responsibilities
- Cook and prepare all foods, including traditional sushi dishes
- Prepare and cook all foods in accordance to recipes
- Wrap and unwrap all fresh foods for proper storage
- Respond to any customer complaint
- Maintain kitchen in clean and sanitary conditions
- Operate stoves, microwaves, grills, and fryers
- Monitor food quality
Cook at Sinbad’s Middle Eastern Restaurant, 2017-2020
Tucson, AZ
Duties and Responsibilities
- Cooked and prepared all foods, specialty in Lebanese and Persian dishes
- Updated and improved the existing menu
- Helped in redesigning and renovating the restaurant with fresh, new vision
- Kept kitchen and restaurant in clean, sanitary, and safe condition
- Prepared and cooked food in keeping with their recipes
- Prepared and served food in appropriate portions
- Checked and monitored the freshness of all foods
Cook at Minidito’s, 2015-2017
Tucson, AZ
Duties and Responsibilities
- Cooked and prepared all foods on the menu, including traditional authentic Mexican dishes
- Prepared all foods according to recipes
- Weighed and measured all ingredients effectively
- Operated stoves, grills, and fryers
- Made sure kitchen and restaurant stayed in clean and sanitary condition
- Supervised line cooks
- Washed and sanitized kitchen, tables, equipment, utensils, silverware, and dishes
Education
The Arizona Culinary Institute, Scottsdale, AZ
Associate Degree in Culinary Arts
2011-2015
Sunnyside High School, South Tucson, AZ
High School Diploma
3.8 GPA
2007-2011
Courses
- Meats, Sauces, and Stews
- Advanced Baking, Pastry, & Show pieces
- Advanced Culinary Arts II
- Cuisine of Latin America
- Management, Wine & Spirits
- Restaurant Operations
- Contestant on Hell’s Kitchen
Restaurant Cook Chef Resume Sample
Name: Zack Cox
Address: Dover, NH 03820
Phone: (999) 386-0893
Email: [email protected]
Current job: Restaurant Cook Chef at Texas Roadhouse
Objective
A career in the culinary arts is an excellent choice for someone who enjoys cooking and preparing meals for others. I am a highly responsible, detail-oriented individual with three years of restaurant cooking experience. I have a deep knowledge of French cuisine, and I am skilled in a variety of cooking methods.
I seek a Restaurant Cook Chef position that provides me with the opportunity to hone my skills, advance my career, and meet new people while working in a team environment.
Work Experience
Restaurant Cook Chef, 2018 – present TCBY
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Prepare and cook food for customers according to the menu
- Ensure a comfortable restaurant environment for guests
- Keep kitchen and dining room clean
- Assist with low-level maintenance activities in the kitchen
- Maintain a clean and organized kitchen
Restaurant Cook Chef, 2014 – 2018
Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Prepare and cook food for patrons
- Prepare dishes in accordance with the recipes, seasonings, and ingredients
- Prepare food according to customers’ needs
- Taste and season food before serving
- Clean and sanitize cooking equipment and utensils
- Handle all inventory of food items including fresh produce, dry goods, and pantry items
Restaurant Cook Chef, 2012 – 2014
Texas Roadhouse
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Prepare and cook food according to recipes, using a variety of cooking methods, such as boiling, frying, and roasting
- Maintain a clean and sanitary kitchen by following proper cooking techniques, such as cleaning up spills immediately and disinfecting cutting boards
- Utilize a variety of cooking equipment, such as ovens, stovetops, grills, microwaves, and deep fryers
- Create specials of the day for customers
Skills
- Cooking
- Food production
- Food prepping
- Food tasting
- Menu development
Chef Resume Objective Examples
Chefs don’t say much. You let your food do the cooking for you. Similarly, when you are applying for a job, you should let the Chef resume objective do the talking for you.
We like to describe the objective statement as your voice in your resume for 2 good reasons:
- For the reason that it allows you to present your strongest and most sellable points, the resume objective functions as your sales pitch.
- It allows you to be “heard”. Think “how would I introduce myself to the employer?” Therefore, write in your own voice.
Why should you bother to write an eye-catching Chef resume objective? In addition to the reasons cited above, the objective statement is located near the top of the resume.
It will be seen and read by the Hiring Manager. The resume objective could be your best chance to state your qualifications for the job!
Here are a few helpful tips on how to write a good Chef resume objective:
1. Cast Aside All Doubts
As the saying goes, “The proof of the pie is in the eating.” However, while you are waiting for a chance to prove yourself in the kitchen, cast aside all doubts and confirm your qualifications in your objective statement.
First, you will have to review the job post and take note of all the qualifications. For example, the qualifications for the position of Chef include the following:
- Minimum 2-years of experience in the capacity of Chef in a fine dining restaurant.
- Graduate of a culinary arts school.
- Specialization must include pastry and cake making.
If you qualify under these guidelines, you can lead off your resume objective this way:
Well-experienced Chef with a graduate degree in Culinary Science from the California Culinary Institute and Certifications in Baking and Pastry and Personal Cooking from the American Culinary Federation hopes to parlay his 4 years of kitchen magic at Cibo Ristorante Italiano to Cucina Italiano.
As you can see, the top 3 qualifications for the job are already indicated in the first sentence of the resume objective.
Words such as “Culinary Science”, “graduate”, “baking”, “pastry”, and “experience” are keywords that the recruiter will be looking for.
2. Make It “Made to Order”
As a Chef, you are an artist. Your dishes are unique. That is one reason why people go to the restaurant where you cook. Diners know they can’t find the same experience anywhere else.
Treat your resume objective the same way you create your menu: personalize it “made to order” for the eyes of the Hiring Manager.
For instance, did you notice we mentioned the name of the employer “Cucina Italiano” in the example of a Chef resume objective? By including the name of the restaurant you are applying for, you are making it clear that the resume is for the company.
Second, you can also cite some of your creations that are in line with what the restaurant serves.
For example:
Among my specialty creations are the Pasta Al Forno, Orrechiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs, and Pasta with Winter Squash and Melons which will surely complement your award-winning pasta selection.
What Are You Made Of?
It’s comforting for the restaurant to know that you can cook, create menus, and have won a few culinary awards. However, becoming a good Chef is not all about your hard skills.
What about your soft skills – the personality attributes that have shaped your approach to cooking?
In the same manner, as companies and offices, a restaurant also wants to hire people who fit its culture. The Chef has to get along with his staff, fellow chefs, managers, and the restaurant owner.
For this reason, cite at least 3 defining characteristics in your resume objective. Examples of key attributes for a Chef are:
- Detail-oriented
- Excellent communication
- Good leadership qualities
- Ability to handle the pressure
- Positive disposition
- Creative
Chef Resume Skills
Is becoming a good Chef all about the cooking? Believe it or not, the ability to create amazing meals is just one skill restaurant owners are looking for when hiring a Chef.
After all, it is understood that as a Chef you have undergone rigorous training at a culinary school. In addition, there were the hours spent as an apprentice or Sous Chef under the guidance of an experienced Head Chef.
Having cooking skills are a given. Therefore, what other abilities should be in your Chef resume skills other than cooking?
1. Attention to Detail
Do you ever wonder how a Michelin-rated Chef like Gordon Ramsay can tell the difference between 2 risottos even if both dishes look exactly the same? This is because he has spent a great deal making risottos in the kitchen. He knows the taste, scent, and look of a good risotto.
All great Chefs have amazing attention to detail. They know if the plate is ready to be served just by looking at it.
Sauces should not make it to the edge of the plate. The steak must be at the right level of doneness. Fish dishes should only be made from fresh, not frozen ingredients. They know if the produce is fresh or not.
Attention to detail is a skill that you develop from your very first day inside the kitchen.
2. Business Acumen
As a Chef, you must have an idea of how the business side of things is run. Sure, you may have come up with a great dish. However, is the food cost sustainable for the restaurant? Can you price it high enough that you can have a good profit margin without turning away customers?
In addition to food cost, here are the other areas of the food business that you have to manage:
- Labor
- Inventory
- Wastage
- Customer Service
- Employee Relations
- Equipment Maintenance
- Cost of Utilities – Gas, Electricity, and Water
- Communications
- Marketing and Promotions
- The Efficiency of Kitchen Operations
- Workforce Scheduling
3. Effective Leadership Skills
“The chain is only as strong as its weakest link”
This popular saying holds true in the restaurant business. A kitchen is composed of several sections:
- Food Preparation
- Grilling
- Frying
- Roasting
- Pastry/Dessert Station
- Food Expediting Station
- Dishwashing
If one of these sections falls behind, the entire operation of the kitchen or back-of-the-house could suffer. Think of an accident on the freeway during rush hours. It will create a logjam of food orders.
It is the job of the Chef to lead the kitchen and make sure it runs smoothly. If a section is falling behind, the Chef has to be able to recognize it and move to rectify the situation.
He can do this by handling the situation himself or by designating someone else to handle the excess workload.
Thus, a good Chef is a great leader.
4. Great Sense of Creativity
When a Chef chances upon a remarkable meal, he will not ask “How did the Chef do this?”
He might ask, “Where did this come from?”
Of course, the Chef is alluding to creativity. If you’ve watched the popular reality TV cooking show, “Iron Chef America”, the Chairman would always ask the Iron Chef, “What is your inspiration for this dish?”
A great Chef can turn an egg into a 5-star dish. The simple white rice can become the main course. The humble potato is transformed into the star of the sampling menu.
Therefore, it may be said that creativity is the Chef’s greatest asset.
Chef Duties And Responsibilities
“What can you do for the restaurant?”
This question will be answered by your Chef duties and responsibilities for the work experience section.
The work experience is like the main course of your resume. Trust us, the recruiter will save his appetite for the duties and responsibilities listed in this section.
Contrary to popular opinion, writing a good Work Experience section is not hard. You just have to make sure that the duties and responsibilities are relevant, well-organized, and easy to understand.
1. Review the Job Post
As you may already know, recruiters do not spend a lot of time reading a resume. According to studies, the average time spent by a recruiter on a resume is 6 seconds. Most likely, most of the 6 seconds will be spent on the work experience section.
Thus, you have to make sure the person reading your resume will like what he sees. This means describing the duties and responsibilities that are in line with those identified in the job post.
For example, if the job post lists the following job responsibilities:
- Plans and creates menus
- Sources the best ingredients for the restaurant
- Maintains or improves the restaurant’s profitability
You can describe your previous experiences as follows:
- Conceptualizes the menu of the restaurant; changes were introduced to the menu on a quarterly basis. Slow moving items were discontinued while fast-selling recipes were further improved upon.
- Establishes sustainable arrangements with respectable and reliable vendors; both commercial and fresh market, in order to guarantee freshness, prompt delivery, and competitive pricing.
- Monitors both variable costs – food, labour, and utilities – as well as fixed monthly costs in order to maintain and improve profit margins. Likewise, engineers menu product matrix to improve food cost without compromising food quality.
2. Organize Your Duties and Responsibilities
In the same way that food presentation is part of the experience, you should also organize your duties and responsibilities. Use a manner that’s easy and convenient to understand and follow.
- Use bullet points to organize your tasks.
- Use the chronological format and start from your latest or current employment.
- Describe up to 8-10 tasks that you did in your current employment. This is the employment period where the recruiter will base his decisions on because it shows where your skill and experience levels are right now.
3. Mix It Up
Don’t just focus on your achievements in cooking. Mix up your duties and responsibilities. Show the restaurant that you are more than just a great cook. Include duties and responsibilities that highlight your other key abilities:
- Managing inventory and food cost.
- Collaborating with other chefs and kitchen personnel in order to develop new menu items
- The ability to train and develop kitchen staff and the Sous Chef. Most importantly, the ability to motivate people to give their best every single day in the restaurant.
- Collaborating with Marketing for the purpose of promoting new items, food that has excellent profit margins, and the signature dishes.
- Excellent interpersonal skills; commands respect from the staff and maintains great relationships with the restaurant’s customers.
Entry Level Chef Resume
Are you looking to break into the remarkable career of a Chef? All you need is someone to give you a chance.
However, if you are just getting started, you might feel that the cards are stacked against you. Fortunately, there are ways for you to get your foot inside the kitchen door.
1. Become Another Type of Chef
The Executive Chef or Head Chef may be the most popular position. On the other hand, it is not the only type of Chef that restaurants are looking for.
As an entry-level Chef, you may not be ready to assume the stewardship of a restaurant. Pardon the pun, but you will need more seasoning. The best option would be to apply as a Sous Chef which is basically the assistant to the Head Chef.
2. Gain Freelance Experience
If the restaurants are not hiring, then another option is to offer your services as a freelance Chef. There are a few ways to go about becoming a freelance Chef:
- Start your own Personal Chef business.
- Apply as a Personal Chef for households.
- Offer your services as a Chef-for-Hire on a contractual basis to restaurants.
3. Use the Functional Format
The Functional format is ideal for an entry-level Chef because it shifts the focus away from your lack of work experience and toward your skills, education, and other abilities.
The standard template for a functional format will rearrange the sections of your Chef resume in this manner:
- Contact Information
- Objective Statement
- Skills
- Certification
- Education
- Work Experience
