Sous Chef Resume Sample
Haley M. Smith
Address: 433 Lakewood Ave, Chicago, IL
Phone: (312) 8765432
Email: [email protected]
Current job: Sous Chef, Star Kitchen Group, Chicago, IL
Objective :
Certified Sous Chef and food lover with 7 years of experience working in a high volume kitchen environment, seeks the opportunity to join Orion Catering Group as a Sous Chef. Offers innovative approach in delivering creative fusion of international cuisine, unique food presentation and unparalleled service.
Skills :
- ACF Certified Sous Chef
- Advanced Certificate in Baking and Pastry Arts
- AAS in Culinary Arts
- Proficient in using the latest software for Food Costing, Inventory Control, Staff Scheduling and menu Planning
- Leads by example
- Flexible to work in all the kitchen stations
- Efficient multitasker
- Effective communication skills
Work Experience
Sous Chef, 2016 to present
Star Kitchen Group, Chicago, IL
Duties and Responsibilities
- Supervises menu planning, food preparation and staffing in 25 restaurant outlets
- Reviews and restructures meal plans to ensure that food cost is within acceptable range and food quality is not compromised
- Collaborates with the Executive Chef in creating new recipes.
- Directs kitchen team activities to assure top quality meal service –accurate food preparation, attractive plating, and timely delivery at precise food temperature.
- Meets with restaurant managers twice a month regarding restaurant sales, menu, customer feedback and inventory
- Interviews, trains and supervises front- and back-of-house employees
Sous Chef, 2014-2016
New World Hotel, San Francisco, CA
Duties and Responsibilities
- Assisted head chef in kitchen maintenance, organization of supplies, scheduling staff shifts and supervision of kitchen staff
- Created a first-in, first-out food rotation system which cut down wastage by 90%
- Oriented new staff members on kitchen operations and evaluated their performance within a specified time frame
- Planned weekend breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet menu for 500 seating capacity
- Directed food preparation in the kitchen and assigned staff to each station
Sous Chef, 2012-2014
Fusion Box Restaurants, New York City
Duties and Responsibilities
- Prepared new recipes and designed food menus which led to 55 % increase in restaurant sales
- Stocked supplies and organized cooking stations with prior to peak operation hours
- Managed inventory of ingredients and created control system that minimized wastage by 40%
- Inspected food storage units regularly to ensure that standards are met
- Coordinated with restaurant supervisors on stocks, budget, and kitchen efficiency and staffing
Education
Advanced Certificate in Baking and Pastry Arts
Institute of Culinary Education, New York
2017
Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts
Arts Institute, San Francisco, CA
2008-2012
High School
Mary Mount High School, San Francisco, CA
2004-2008; GPA 3.75
Certifications:
- Sous Chef Certification obtained from (ACF) American Culinary Federation, 2016
Sous Chef Resume Skills List
Your Sous Chef skills list is the main course of your resume. It must have the right balance of ingredients to make it delectable. Make sure that your abilities and accomplishments are perfectly blended with your hands on experience. The employer wants to get a good grasp of your sous chef skills, so it is important to show how you applied them in the kitchen.
Keep in mind that the Head Chef or the Restaurant Manager may be the person reviewing your resume. He or she will definitely know what skills to look for.
Here is a quick guide on what to include on your skills list.
Education
The culinary arts field is very competitive. There are just too many talented cooks and if you want to level the playing field it is best to acquire formal training to gain entry. Employers also prefer applicants who have a strong background on the fundamentals of the culinary arts. You can either get certified or earn an associate’s degree in culinary arts to learn essential kitchen skills and different methods of food preparations.
Certification
Although certification is not a mandatory requirement, it reflects your level of expertise and commitment to your craft. It certainly adds more weight to your resume and increases your employability chances. You can obtain a Certified Sous Chef title from the American Culinary Federation (ACF) if you have logged in five years of experience as a culinarian and 50 hours of continuing education credits.
Strong Leadership Skills
The head chef relies on his/her sous chef to manage the busy kitchen team. It is your job to see to it that everyone cooperates and exerts their best efforts to meet the group’s target. From food preparation to plating, line cooks will look up to their leader to keep things in order despite the noise and stress.
Excellent communication skills
Poor communication is a recipe for disaster. Sous chefs must make sure that they can be easily understood by all to avoid missteps in kitchen operations. One must have the natural ability to give crystal clear instructions so the staff will not get lost in the process. In addition to that, listening attentively to what your head chef and co-workers say will create a healthy working atmosphere.
Sous Chef Resume Objective
The Sous Chef objective statement serves as the appetizer. When the first course is good, one will stay and eagerly wait for the next course to be served. The same thing goes for your resume objective. It provides a preview of what to expect.
Your objective statement should wet the palate of the person reading your resume. If it fails to give a lasting impression, he may decide to abandon the rest of the menu.
How do you grab hold of the reader’s attention? Keep in mind that a few seconds is all you’ve got to direct the next course of action. The hiring manager will go on reading your resume if your objective statement is interesting, impressive or appetizing.
In our Sous Chef resume example, we capitalized on the belief that “food is a passion.” Right off the bat, Haley injects some humour by stating that not only is she a certified Sous Chef but also a certified food lover.
It’s a great way to frame her branded value proposition: Highly experienced with 7 years in the industry and that she wants to bring her innovative approach to cooking onboard Orion Catering Group.
The best chefs are known for their ability to create amazing dishes from the most basic ingredients. As a Sous Chef, you should show your creative side in your objective statement. After all, this section is your formal introduction to a potential employer.
Sous Chef Resume Format
Mastery of culinary skills does not happen overnight nor can be gained while in school. That’s why, hiring managers will focus more on your actual experience as a sous chef. For your resume format, go with the reverse chronological approach.
Using this format, we arranged our example of a resume for Sous Chef as follows:
- Contact Information
- Objective Statement
- Skills
- Work Experience
- Education
- Certification
- Personal Information
The reverse chronological format will allow you to highlight your best attributes and it won’t be difficult for the recruiter to take note of them. Pay attention to the order of information so you could effectively present your qualifications.
Entry Level Sous Chef Resume
Cooking is more about what you can bring to the kitchen than what you learned from books. It is a highly intuitive profession. If you have very little or zero work experience, your entry level Sous Chef resume should use the functional format which would set up its sections as follows:
- Contact Information
- Objective
- Skills
- Education
- Certification
- Work Experience
- Personal Information
With the functional format, the objective statement plays an important role. Don’t hide the fact you have no experience. In fact, lead off with it but frame it in a way that turns the shortcoming into a strength. Let’s rewrite Haley’s objective statement for someone who has no experience:
“Certified food lover who is presently acquiring culinarian credits to complete her ACF certification. If given the opportunity to work as your Sous Chef, I would be highly motivated to build my career and share my creative approach to fusion international cuisine, commitment to innovative food presentation and unparalleled customer service to the Orion Catering Group.”
Most Head Chefs know how difficult it is to get a start in the kitchen. They probably went through the same challenges as you. By framing your objective statement in this manner, the rest of your entry level resume becomes easier and enjoyable to read.
Sous Chef Resume Writing Tips
The saying, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen” holds true in the food retail business. It’s hard work; the hours can be long and the pressure is great.
Restaurant owners want someone who knows what he or she is doing in the kitchen. Substantiate your work experience with figures that validate your ability to manage kitchen operations. Don’t just focus on technical ability but include the intangibles such as being able to work with a team.
In the end, the proof of the pie is in the eating. But a well crafted resume for Sous Chef will take you from the interview and into the kitchen.
