Resume Examples
Chef resumes should highlight cuisine expertise, kitchen leadership, and operational results. Include restaurant type, covers per service, food cost management, and any awards or media recognition. Culinary employers value both creativity and business acumen.
Every effective Chef resume follows these six sections. Keep the order ATS-friendly and lead with impact.
Full name, professional title, city, phone, email, LinkedIn, and portfolio URL where relevant.
2-3 sentences positioning you for the target role with one quantified headline achievement.
A scannable list of exact keywords ATS systems match against — mirror the job description.
Reverse-chronological roles with 3-5 impact-first bullets each, every bullet quantified.
Degrees, relevant certifications, and licenses — list certifications recruiters filter on first.
Optional section to surface side projects, awards, or open-source work that proves initiative.
Use these as templates — swap in your own metrics, tools, and outcomes.
Applicant tracking systems match exact strings. Include the ones relevant to your experience.
Listing generic duties instead of quantified Chef achievements — ATS and recruiters both reward numbers.
Omitting exact keywords like Menu Development, Food Cost Management, Kitchen Operations, so the resume never clears keyword-matching filters.
Using multi-column layouts, tables, or graphics that ATS parsers garble into unreadable text.
Writing one generic resume for every application instead of tailoring the summary and skills to each Chef posting.