Research Summary. We analyzed 2,179 head chef resumes to determine which ones land the most jobs. Below you'll find examples of resumes that can help you get an interview (and a job offer) from companies like Aramark and Sodexo Management. Here are the key facts about head chef resumes to help you get the job:

  • The average head chef resume is 290 words long
  • The average head chef resume is 0.6 pages long based on 450 words per page.
  • Kitchen operations is the most common skill found on a head chef resume. It appears on 26.6% of resumes.
After learning about how to write a professional head chef resume, you can make sure your resume checks all the boxes with our resume builder.

Resume

Head Chef Resume Example

Choose From 10+ Customizable Head Chef Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Head Chef templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Head Chef resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Head Chef Resume Format And Sections

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1. Add Contact Information To Your Head Chef Resume

Your name should be the biggest text on the page and be at or near the top of the document.

Your address doesn't need to include your street name or house number - listing your city and state works just fine.

Your email address should be professional, but not your current work email address. It's not a good look to use your work email for personal projects (job-searching).

Your social media can be included if you have a fully-fledged LinkedIn page or another social media page that showcases your relevant skill set.

Head Chef Resume Contact Information Example #1

Jane Moore

Montgomery, AL 36043| 333-111-2222 | jane.moore@email.com

Do you want to know more?
How To Write The Perfect Resume Header
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2. Add Your Relevant Education To The Resume

Your resume's education section should include:

  • The name of your school
  • The date you graduated (Month, Year or Year are both appropriate)
  • The name of your degree
If you graduated more than 15 years ago, you should consider dropping your graduation date to avoid age discrimination.

Optional subsections for your education section include:

  • Academic awards (Dean's List, Latin honors, etc. )
  • GPA (if you're a recent graduate and your GPA was 3.5+)
  • Extra certifications
  • Academic projects (thesis, dissertation, etc.)

Other tips to consider when writing your education section include:

  • If you're a recent graduate, you might opt to place your education section above your experience section
  • The more work experience you get, the shorter your education section should be
  • List your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent and high-ranking degrees first
  • If you haven't graduated yet, you can include "Expected graduation date" to the entry for that school

Head Chef Resume Relevant Education Example #1

Associate's Degree In Fine Arts 2013 - 2015

New York University New York, NY

Head Chef Resume Relevant Education Example #2

Doctoral Degree In Culinary Arts 2004 - 2007

Pennsylvania State University Main, PA

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3. Next, Create A Head Chef Skills Section On Your Resume

Your resume's skills section should include the most important keywords from the job description, as long as you actually have those skills. If you haven't started your job search yet, you can look over resumes to get an idea of what skills are the most important.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your resume's skills section:

  • Include 6-12 skills, in bullet point form
  • List mostly hard skills; soft skills are hard to test
  • Emphasize the skills that are most important for the job
Hard skills are generally more important to hiring managers because they relate to on-the-job knowledge and specific experience with a certain technology or process.

Soft skills are also valuable, as they're highly transferable and make you a great person to work alongside, but they're impossible to prove on a resume.

Example Of Head Chef Skills For Resume

  • Food Service Skills

    The food service industry is a vast industry comprising of restaurants, caterers, cafeterias operating in institutions and any other business offering a meal not prepared at home. Foodservice operators require necessary utensils for preparing food for the consumers, foodservice distributors are the people who take care of this need for them.

  • Cuisine Skills

    Cuisine refers to a certain style, method, or manner of preparing food peculiar to a particular country, region, or establishment. It is often characterized by distinctive techniques, ingredients, and dishes that are usually associated with a specific geographic region or culture. Examples include New Mexico Chile in New Mexican cuisine and Japanese rice in Japanese cuisine.

  • Menu Planning Skills

    Menu planning is the process of making a list of the food items you are going to prepare and serve in any type of meal e.g. for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Menu planning helps you to decide what you will eat for each meal, to know how many meals to plan for, and the right time to serve them.

  • Quality Standards Skills

    Quality standards are a specific level of standards of products that are set by the companies for the customers that have to be met and maintained throughout the process until the time of delivery. Quality standards are information that includes the customer's requirements, guidelines, and characteristics for the needed final product or service.

  • Food Products Skills

    Food products are the types of various food items that are created and processed to be sold as a product. These products are consumed by humans for nourishment and are mostly processed and created in a huge factory. Tinned goods, milk, meat, etc are the most common food products, and they are not limited to any specific kind except tobacco, beers, and alcohol as they are not considered food products.

  • Labor Costs Skills

    Labor cost is the total of all financial expenses incurred during the production of a product or in the services rendered by a company. This includes wages paid to workers directly, benefits, health care, meals, training, and payroll taxes involved in the process. It also include indirect expenses on labor which is why it's divided into direct and indirect wages.

  • Kitchen Equipment Skills

    Kitchen Equipment refers to all those essential items which are crucial for the task of cooking.

Top Skills for a Head Chef

Source: Zippia.com
  • Kitchen Operations, 26.6%
  • Culinary, 9.2%
  • Dinner Service, 6.3%
  • Food Service, 4.6%
  • Other Skills, 53.3%
Not sure which skills are really important?
3 Big Tips For Listing Skills On Your Resume
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4. List Your Head Chef Experience

The most important part of any resume is the experience section. Recruiters and hiring managers expect to see your experience listed in reverse chronological order, meaning that you should begin with your most recent experience and then work backwards.

Don't just list your job duties below each job entry. Instead, make sure most of your bullet points discuss impressive achievements from your past positions. Whenever you can, use numbers to contextualize your accomplishments for the hiring manager reading your resume.

It's okay if you can't include exact percentages or dollar figures. There's a big difference even between saying "Managed a team of engineers" and "Managed a team of 6 engineers over a 9-month project."

Most importantly, make sure that the experience you include is relevant to the job you're applying for. Use the job description to ensure that each bullet point on your resume is appropriate and helpful.

Don't have any experience?
How To Show Your Experience On a Resume... Even When You Don't Have Any
Work History Example # 1
Head Chef
Columbia Club
  • Supervised cafeteria in the absence of the manager and operated the register when needed.
  • Helped coach and train an apprentice as an American Culinary Federation Sponsor Chef; she graduated as a certified Sous Chef.
  • Directed a team of three cooks and a junior sous chef.
  • Assisted the dining attendants and the dishwashers.
  • Assisted Sous Chef with prep and mentored under him learning different entr e and sauce techniques.
Work History Example # 2
Cook/Trainer
Steak 'n Shake
  • Washed dishes, glassware, flatware, pots, or pans, using dishwashers or by hand.
  • Monitored dining and drive-thru reservations.
  • Provided customer service with an emphasis on speed of service, order accuracy and creating a friendly and positive environment.
  • Maintained OSHA standards for cleanliness of all kitchen areas to include dishes, floors, stainless steel counter tops and appliances.
  • Cooked pizza Operate register Did dishes
Work History Example # 3
Sushi Chef
Holiday Inn Express
  • Aided the Executive Chef and Sous Chefs in the ordering, receiving, and storage of all kitchen commodities.
  • Worked every station in the kitchen from saute to fryer.
  • Supervised all banquet culinary staff including 2 sous chefs.
  • Managed 3 separate exhibition kitchens which featured foods from traditional Americas, Mediterranean- European and Asian cuisines.
  • Ordered, put away and took monthly inventory (FIFO).
Work History Example # 4
Head Chef (Part-Time)
Campbell County High School
  • Assessed student s progress and development throughout program to ensure successful completion.
  • Maintained all HACCP and inventory documentation
  • Mentored students in kitchen production/ purchasing/recipe systems, VIP events, and banquets.
  • Grilled, cooked, fried and garnished cuisine.
  • Adjusted monthly menus to maximize use of seasonal local ingredients and international cuisines.
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5. Highlight Your Head Chef Certifications On Resume

Certifications can be a powerful tool to show employers that you know your stuff. If you have any of these certifications, make sure to put them on your head chef resume:

  1. ServSafe Alcohol
  2. Certified Food Manager (CFM)
  3. Food Safety Manager Certification
  4. Certified Master Chef (CMC)
  5. Certified Professional - Food Safety (CP-FS)
  6. ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification
  7. Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS)
  8. Certified Executive Chef (CEC)
  9. Certified Master Pastry Chef (CMPC)
  10. Certified Planning Engineer (CPE)

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6. Finally, Add a Head Chef Resume Summary Or Objective Statement

A resume summary statement is a 1-3 sentence spiel at the top of your resume that quickly summarizes who you are and what you have to offer. In this section, include your job title, years of experience (if it's 3+), and an impressive accomplishment, if you have space for it.

Remember to address skills and experiences that are emphasized in the job description.

Are you a recent grad?
Read our guide on how to write a resume summary statement

And If You’re Looking for a Job, Here Are the Five Top Employers Hiring Now:

  1. Goodwin Recruiting Jobs (10)
  2. Darden Restaurants Jobs (13)
  3. Hilton Jobs (18)
  4. Campus Cooks Jobs (7)
  5. College Chefs Jobs (9)

Common Head Chef Resume Skills

  • Kitchen Operations
  • Culinary
  • Dinner Service
  • Food Service
  • Cuisine
  • Safety Standards
  • Menu Planning
  • ServSafe
  • Quality Standards
  • Food Products
  • Fine Dining
  • Labor Costs
  • Kitchen Equipment
  • Food Cost
  • Cost Control
  • Inventory Control
  • Quality Food
  • Menu Development
  • Food Orders
  • Product Quality
  • Sanitation Practices
  • Allergies
  • Sanitation Standards
  • HACCP
  • Production Schedules
  • BOH
  • Garnishing
  • Menu Creation
  • Portion Control
  • Food Storage
  • Meal Preparation
  • Dishwashers
  • Menu Changes
  • Staff Training
  • Private Parties
  • Recipe Development
  • Gluten Free
  • Food Preparation
  • Inventory Management
  • Menu Design
  • Line Cooks
  • Requisition Food
  • Buffets
  • FOH
  • Food Inventory
  • La Carte
  • Groceries
  • Fryers
  • Seasonal Availability

Head Chef Jobs