Chef resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what chefs actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most chefs should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Chef with hands-on experience across menu planning, food preparation and kitchen supervision in busy hospitality settings. Comfortable running a section under pressure, training junior staff and keeping food cost and quality standards on track. Known for consistency on the pass and a calm head during service.
Key skills
- Menu planning and seasonal specials
- Food safety and hygiene (HACCP)
- Food costing and budgeting
- Staff supervision and training
- Commercial cooking equipment operation
- Knife skills and food preparation
- POS and inventory systems
- Recipe management software
- Stock control and ordering
Experience: example bullet points
- Planned seasonal menus around available produce and customer preferences, balancing variety with food cost targets
- Ran a section during dinner service, coordinating with other chefs to keep plating and timing consistent under pressure
- Trained apprentices and junior cooks in knife skills, food safety procedures and station setup
- Reviewed portion sizes and stock rotation to cut food wastage and improve gross profit on key dishes
- Managed supplier orders and stock levels, adjusting quantities to avoid overstock and last-minute shortages
- Maintained food safety records and temperature logs in line with the Food Standards Code, passing council inspections without issue
Education
Certificate III in Commercial Cookery is the standard trade qualification, usually completed through an apprenticeship, with a Certificate IV or Diploma of Hospitality Management often added by chefs moving into head chef or kitchen management roles.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- Certificate III in Commercial Cookery
- HACCP
- Food Safety Supervisor certificate
- Food Standards Code
- commercial kitchen
- back of house
- mise en place
- menu costing
- apprenticeship
- WHS in food service
- stock control
- à la carte service
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.