Assistant Chef Resume Samples & Writing Guide

If you are searching for a job in the Culinary Arts or Food & Beverage industry, feel free to look at our excellent Assistant Chef resume samples. When it comes to finding a great job, compiling your resume is probably the most crucial task. An Assistant Chef position will require specific skills and experience. Your resume, if it is carefully written, can catch the eye of many employers.

If you are looking for Assistant Chef Resume examples, then this is where you will find one. You can use these guidelines to write a kick-ass resume that will look professional and entice the restaurant manager to invite you for an interview. In this particular industry, the competition is extra challenging. To ensure that employers notice your resume, it must stand out from the rest. Have a look at how to do that below.

Assistant Chef Resume Examples

(Free sample downloads are at the bottom of this page)

Assistant Chef Resume Writing Guide

Resume Sections

1. Contact Information:

  • First and last name
  • Address
  • Email address
  • Phone number

Simply list your city and state if you feel uncomfortable listing your full home address. To make your contact information, stand out, make it in another font or write it in bold.

2. Career Summary: 
Your career summary must consist of two to three short sentences that describe your skills, experience and achievements related to that which you are applying for. In this section, you can add information such as years of experience, the skills set you have and your achievements needed for a post as an Assistant Chef.

3. Qualifications Summary: 
You do not need an expensive higher-level culinary education to become an Assistant Chef. Employers do, however, prefer candidates who participated in training that would otherwise not be obtained working at a restaurant for examples internationally acclaimed culinary schools or executive cooking programes. A bachelor’s degree or a related four-year course will be needed if you want to move up the culinary ladder in terms of responsibilities and also higher pay grades.

4. Relevant Kitchen Experience: 
For most restaurants, the minimum requirements are one to two years of experience in the kitchen for the position of Assistant Chef. All areas must be covered in your resume, as well as the various roles you have experience in to make sure recruiters know exactly what you can do. Apprenticeships programs also count as experience, so be sure to list them in accordance with duration, the number of hours accumulated and details of the various rotations you did in the kitchen and restaurant environment.

5. Other Employment Experience: 
If you are just starting out, you should include a section for experiences that defines your specific work and other non-relevant experiences when applying for the job. Include the company or persons that employed you and the title you held and the responsibilities that were bestowed on you.

6. Skills Summary/Key Skills: 
You can list your distinct skills in this section, considering your skills relate to the job you are applying for. Skills you could include are computer skills, technical skills and soft skills that are relevant to assistant Chef’s position. Use the job listings as a guideline.

7. Licenses/Certifications/Relevant Coursework/Training:
Restaurants are commonly known to oblige employees to complete their ServSafe certificate. This certificate can be completed online. An Assistant Chef Certificate takes one year to complete and Diplomas around two years. Make sure you list all these additional certifications in your Education Section.

What to Highlight in an Assistant Chef’s Resume

Assistant Chefs are involved in upholding the productivity of the kitchen, especially the preparation and processes. Whether you have years of experience or none at all, there are specific things recruiters and employers look for to be sure you are the right candidate for the job. Do not underestimate your management experience either. The position holds manager responsibility and can be tedious and stressful; potential employers would want to know that you are up for the challenge. The job of the Assistant Chef is to take orders from the Head Chef and convey them to the rest of the Kitchen Staff. That’s the short version. Below we have provided pointers on the different aspects that you need to highlight in your resume to make sure that recruiters give you a call-back.

Firstly, indicate on which level you are in the kitchen. The Assistant Chef is right-hand to the Executive Chef. Within the brigade system, there are ten primary stations that must be staffed and that an Assistant Chef would be responsible for overseeing. Smaller culinary businesses usually combine more than one station and assign one Chef to create maximum kitchen efficiency with limited staff. On the other hand, bigger establishments may have extra stations to divide single functions into more than one station, for example, cutting and prepping to deal with the volume of work. Restaurant owners need to see your proficiency in managing these stations.

Secondly, elaborate on your work environment. You could work for any of the following as an assistant chef: Restaurants, Hotels, Food & Beverage companies, Private businesses, Homes, Retirement villages, Schools, Hospitals, Prisons, Community Centers, Cafeterias, Fast food restaurants, Cruise Lines, Casinos and Bars. This is essential information for recruiters to have so that they can match you with the right opportunity.

*Cool Tip for a stellar resume: To create a magnificent first impression, show them your abilities by providing the categorized fundamental functions and then adding detailed examples of how you would manage those various responsibilities that you would do daily.

  • Developing Time Management and Leadership Skills
    The environment in professional kitchens is ruthless in the demands of mental and physical labor due to quick deadlines and long hours. As you evolve in your culinary training, you develop skills such as collaborative, leadership skills and time management. Tell the reviewer of your resume about them. (Brag a little if you must)
  • Appreciating Different Cultures
    In culinary schools, you are taught to appreciate a variety of cultures, and you experience things that would not necessarily be taught in ordinary restaurants. This will be valuable information to a recruiter because it points to your ability to deal empathetically with patrons and customers and also have an open mind towards trying different cooking techniques.
  • Understand Nutritional Science
    Knowing how to produce a dish with many exclusive flavors is vital to make the dish perfect. This means that you need technical knowledge of food sources and tastes and how they would fit together. Also, understanding of nutrients and the knowledge of how the human body will process them is vital as this can help use ingredients more wisely. From a health and safety perspective, your nutritional knowledge is important, because recruiters will be looking for Assistant Chefs that are comfortable with creating substitutes for people with allergies and still produce a nutritious and fulfilling meal. This is a critical aspect of being a chef that you have to showcase appropriately.
  • Learning Concepts of Math and Accounting
    Managing resources is critical for the success of a restaurant. Failure to do so in spending, making the right orders, pricing out the menu correctly managing inventory can cause a chef to stagnate in the professional sense. Culinary arts students are taught the concept of accounting and business math and the application thereof in the field of hospitality and then have to put theory into practice when they start working. Explain to the hiring manager how you would apply your knowledge of mathematics and accounting into the operational environment of a restaurant.

Make sure to include the following details:

  • The area you can work in and if you are available to travel
  • The results you have achieved during your culinary training
  • Special skills like inventory management, creating recipes, and commercial safety practices
  • Ability to lift more than 50 pounds
  • Any extra languages that you have a good command of
  • Safety certifications and food worker cards
  • Availability to work shifts, during weekends, or in holiday periods.
  • Lastly, list examples of the equipment or Food & Beverage tools, you can use such as juicers automatic mixers, pasta rolling machines, chipping machines, speciality knives, coffee grinders, cutting and slicing equipment

Assistant Chef Profile Summary

Many candidate applications are screened by F&B (Food and Beverage) for both direct and vocational roles. Your resume has to interest Recruiters immediately, and you can accomplish this by generating the perfect career summary to place at the top of your first page. Bold it and use a different front to make it stand out.

A career summary consists of three main aspects:

  1. Strong title description
  2. An exceptional skills or value contribution
  3. Highest academic credentials

Assistant Chef Profile Summary Samples:

Profile Summary 1

Experience of 8 years in the Restaurant Industry and an expert in the use of kitchen equipment for the production speciality and signature dishes. Certified Chef Assistant status with substantial experience in fine dining, banquet production kitchen in a hotel environment. Extensive culinary knowledge in multiple cuisines and the ability to access all areas of the kitchen.

Profile Summary 2

Experienced Chef Assistant with five years who has worked both in a busy restaurant environment and for a boutique executive chef that had very specific dining assignments with affluent clients. Adept at prep work cleanup work and incorporating local and fresh ingredients at all times. Specializes in mobile culinary jobs as well as high-traffic restaurants.

Profile Summary 3

Experienced Assistant Chef with many years of experience in creating culinary masterpieces a high-paced setting.Superb knowledge of numerous culinary techniques, applications, food products and kitchen equipment. Exceptionally skilled in managing all of the daily operations of the kitchen and ensuring the prompt and quality execution of all menu. Currently in pursuit of the Chef Cordon Bleu qualification.

Assistant Chef Job Descriptions, Responsibilities and Duties

The following foundational duties and skillsets are what an employer would expect to see on a resume, depending on the level of your education and the stage of your career. Modify your resume by selecting the correcting wording that fits each job you apply for. This modification is referred to as Resume SEO and will help you circumvent the screening bots and applicant tracking systems (ATS)

Examples

An Assistant Chefs responsibilities and job description:
  • Responsible for clerical activities regarding kitchen operations and staff administration such as scheduling shifts, payroll, procurement and accounting.
  • Responsible for all HR functions including recruiting, hiring, performance management and grievance procedures
  • Assist the Executive Chef in managing kitchen operations, workflow and restaurant activities
  • Monitor training and development of new kitchen staff
  • Create new recipes for sauces, meat and poultry dishes
  • Oversee the execution of dishes and inspect all items before they get served
  • Extensive involvement in digitizing of restaurant operations
  • Responsible for overseeing sanitation and disinfection of kitchen and restaurant area
  • Negotiate with local suppliers for better deals on food stuff’s such as fruit, vegetables, meat and eggs
  • Assist the Executive Chef by monitoring food and labor costs, diminish wastage and maintaining a green restaurant operation in terms of rep
  • Assist Kitchen Staff with correct weighing and measuring of ingredients and executing the proper culinary techniques
  • Use a rotation system from new kitchen staff so that everyone can get exposure to the different stations in a kitchen setting
  • Implement and maintain policies and procedures regarding health, sanitation, safety and customer service protocols
  • Also, assist with front of house management ensuring that serving workflow and clearing and cleaning of tables are conducted in the most unobtrusive manner
  • Do daily reporting of stock levels to the restaurant owner and inspect delivery schedules for produce every week to ensure just in time availability
  • Responsible for collaboration with Head Office to ensure menu items are reflective of the season and also various holidays or events happening in the region
  • Coordinate kitchen operations for large buffet events where multiple courses are served
  • Conduct a monthly pricing update to make sure that menu items remain profitable should supplier prices increase

Highlight Your Accomplishments

When you are writing your accomplishments, you could be inclined to hit copy and paste for the list of chores you executed as detailed in your description. Remember that there is an undeniable difference between achievements and activities. Consider the accomplishments you are most proud of.

Let’s say you have other awards that you could not include in your resume’s experience section, consider adding it here in the accomplishment section. For example, you could incorporate international recognition, publications, honors and testimonials that are deemed relevant to the job you want to apply for.

Steer the recruiter to conclude that you are the perfect candidate for the Assistant Chef’s position. It’s relatively simple. Present your achievements by naming the appropriate duties and responsibilities from the examples below and add your achievements there after. This is how you position yourself in the best possible way to get the job.

Here are some examples to get you started:

  1. Executed menu items including complicated sauces, hors d’oeuvres and fine pastries for more than 280 special events and banquets in the last year.
  2. Trained over 50 servers and coached more than 100 kitchen staff on restaurant procedures, guest service menu familiarity and culinary techniques.
  3. Maintained customer interest in the restaurant by introducing a new dish every week.
  4. Resolved conflicts between kitchen staff which increased the efficiency of the kitchen by 50%.
  5. Wrote a recipe book on Italian cuisine published by the New York Publishers.
  6. Managed the procurement of raw food, which resulted in a $5000 reduction in the monthly cost.

Assistant Chef Education Section

A necessary part of your resume is the education section. Here you outline your academic history, as well as academic achievements and awards you have received during your studies or practical training.

Add the tertiary institute’s name you attended, the degree you finished and honors or accomplishments you acquired. You can include your high school information, if you recently graduated. This section should always receive the appropriate amount of attention. If you don’t have formal degrees or diplomas, it is still vital to concentrate on this section. What should also be mentioned in this here is professional development programs courses, workshops, and even in-service training.

In short, indicate What, Where and When regarding your qualifications, certifications or courses or workshops completed.

This is how you may list your qualifications: First, the start and finish date, then the qualification’s title, followed by the institution name, city, and state abbreviation.

Examples

2019 – ServSafe Certified, American Food and Beverage Association, Online

2018 – First Aid/CPR Diploma, Red Cross Academy, Online

2015 – 2017 – Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts OHIO UNIVERSITY

2014 – 2015 Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts, Wilson School for Culinary Arts New Parkland, CA

2013 – Certificate Course in Adventure Cooking, American Culinary Federation

2012 – Certificate Course in Baking and Pastry Arts, American Culinary Federation

2012 – Certified Chef de Cuisine, Accredited by NCCA, Online

2011 – Certified Personal Chef, United States Personal Chef Association, Online

Assistant Chef Resume Skills

An Assistant Chef contributes to the Head Chef’s support in a restaurant, bakery, food & beverage business, or cafeteria. Your job responsibilities include inventory management, ensuring the standard of food safety and cleanliness, and helping the staff with the preparation. It would be best if you also had excellent teamwork skills and the stamina to work long and irregular hours.

Off course, the industry requires specific technical skills, but prospective employers are also searching for candidates with soft skills. These skills are the primary personality traits that will speak to your fit as a potential employee who will add value to the establishment and be a valuable asset to the restaurant team.

Use a Skills Matrix to display your prominent technical and soft skills.

Technical Skills Examples

Food Safety & SanitationFood Service ManagementInventory Control
Inventory RotationBatch CookingFood Sciences
Sanitation StrategiesPastry & BakingRegulatory Compliance & Kitchen Process Flow
Decoration Template DesignRecipe CompilationFood Cost Control
Cordon Bleu Sampling & TastingSeasoning & SpicingMenu Design
Local Food CultureDish AssemblyScheduling
Plating TechniquesInternational Cooking TrendsKitchen Planning
Excellent Organizational SkillsHigh Volume ProductionRecipe Creation and Execution
Kitchen and Appliance MaintenanceAdvanced Knife SkillsBasic Butcher Techniques
Supply ManagementFood Safety CertificationOutstanding Communication and Coaching Abilities
Wine KnowledgeKitchen EquipmentFood Preparation
Customer ServiceSpecific Food itemsDinner Service
Meal PrepMenu ItemsCustomer Orders
Kitchen AreasPrep FoodIngredient Metrics & Weighting Techniques

Soft Skill Examples

Social OrientationTeam PlayerReliableHardworking
CommunicationIndependentStress ToleranceStamina
Personal HygieneMultitaskingEnthusiasticDiplomatic
AccountableDeadline DrivenEnergeticCollaborative
CooperativeCustomer ServiceDetailed OrientatedProcess Driven

Qualifications/Certifications associated with Assistant Chefs

Certified Master Chef Certified Secondary Culinary EducatorPersonal Certified Executive Chef
Certified Foodservice ProfessionalCertified Correctional Foodservice ProfessionalCertified Culinary Administrator
Certified Executive Pastry Chef Certified Master Pastry ChefCertified Sous Chef
Certified Working Pastry Chef American Culinary Federation, Inc.Certified Decorator

Industries using Assistant Chefs

  • Restaurants
  • Pubs
  • Holiday Resorts and Wedding Venues
  • Event Companies
  • Food & Beverage Consultants
  • Hospitals
  • Corporate Facilities
  • Trade Shows
  • Exhibitions
  • Conventions
  • Hotels
  • Diners
  • Office Canteens
  • School Cafeterias

Professional information on Assistant Chefs

Sectors: Food & Beverage, Hospitality, Events, Tourism, Government, Education
Career Type: Functional, Functional, Professional, Preparation, Management
Person type:  Manager, Facilitator, Overseer, Designer, Supervisor, Implementer, Creator
Education levels: From High School Diploma to Bachelor’s Degree
Salary indication: $ $38,400 and $59,000 per annum (Salary.com)
Labor market: Subject to 6% growth from 2019 – 2029 (BLS)
Organizations: Hospitals, Restaurants, Pubs, Hotels, Food & Beverage Venues, Holiday Resorts, Fast Food Establishments, Schools, Military Establishments

Download Assistant Chef Resume Samples PDF