Sous Chef Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Sous Chef resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
As a sous chef, you’re the right hand of the chef—supporting your boss and helping to make sure that everything runs smoothly in the kitchen.
If you love being hands-on and want to build a career around food, this is a great position for you. You might work in a high-end restaurant or a casual diner—big or small, fancy or casual—there are plenty of opportunities out there for aspiring sous chefs.
Before you can land your dream job though, you need a resume that will showcase your skills and experience in the best possible light. Follow these tips and resume example to write a sous chef resume that hiring managers will love.
How to Write a Sous Chef Resume
Here’s how to write a sous chef resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
The best way to make your resume stand out is to use strong, specific language. Rather than saying you “prepared food,” you could say you “prepared lunch buffet for 200+ employees, including grilled chicken, rice, and vegetables, for busy Friday afternoon shift.”
The second bullet point is much more specific and provides more detail about what exactly you did and the results of your work. And that level of detail will help hiring managers understand how well-suited you are for the job.
Related: What Is a Sous Chef? How to Become One
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you submit your resume for a sous chef role, it’s likely that it will be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. ATS programs look for specific terms related to the job, like “culinary skills” and “kitchen management,” in order to determine whether or not you have the necessary experience. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right terms, the ATS might filter out your application before a recruiter has a chance to review it.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, use this list of common sous chef keywords to help you identify the skills and experience you should include on your resume:
- Culinary Skills
- Catering
- Menu Development
- Fine Dining
- Food & Beverage
- Cooking
- Restaurant Management
- Hospitality
- Banquet Operations
- Hotel Management
- Recipe Development
- Food Safety
- Menu Costing
- Food Preparation
- Sanitation
- Food Quality
- Culinary Management
- Hospitality Management
- Food Service
- Corporate Events
- Garde Manger
- Hospitality Service
- Pastry
- Menu Cost Analysis
- Recipe Testing
- Culinary Development
- Food Quality Assurance
- Food Safety Management
- Chef
- Food Production
Related: How Much Does a Sous Chef Make?
Remember The Basics
As you’re crafting your resume, it’s important to keep a few basic guidelines in mind.
Make It Easy to Scan
Formatting your resume for readability is important for getting the most out of the limited time a recruiter spends looking at it. You should left-align all your text, use the same font size throughout, and only bold certain words or phrases for emphasis. Additionally, try to keep your bullets under 2 lines and use digits for numbers. Finally, leave some white space on the page to make the document less overwhelming.
Be Concise
There is no set standard for how long a resume should be, but it is generally recommended to keep it concise and limited to one or two pages. This will ensure that employers can quickly scan your qualifications and experience. When trimming down your resume, focus on removing irrelevant information and making the content as concise as possible.
Check Your Work
Proofreading your resume is important in order to make sure it looks professional and error-free. Spell checking is a must, as are punctuation and grammar checks. It is also helpful to have someone else proofread your resume for you, as they may catch mistakes that you have missed. Beware of easily confused words, and make sure that your tense is consistent throughout the resume.
Use a Summary
A resume summary statement can be a great way to introduce yourself to potential employers and explain how your skills and experiences will benefit their organization. When drafting your summary, be sure to highlight your most relevant skills and experiences, and to explain how you see your qualifications translating into the role you’re hoping to fill. Keep your summary concise and easy-to-read, and make sure it accurately represents your qualifications.
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