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.
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