How To Write A CV For A Chef Job (With Free Template)
Looking for a new chef job? As a specialist recruiter for relief chefs in the hospitality and catering industry, we see a lot of chef CVs, and we know what they need to include to get you noticed.
If you're wondering how to write a professional CV that shows off your culinary experience in the right way, look no further. Follow our CV writing guide to land your next chef job.
Do I need to write a chef CV to apply for jobs?
You might be wondering if a CV is actually necessary to apply for a professional chef job. The answer is yes.
Use your CV to highlight your professionalism and spotlight your chef skills, experience, qualifications, and ambition.
A good CV will set you apart from the competition and open the door to the best chef jobs out there.
Recruiting for relief chefs every day, we love to see a well-written CV that lays out key skills and qualifications clearly. It speeds up the registration and hiring process, getting you out into your next job sooner.
What to include: top CV tips
Now you know you need one, what should you include in your CV?
Here's a quick overview of what a good chef CV needs to include, and how to format your CV layout:
Name and contact details
Personal statement
Key skills and specialisms
Work experience
Education and qualifications
Recent references
Remember, tailoring your CV is important to convince recruitment agencies and potential employers that you're right for their role.
If you've seen a specific job advert, look at the job description and show how you have the relevant skills to meet the job requirements.
Top tip: ensure your CV includes key experience and skills littered through every section of your CV, as well as having culinary skills listed in a dedicated section!
Below, we're going to break down each section of your CV structure and give you tips to help you create the format for your chef CV, so you can fill in each section with ease.
Name and contact info
At the top of your CV, list your name, email address, and telephone number.
Top tip: if your email address sounds unprofessional, create a new one for job-seeking purposes.
How to write a chef CV personal statement
Write a personal statement to use on your CV - this is a short paragraph summarising your skills and experience, character, and ambitions.
It should only be a few lines long (aim, for 3-5 lines), but it should explain who you are, what your skills are, and why you'd be a great asset to the company in question.
Explain what kind of chef job you're looking for and make sure it's up to date and relevant.
This is really important, because if you apply for a job that doesn't match this section, a recruiter or employer will either dismiss your CV completely or ask you to explain your situation, further delaying the process.
Key skills section
Create a bullet point section titled 'Key skills' and list them clearly to help recruiters and employers match you to the right role and kitchen.
Make sure you include a mixture of hard skills and soft skills you bring to a kitchen.
Hard skills relate to your culinary skills and might be specific or technical, like experiences as a pastry chef, knife skills, or safety and hygiene knowledge.
Your soft skills could be things like time management, creativity, management skills, or organisation.
Work experience section
Write a list of your previous jobs, starting with the most recent role you've had, or the job you're currently in.
Make sure you detail the company you worked for and the position you held, as well as any key achievements and responsibilities (particularly ones that relate to the role or organisation you're applying for).
How far back should you go in your work history?
There's no set answer to this, but anything longer than 10 years ago is unlikely to be relevant, so don't worry about your pot washing job from when you were 16, unless you want to use it to demonstrate your lifelong passion for the industry.
A recruiter or employer is simply looking for an understanding of what you've been up to recently to see if you're a good fit for their role.
So, again, keep this updated and highlight any relevant details for your future job.
If you’ve had a gap in employment for any reason, state it clearly and be honest about your situation in your cover letter - any unexplained gaps can make a chef recruitment agency or site manager suspicious about your commitment or character.
For each job you list, format it like this:
Job title | Company | Month and year - month and year
Sentence, short paragraph, or bullet points with a summary of the role and your key responsibilities and achievements.
Qualifications and education section
Add a short section detailing your key education dates and qualifications.
Make sure you include any culinary qualifications, certifications, or training you have on there, so employers can get a clear insight into your professional expertise and skills.
Again, list the most recent qualifications or education details first, then work back in time.
References
After reviewing your CV and job application, a good recruitment company or employer will be keen to speak to people you've worked for in the past to find out more about you.
So, adding references to your CV makes it easier for them to get in touch and progress your application.
If you don't want an existing employer to know you're job-seeking, you can add 'references available on request' to your CV.
What's the ideal chef CV length?
A one-page CV is great, as it's easy for recruiters and employers to get a quick understanding of you and your background.
The best font size is 10-12 for text and 14-16 for headers, and choosing a simple, clean CV font like Arial or Helvetica makes it nice and easy to read.
If you've been working for some time, it can be tempting to list absolutely everything you've done, but this makes it harder to scan for suitability, especially if you’ve held a lot of similar roles with the same responsibilities and duties.
A Microsoft Word document is the best format for your CV.
A strong CV is a starting point to open up a conversation or secure an interview, so keep it short and sweet to put you in the frame for a great new chef position.
Chef CV example: create a CV using a free template
At CJUK, we hire temporary head chefs, sous chefs and chefs de partie to work in professional kitchens across the UK.
It's our job to match the job with the chef. So, we introduce top chefs to fantastic kitchens, helping job seekers stay in work and enabling site managers to fill vacancies fast.
To help you with your job search, we've created a free chef CV template.
Use it to write a CV in minutes, share your chef experience with the right employers, and start applying for your next chef role.
Download it below.
Looking for a relief chef role or looking to hire a temporary chef to fill a gap in your kitchen?
Speak to us: 01254 355666 or info@cjuk.co.uk