Chef CV example
A head chef or restaurant manager reads a chef's CV quickly: which kitchens you have worked in (à la carte, banqueting, hotels), your position, the menus and volumes, and whether you know the food hygiene requirements (HACCP). Numbers (portions per shift, seats, menu changes) make the CV concrete.
The example suits chefs, sous chefs and head chefs. Use it when a hotel, an international restaurant group or any other employer advertises the job in English, and adapt the descriptions to your own responsibilities.
CV example
Sous chef with 9 years' experience in à la carte and hotel restaurants (up to 120 seats and 400 portions per shift). Developed 3 seasonal menus with the head chef, cut food waste by 20% through standardised prep and trained 6 chefs. HACCP and hygiene skills certificates up to date.
- Lead a shift team of 8 chefs in a 120-seat restaurant: up to 400 portions per shift and banquets for up to 200 guests.
- Developed 3 seasonal menus with the head chef; food waste down 20% after standardising prep.
- Responsible for HACCP records; State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) inspections passed with no findings.
- Worked the hot section of an 80-seat restaurant; seasonal menus built on local produce.
- Helped open the restaurant, including choosing equipment and setting up kitchen processes.
Vilnius Vocational Training Centre for Service Business: chef qualification, 2017
HACCP and hygiene skills certificates, valid
What to put in a chef CV
À la carte, banqueting, hotel or fast food; the number of seats and portions per shift. The head chef will see at once whether you can keep up.
Your section, sous chef or head chef role, the size of your team and the menus you created. Use the English kitchen title that matches what you actually did rather than a generic “cook”: commis chef, chef (hot or cold section), chef de partie if you ran a section, sous chef or head chef.
HACCP, clean food safety inspections (VMVT), lower waste and food costs: for a restaurant owner, that is money.
Add a few photos of your dishes (an Instagram link or a PDF). For chefs, the work speaks louder than the text.
Most common mistakes
- A long list of restaurants with no positions or volumes.
- Hygiene certificates left out.
- A CV that does not match the ad (banqueting kitchen vs à la carte).
Frequently asked questions
Does a chef need a cover letter?
No. A CV and a trial shift are enough. A short message on why you want to work at this particular restaurant does help, though.
If the job is advertised in English, what should my CV look like?
Write the whole CV in English, with your kitchen types, volumes, hygiene certificates and language level. Use English kitchen titles and spell out Lithuanian bodies on first use, e.g. “State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT)”. At a hotel chain the first reader may be someone in HR rather than a chef, so make the numbers and certificates easy to find, and add a few photos of your dishes.
What should I write if I have just finished vocational school?
Your qualification, your work placements and the kitchen sections you worked in, your hygiene certificate and that you are ready to work evenings and weekends.