Chef CV Example & Writing Guide (+ Template)

A Michelin Star chef CV, coming right up. With an extra side of clear business acumen, the huge serving of culinary talent will be simply irresistible. Perhaps you could print it on edible paper. 

As creative and wild a chef you may be, you must remember that to the restaurant owner, the bottom line is the most important. This is why we beat most chef CV examples—we know exactly which courses to serve, and what to leave in the kitchen. In this guide, you'll learn how to write a chef CV example that is as good as your dishes. Ready?

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Looking for a different CV example? See:

• Barista CV Example
• Bartender CV Example
• Catering Assistant CV Example
• Chef de Partie CV Example
• Customer Service CV Example
• First CV Example
• Hospitality CV Example
• Kitchen Porter CV Example
• Receptionist CV Example
• Restaurant Manager CV Example
• Self-Employed CV Example
• Waiter / Waitress CV Example
• Yachting CV Example

Couldn't find your job? See a full list of our CV examples.

Chef CV example & template

Here's how to write a job-winning chef CV sample:

1. Write an enthralling chef CV personal statement

What looks better on a restaurant menu? The following:

“Cheese pizza—tomatoes, cheese, basil, garlic, salt, olive oil.”

Or:

“Neapolitan—a heavy buffalo mozzarella, sun-matured San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, 15 minutes in a real furnace.”

The personal statement of your chef CV (also known as a CV summary) should get the imagination running. Less is more—don’t list the olive oil and sea salt of your work experience. Skip the tasteless, focus on the defining flavours. This is in most cases, all that the hiring person will read from you. Make it count. 

Sum up your experience and provide your most honourable achievements that prove not only your chops as a chef, but also your business acumen—the latter is worth its weight in gold. 

Chef CV examples: personal statement

A strong CV summary will convince the recruiter you’re the perfect candidate. Save time and choose a ready-made personal statement written by career experts and adjust it to your needs in the LiveCareer CV builder.

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2. Master your chef CV job description

If the CV personal statement was the personally-tailored tasting menu, then the work experience section is the full menu. It ought to have many more broad positions, perhaps even some more bland ones that show your organisation and management skills.

Carefully study the job posting—the recipe is within. Determine what are their most important requirements and make sure you have it in your menu. 

If it’s a fine dining establishment, they will be more focused on somebody that has awards and proven experience, if it’s a tourist spot burger bar, they might just be interested in someone to fling the maximum amount of orders out.

Be that as it may, for your most recent position, list 3 to 7 bullet points, descending in order of importance. Quantify your impact with numbers where possible. Your focus on the measurable impact of your work, not just how it tastes, will be appreciated.

Record your positions like this:

[Job Title]

[Employer Name, Location]

[Dates of Employment]

For the less recent positions, limit the bullet points, 3 being maximum.

Head Chef CV sample for the UK: work experience

3. Show off relevant chef skills in your chef CV

For most chef CVs, the education section can move down the page, as it doesn’t hold much importance over real chef skills. It may be an advantage in certain situations, for example in fine dining establishments, being at university could be seen as an advantage.

Even in this case, however, you could simply mention it briefly in your personal statement that you’re studying, and still prioritise your chef skills section. Once again, find out from the job posting what’s most important to them, and prioritise that. 

Don’t focus on banal soft skills like punctuality. Focus on some extra skills you bring to the table that most people don’t. Like so:

Chef CV examples: skills

4. Serve additional sections on your chef CV

Unless you are fresh out of the Cordon Bleu school, once you have some relevant experience as a chef, you can afford to move your education section down. Unless, of course, it was some incredibly prestigious culinary school, such as the Cordon Bleu.

In most cases, prioritise awards (if you have any), languages (kitchen are so international these days), and anything that shows extra initiative and multi-tasking while still being relevant. Volunteering is favourably seen by 82% of managers. Don't list references on your CV, though. Recruiters know they can expect them.

Sous Chef CV template—additional sections

5. Include an education section in your chef CV

As mentioned before, unless you are fresh out of school, or finished a really fancy school, this is where your education section belongs. Your real-world skills will far outshine anything you learned during your diploma. 

Keep your education section shorter and sweeter than short dough. 

Commis Chef CV examples—education section

6. Write a tantalising chef cover letter to accompany your chef CV

Burger and chips. Spaghetti and meatballs. Chef CV and cover letter. Salt and pepper. I’m sure you understand what I mean. A chef cover letter is another opportunity to highlight your strong sides and underline what results you can deliver for your new employer. 

The opening paragraph of your cover letter should be somewhat similar to your personal statement, and hook them in with your most impressive achievement. In the body of the letter, discuss two or three key achievements or awards, and highlight how they will translate to results for your new employer.

In the ending paragraph of your cover letter, tie up loose ends, say exactly what you’re going to bring to the table, and request an interview. 

7. Keep your chef CV neat and handy 

Your chef CV will get you a reservation—for interview— if you make sure everything is neat and organised with these straightforward CV format rules: 

• Put down clear headings for each CV section, and space the sections to create a CV layout you can skim-read.
• Use a legible, elegant CV font. Didot is one that most won’t know, that is both elegant and readable.
• If not asked to save as a .DOC, save your chef CV in a PDF format.

Choose one of the best CV templates (also check free CV templates). You can opt for either a basic CV template or modern CV design. If you want to use a creative CV template, make sure it is readable. Visual CVs with fancy graphics are sometimes hards to scan by a human eye.

How long should your CV be? If you're more experienced than Heston Blumenthal, a one-page CV should be enough. If you want to dig deeper, check our comprehensive guide on how to write a CV.

And that's it! Now you have a model CV for chef jobs.

You don’t have to be a CV writing expert. In the LiveCareer CV builder you’ll find ready-made content for every industry and position, which you can then add with a single click.

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Did we answer all your questions on how to write a chef CV? Got any job hunting tips and tricks you’d like to share? Did you find our chef CV examples useful? Use the comments section below. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

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Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.