Line Cook Resume Examples to Help You Stand Out (Free Templates)
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When one is seeking a culinary occupation, it is common to see the prep cook, line cook, and sous chef position. According to Study.com, prep cooks are responsible for preparatory work such as chopping, peeling, and washing ingredients. Line cooks are those who use these foods for cooking. They are proficient in techniques like grilling, baking, and frying.
Usually, line cooks are in charge of a specific station assigned by sous chefs. As for sous chefs, their primary duties are to manage a group of both prep cooks and line cooks to ensure the whole kitchen’s operation.
📝 Fact: The number of cook jobs is predicted to grow by 10%, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor.
Though it is pleasant to see such a promising future, getting a line cook job becomes more fierce. Therefore, you will need a well-written line cook resume to land your dream job!
How to write a line cook resume
It is best to start with the necessary steps of writing a line cook resume.
🏷️ Step 1: Choose a line cook CV or a line cook resume.
CV is an abbreviation for the Latin word “Curriculum Vitae.” It is common in Europe, South America, and Africa. If your potential employers expect a line cook CV, you can contain more details exceeding two pages. By contrast, in the U.S., Canada, India, and Australia, most employers require a line cook resume that includes only relevant information up to 2 pages.
🏷️ Step 2: Use a proper resume format for your line cook resume.
The most usual method is the reverse chronological resume format. It places the latest experience and achievement first. However, other resume format are available for your line cook resume depending on your career status.
🏷️ Step 3: Take a look at line cook resume examples and templates.
Like apprenticeship programs, one will grow fast if an experienced mentor guides him/her. Similarly, viewing professional line cook resume samples can give you a blueprint for your line cook resume as well. At the end of this article, we have provided you a sample of the line cook resume in text version.
🏷️ Step 4: Tailor each of your line cook resumes.
Customization for each application distinguishes you from others. Different restaurants or hotels have their unique cultures and requirements, so it will catch recruiters’ eyes if your line cook resume is specific to them.
🏷️ Step 5: Craft a line cook cover letter.
On average, recruiters spend 20 seconds reading one’s cover letter. Hence, writing a line cook cover letter gives you more time to impress them. Later we will discuss how to write and what to include in a line cook cover letter.
🏷️ Step 6: Proofread both of your line cook resume and cover letter.
Watch out for any typos or grammar mistakes. An error-free line cook resume and cover letter can give hiring managers a better first impression of you.
What to put on a resume for a line cook
Here are eight things to put on your line cook resume.
1. Personal Information
Typically, a resume profile will have:
- Full name
- Professional title (job title)
- Email address
- Phone number
- Address (city, state, and country)
Nowadays, more and more applicants will add their Linkedin, CakeResume, medium, and social media to their line cook resumes, but only include your social accounts if they are relevant to the line cook position.
✍🏻 Reminder: That information like current salary, marital status, race, nationality, gender, and photo should not be included.
2. Headline for Your Line Cook Resume
A resume headline helps employers know your greatest strength at first glance, impacting whether they will read through your line cook resume. Use one capitalized sentence to describe how professional you are and the characteristics you have. Remember to insert specific skills, experience, and features that the recruiters expect.
Line cook resume example for the headline section:
3-year experienced Line Cook proficient in both French and Mediterranean cuisine.
3. Line Cook Resume Summary
With a fragrant headline to intrigue employers to enter your resume restaurant, you will want to include a summary to introduce your restaurant’s most notable dishes. Things you can add into your line cook resume summary are soft and hard skills, earned awards, outstanding accomplishments, and educational background (more suitable for fresher). However, remember to select only those experiences related to the line cook position without exceeding three sentences.
Line cook resume example for the summary section:
A ServeSafe certified line cook with great attention to food quality and sanitary condition of the whole preparing process. Familiar with broiler and sauté station. Tracked customer satisfaction and received 1000+ positive feedbacks.
Further reading: Summary for Resume｜Examples, Templates, Writing Guide
4. Line Cook Resume Objective
A career objective is like an entry-level version of a resume summary that focuses on one’s career goals. Hence, if you are creating a line cook resume but have no experience, using a career objective would be more suitable. Nevertheless, your line cook resume objective should still be relevant and as concrete as possible.
Line cook resume objective example:
Stress-resistant prep cook with great self-learning ability. Received 4+ years culinary training and specialized in knife skills. Eager to devote my passion for cooking to Flavorious Restaurant to create a pleasant customer experience.
Further reading: Career Objective for Resume｜Samples, Formats, Writing Guide
5. Line Cook Skill List
A simple bullet list is frequently seen in the line cook resume skills section, but you also have other listing methods to use. Remember to explain the skills in other parts of your line cook resume, especially if you listed soft skills.
Typical skills for the line cook position:
Hard skills
- Knife skills
- Physical stamina
- Knowledge in types of kitchen equipment
- Food quality control
- Customer service
Soft skills
- Communication skills
- Accuracy
- Adaptability
- Stress-resistance
- Multitasking
6. Work Experience in Your Line Cook Resume
Most line cook jobs require at least 1 year of culinary experience, so this section is the most crucial part of your line cook resume.
If you do not know how to list your experiences, try to include:
- Job title
- The name of the company
- Location of the company
- Period of employment
- Statements of your achievements (3-5 bullet points)
Lead line cook resume example for the work experience section:
Lead line cook, Sep 2018 - Present
Doki restaurant, Naples
- Supervised frying and grill stations to ensure high quality of dishes in a 35-seat restaurant
- Assisted head chef with the preparation of food and in handling customer feedbacks for flavors
- Led the other 4 line cooks to guarantee the dishes to be delivered on time
💡 Tip: Quantifying your accomplishments and inserting keywords mentioned in the link cook job descriptions can distinguish you from others.
Further reading: Work Experience on a Resume｜Samples, Formats, Writing Guide
7. Education Section in Your Line Cook Resume
Although educational certification is not a critical requirement for line cooks, it is still an authorized proof of your cooking knowledge for your line cook resume.
Remember to put your:
- School name
- Degree
- Major & minor
- Year of graduation
- Honors & awards
- Relevant courses
8. Certification & Hobbies in Your Line Cook Resume
It is usual to see the requirement of ServSafe certificates in line cook job descriptions. This association provides both online courses and certifications about restaurant service. You can also put your hobbies like hiking, workout, or weight training to indicate your physical stamina since a line cook has to do many manual jobs.
CakeResume is an online resume builder that helps job seekers build professional line cook CVs.
Tips for writing the best line cook resume
Now, you know what to put in your line cook resume, and here are some writing tips you may need.
🔖 Tip 1: Customize your line cook resume.
This tip is what we already discussed. Remember that recruiters will always want to see a line cook resume prepared uniquely for their restaurants.
🔖 Tip 2: Quantify results on your line cook resume.
Numbers are more persuasive and measurable. We previously pointed out “35-seat restaurant” in the example of the work experience section. With the figure of 35, hiring managers can quickly understand the level of your workload, which indicates your multitasking skills.
🔖 Tip 3: Craft an ATS-friendly line cook resume.
It is time to keep up with the fast-developing technology. Applicant Tracking System (ATS) allows companies to scan resumes and pick up those with position-specific keywords. A hiring manager will read your line cook resume only if it passes through the selection. As a result, using a layout with fewer graphs for your line cook resume can increase your chance of getting an interview.
🔖 Tip 4: Adopt action words (verbs) to your line cook resume.
Action verbs make your line cook resume come alive. Words we used such as “supervise,” “control,” and “standardize” are all examples of action verbs.
🔖 Tip 5: Save your line cook resume as a PDF.
Before you send out your line cook resume, it is safer to save it as a PDF to avoid any layout mistakes. You can save your resume as a PDF with a simple click.
How to write a line cook cover letter
A line cook cover letter demonstrates one’s significant expertise and ambition in a striking statement. Usually, it will include the following contents:
1. Contact information
Just as in your line cook resume, you also need a personal information section in your line cook cover letter. In most sample cover letters for the line cook position, contact information will appear at the top.
2. Introduction (Greeting)
You can begin your line cook cover letter like this: “Dear [receiver’s name], recently I have read about the line cook position at your company...” Greeting hiring managers with correct names can impress them a lot!
3. Motivation (Intention to apply)
Show how much you would like to join that restaurant! However, instead of flattering, it is more effective to demonstrate your understanding of the restaurant.
4. Qualification to become a line cook
This is the essential purpose of your line cook cover letter - it shows what qualifies you for the restaurant’s line cook position. Remember to make it coherent with your line cook resume.
5. Closing
The final section of your line cook cover letter is to thank the hiring managers for their time and consideration. Be sure to put a closing and sign your name at the end.
Line Cook Resume Sample
Joey Clayden
Cooperative Self-Starter Awarded 3 Times as Best Line Cook for 3 Years
Mobile: (123) 987-555
Address: New York, U.S.
Email: [email protected]
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/joelclayden
Cakeresume: cakeresume.com/portfolios/joeclayden
Professional Summary
Flexible line cook with great adaptability in a fast-paced working environment. More than 5 years of culinary experience cultivated my excellent knife skills and restaurant service knowledge. Familiar with types of kitchen equipment like broilers, ovens, slicers, etc.
Work Experience
Fresh restaurant
Line Cook
Nov 2018–Present
- Worked in meat and seafood station with a great understanding of food storage and cutting skills.
- Controlled the hygiene of stations and standardized the daily sanitary inspection process.
- Managed 5 prep cooks to prepare well-decorated and high-quality food for customers, which received 1500+ positive reviews and 4.5 rankings on Google.
- Awarded 3 times as the Best Line Cook.
Smelly Hotel
Prep Cook
Aug 2015-Oct 2018
- Checked and restocked food items to ensure the working process go smoothly.
- Prepared ingredients for line cooks and head chef, including peeling, washing, slicing, and cutting.
- Responsible for the preparation of salad and bread baking.
Education
Institution of Culinary Education (ICE), New York
Relevant courses: Artisan Bread Baking, Culinary Management & Business, Wine and Beverage Study, Advanced Culinary Studies
Skills
Soft skill
- Team player skills
- Stress resistance
- Communication skills
Hard skill
- Knife skills
- Customer service
- Physical stamina
Certifications
- Food Handlers Card
- Servsafe
Language
- English
- Spanish
--- Originally written by Angela Ye ---
With the intention of helping job seekers to fully display their value, CakeResume creates an accessible free resume/CV/biodata builder, for users to build highly-customized resumes. Having a compelling resume is just like a piece of cake!
