Compelling CV writing for cooks
From dishing up creamy colcannon to serving incredible coddle, cooks help make the world a much tastier, better place! As a cook, you’re not short on options when it comes to finding a new potential job role. In fact, there are numerous places you can apply to, including restaurants, hotels, catering services, cruise ships, and even healthcare facilities. At
CVapp.ie, our career tools are specifically designed to help you highlight your culinary strengths to potential employers and connect you with the perfect job that aligns with your specific skills and aspirations. Whether you're an experienced cook or just starting out, we're here to help you find the best job for you.
We’ll explore each of these sections further in this guide, but ideally, every CV should include the following:
- A professional profile
- An employment history section
- An education section
- A skills section
Not sure how to structure these sections? No worries! We’ll start with how to create an impressive professional profile:
Professional profile: Summarise your professional story
The purpose of a professional profile is to provide potential employers with essential information about your career and professional identity. Think of it like a short summary of your professional story, offering employers a glimpse into who you are. It should be compelling and engaging, enticing employees to learn more about you and the value you have to offer to the role you’re applying for.
The professional profile section should be concise and consist of no more than 3-5 sentences. You can elaborate on the details in other sections of your CV, but in the professional profile, you want to briefly highlight any key strengths, awards or outstanding facts that may catch the attention of employers. It’s important to use creative and actionable language in your profile (nobody wants to read boring or basic material!) and it can be super helpful to carefully review the job description to gain a good understanding of what employers are looking for. Knowing what employees are seeking in a candidate can help you structure your professional profile accordingly, so take your time reading the job description over!
Here’s a great example of a professional profile below:
Professional and innovative cook with over seven years experience preparing, cooking and serving delicious, healthy food. Passionate about creating exceptional culinary experiences that bring people together. Skilled in food preparation and handling, adept at various cooking techniques and well-versed in maintaining sanitation and cleanliness standards. Focused on fusing creativity and gastronomy together to create memorable meals and magnificent moments for customers.
Employment History: Your professional track record
The employment history section is the most important section in your CV. Here, you’ll want to detail any previous positions you’ve had and illustrate any skills you’ve acquired over the course of your career. Since you’re applying for job roles as a cook, it’s best to only include relevant job positions in your employment history section, especially if less relevant positions were held a long time ago.
To ensure this section is as effective as possible, make sure to include the following details for each position: the name of your employer, the specific position you held, any achievements or responsibilities you undertook, and the duration of time you were employed in each role in years or months. Employers are typically interested in seeing your progression and growth over time, so do your best to include key details and use descriptive language that aligns with the job description whenever possible. This will help make your experience more tangible and appealing to potential employers.
Sous Chef at Oliver & Odette Restaurant, Galway
February 2016 - Present
- Collaborated closely with the head chef to prepare and deliver healthy, award-winning meals to hungry customers
- Developed new, seasonal menu items with fresh, local ingredients
- Trained new kitchen staff on Oliver & Odette etiquette, ensuring all kitchen staff adhered to excellent health and safety standards
- Supervised and assisted kitchen staff with food preparation
Line Cook at The Bangers & Boxty Pub, Galway
January 2014 - January 2016
- Prepared meals for customers, ensuring food was presented with the utmost attention to detail and quality
- Assisted with menu creation, researching appropriate substitutes for customers with allergies and prioritising healthy meal options
- Ensured each dish was prepared using excellent food preparation and sanitation standards
- Monitored inventory and gathered ingredients from local stores as needed and requested
- Communicated with kitchen staff and contributed to a safe, healthy work environment
Waiter at Coddle & Co, Galway
January 2011 - November 2013
- Greeted and seated guests upon arrival, recorded orders and made recommendations on request
- Served food and beverages to customers, ensuring each order was efficiently entered into the restaurant system
- Kept restaurant and community areas clean, hygienic and tidy
- Processed payments at end of each order, ensuring till was managed accurately and securely
- Removed dishes at end of meals and treated each customer with professionalism and respect
Education example: Highlight your qualifications
While formal qualifications aren’t always necessary to become a great cook, it’s always a great idea to include any formal qualifications, if you do have them, in the education section of your CV. If you’ve completed any relevant coursework or certifications, be sure to include them here. For example, if you earned a Culinary Arts Diploma from the Cork Institute of Technology, you can include your diploma details in this section. Be sure to include the names of the institutions you earned any qualifications from and the city the institution is based in, the years you attended, the name of your qualification and any relevant details that may stand out to employers. Overall, employers value candidates who have actively sought opportunities for growth, and by including your qualifications, you show that you have invested time and effort into your culinary education.
Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), Galway
September 2008 - June 2011
Skills section: Spotlight your strengths
Lastly, the skills section is the perfect opportunity to showcase any expertise or strengths you possess and impress employers with your specialties and knowledge. It’s best to include a broad range of technical and soft skills to demonstrate your well-roundedness in the kitchen. We know you’re a star: now is your time to share your shine! You can list between 5-10 skills that are most relevant to the position you’re applying for. It’s important that your skill set matches what employers are looking for, so remember to read over the job description again if necessary, and don’t be afraid to spotlight your strengths!
- Safe Food Handling and Sanitation
- Ability to Work Under Pressure
- Creativity and Innovation
- Ability to Work in a Team
- Communication Skills
- Kitchen Management
- Food Science
