Assistant Cook Resume Sample With a Detailed Guide And Writing Tips
If you would love to become a chef or head cook, you can start as an assistant in the kitchen and learn everything you need to know. An assistant cook gives support to the head chef, allowing them to gain the experience they need to become a lead cook.
Carole Welch Assistant Cook 738-938-002 carolewelch@gmail.com Walnut Creek, CA linkedin.com/in/carolewelch
Professional summary
Skilled Cook with five years of experience in fast food restaurant food preparation. Knowledge of food safety and food handling while maintaining high food quality standards. Physically fit worker capable of lifting large food containers up to 40 pounds.
Work experience
Griddle 24 Assistant chef June 2018-March 2020
Ensured kitchen operations were efficient by supervising product inventory and daily purchasing and receiving of food supplies.
Collaborated with the hotel's staff to meet customers' special dietary requirements and verified proper portion sizes.
Eliminated cross-contamination of food items by sanitizing food preparation areas, grills, and other kitchen equipment used to prepare and serve food.
Eleven City Hotel Assistant cook May 2016-April 2018
Processed approximately 10 orders during busy times, achieved a high accuracy rate, provided customer service, and increased customer loyalty.
Accommodated customers' food allergies and gluten intolerance by preparing requested orders and special orders for food items not always on the menu, following all the nutritional guidelines.
Handled all the prep work for menu items such as soups, sauces, and salads while maintaining sanitary food handling practices.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Culinary Arts Eastern New Mexico University 2018
The first step to getting a position in this field is creating an assistant cook resume that stands out. This can be a competitive industry, so you'll need to showcase your top skills and experience that make you the right candidate for the position.
Writing a resume that stands out can be challenging, so we'll give you all the tips you need in this article. Some of the topics we'll cover include:
How to add your professional experience as an assistant cook.
The right resume format for your assistant cook resume.
The key skills that every assistant cook should have on their resume.
An assistant cook resume example like no other.
Salary and Job prospects for Assistant cooks
According to the U.S Bureau of Statistics, the overall employment of cooks is projected to grow 26 percent from 2020 to 2030.
The average salary for a cooking assistant is $30,000. The typical range is between $26,000 and $34,000, depending on your level of education, experience, and skills.
What You Need To Know To Write A Professional Resume For An Assistant Cook
Writing a resume is a skill that every individual should master. Your resume should represent your top accomplishments to help set you apart from the other candidates.
Each resume you write for an assistant cook position should be different. Avoid using one resume for multiple applications because this will cause you to miss out on some amazing opportunities. Every job has specific requirements, so it's important to check the job description and tailor your resume to match them.
Also, consider the resume format, layout, and structure of your resume. Let's look at these in more detail.
Resume Format, Layout, and Structure
The resume format you choose should represent your best qualifications first. Here are three formats you can choose from.
Reverse-chronological format is great for candidates who have experience as assistant cooks. This is because it focuses on your experience. It's also a favorite of most hiring managers because it's easy to scan on ATS systems.
The functional resume format focuses on your skills and is perfect for career changers and recent graduates who don't have a lot of experience.
Combination/hybrid resume - This format is perfect for candidates with the ideal blend of the required skills and experience. It combines the best features of the reverse-chronological and functional resume formats.
The layout/design of the resume should be easy to read and understand. Hiring managers only take a few seconds on your resume and will not hesitate to put it aside if they can't read it. Simple fonts like Arial, Cambria, Georgia, Calibri, and Times New Roman are recommended, and a font size of 10-12pt.
The structure of your assistant cook resume should have the following sections:
The header section
Resume summary/resume objective
Work experience section
Education section
Skills section
An additional section (Certifications, languages, awards/honors, and interests)
Start Your Resume With A Header
The header section should have the following details:
Your full name
Job title
Phone number
Professional email address
Location
A link to your LinkedIn profile.
These details must be accurate so that the recruiter can reach you when they need to. Always proofread this section before sending out your resume to ensure there are no mistakes.
A good header
CORRECT
Edwin Patterson
Assistant chef
920-373-292
edwinpatterson@gmail.com
Kaufman, TX
linkedin.com/in/edwinpatterson
A bad header
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Edwin Patterson
Assistant chef
920-373-292
edwinpatterson@gmail.com
3567 Whitetail Lane
Hose number 28
Kaufman, TX
Date of birth 02/02/1988
linkedin.com/in/edwinpatterson
📌The header section should only have the relevant details that the recruiter needs to contact you. Avoid adding too many personal details.
Do You Need A Photo On Your Resume?
A photo on your resume can work against you, so it's always better to leave it out of your resume. There are some instances where the recruiter asks you to send one. If they do, ensure that it's professional.
How To Add Your Work Experience As An Assistant Cook
Showing the recruiter what you've previously done allows them to see the value you could bring to the new job. The work experience section will enable them to see this as you list your employment history and the duties/responsibilities at each workplace.
You can check out our resume examples which have some great tips to help you write this section. Recruiters spend a lot of time in this section, so you want to make sure it has all the details presented correctly.
List your workplaces, starting with your most recent one, then add three to five job responsibilities. For your resume to stand out, include figures and facts to quantify your results and show the recruiter the value you'll bring to the company.
When you're listing this information, you'll start with the name of the workplace, your job title, and the period you've worked at each place.
It's advisable to focus on the relevant experience. However, if you haven't worked as an assistant cook before, you can add any other experience that has allowed you to gain transferable skills useful in the new position.
Example for Entry-level Assistant Cook
Daley's Restaurant
Line Cook
July 2017-May 2020
Sourced local ingredients for various foods to cook food appropriate for the season and represent local events.
Reduced the cost of grocery purchases by 20% by sourcing fruits and vegetables from local farms.
Assisted cooks and other kitchen staff with creating new and improved food items on the menu with over 10 choices of entrees.
Maintained food sanitation while efficiently cooking signature dishes by preparing ingredients beforehand.
Example for Experienced Assistant Cooks
Palace Grill
Head Chef
January 2015-December 2018
Revamped standard recipes to compensate for some ingredients, customer requests, and allergy issues.
Made improvements to kitchen efficiency by preparing food products while observing sanitation practices and health standards in the kitchen and dining area.
Applied menu planning expertise to prepare menu items and ingredients using proper procedures.
Prepared and monitored cooking times for many dishes and ensured food orders were served hot and simultaneously.
What Do You Need In Your Education Section For Your Assistant Cook Resume
The education section should have all your educational qualifications. Each job will have specific academic requirements, so use the job description to determine what the recruiter is looking for.
Start with your most recent qualification, and if you have a bachelor's degree, you can leave out the high school diploma.
The details you need to add here include the name of the degree/diploma, the name of the school, and the year of graduation.
Correct example
Bachelor's Degree in Culinary Arts
Louisiana Culinary Institute
2018
What Are The Essential Skills That Every Assistant Cook Should Have In The Resume?
Working as an assistant cook means that you need specific culinary skills that will help you perform your duties efficiently. Every hiring manager will be looking for these skills on your resume so ensure that you add them.
The job description usually has some of the skills the recruiter is looking for, so check it out and add these skills to your resume.
Remember that your resume should have the perfect blend of hard and soft skills. Hard skills need some time to learn, but soft skills are the character traits that help you to interact with people at the workplace.
Always list your skills using bullet points to make it easy to scan them on ATS systems. This also makes it easy for the recruiter to spot them as they go through your resume.
Let's look at some of the skills you can add to your assistant cook resume.
Hard skills
Inventory control
Food storage knowledge
Foodservice skills
Cooking skills
Food preparation techniques
Safe food handling
Meal service
Foodservice sanitation
Soft skills
Good communication skills
Customer satisfaction
Time management
Organizational skills
Multitasking skills
Decision-making skills
Physical stamina
Excellent customer service
Write An Outstanding Professional Summary
A professional summary summarizes your resume by highlighting your top accomplishments, skills, and experience. This short paragraph must be catchy and engaging to get the recruiter's attention and compel them to read the rest of your resume.
CORRECT EXAMPLE
Skillful prep cook with eight years of experience in kitchen operations. Excellent food preparation and safe food handling knowledge. Proven ability to lead staff teams to carry food supplies from storage areas and keep the kitchen area well-stocked, organized, and clean. Reliable and hardworking with excellent communication, planning skills, and ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently.
💡The example above highlights the candidate's experience and skills that will help them do a great job.
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
Diligent assistant cook with fast food experience and skilled in preparing food in a clean and safe environment.
💡The example above is vague and does not give detailed information on the candidate's skills and experience.
When To Use A Professional Objective
A professional objective highlights your career goals and how they align with the company goals. It's suitable for candidates who cannot use the professional summary like recent graduates and career changers because they don’t have much experience. It should also be short but catchy and engaging to interest the recruiter in reading the rest of your resume.
CORRECT EXAMPLE
Hardworking and energetic culinary arts graduate with experience working in a busy kitchen setting. Prepared foods such as meats, salads, and soups. Expert ability to prepare various basic menu items, serve meals in a timely manner and follow oral and written instructions. Focused on providing excellent customer service and looking forward to working with a top establishment like Shilas Hotel.
💡The example above highlights the candidates' skills that make them perfect for the job and shows their interest in working at the company.
Why You Need An Additional Section In Your Assistant Cook Resume
An additional section is essential for your resume because this is where you'll add the extra qualifications that set you apart from the other candidates.
Our professional resume templates or resume builder will help you incorporate this section if you don't know how to add it to your resume. You may have talked about your expertise in cooking food and serving customers, but you need something that separates you from everyone else.
Let's look at some of the sections you can add here.
Certifications
Every candidate with a certification on their resume shows the recruiter that they have additional training that could be useful in the position. Certifications that will help you stand out as an assistant cook include:
Certified Sous Chef
Certified Culinary Educator
Certified Foodservice Professional
Languages
Your language skills are essential and should be in a separate section to ensure that the recruiter doesn't miss them. Use the official language reference when listing the languages as follows:
Germany's Goethe-Zertifikat (70%) or higher is required.
DELF for French (with a score of 60% and above)
SIELE for Spanish
Interests
Your interests are not something you should keep away from the recruiter. During an interview, you may have some of them in common with the recruiter and bond over this. However, you still need to research the company and its culture to ensure that you add the interests that align with the company culture.
Top Tips To Boost Your Resume
Constantly tailor your resume to match the recruiter's requirements and avoid using one resume for more than one application.
Use the appropriate keywords and action verbs that you can find in the job description to optimize your resume.
Tailor each job title and optimize it with the right keywords.
Use a resume template to structure your resume properly.
Check your resume for mistakes before sending it to the recruiter.
Summary: Main Takeaways for Writing a Professional Resume For an Assistant Cook
Start with a header section that contains your contact information and personal details.
Write a catchy resume summary/objective to introduce your resume.
Summarize your employment history in the work experience section.
List your duties and responsibilities under each workplace and include figures and facts to quantify your results.
Add your skills using bullet points to make it easy to spot them and scan them on ATS systems.
Have an additional section with your extra qualifications that set you apart from the other candidates.
An Assistant Cook Cover Letter Is Vital
A cover letter allows you to give more details on your qualifications in a way that a resume doesn't. This is your chance to showcase your writing skills and outstanding personality. You should always accompany your resume with a cover letter unless the recruiter says otherwise. Check out our cover letter examples, which have great tips for all job seekers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which top companies are hiring for cook jobs?
According to Glassdoor, the companies hiring for cook jobs include:
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