Line Cook Resume: Free Template & Guide

As a Line Cook there’s no question you’re committed to producing quality food and making sure your kitchen space is in good shape. But have you paid the same attention to detail to your resume? Our tailored resume templates may be just the recipe you’re looking for!

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ResumeGiants Team
Written by
ResumeGiants Team
Resume and Cover Letter Experts
Updated on September 6, 2022

As a Line Cook, you’re used to keeping a kitchen under control. 

However, is writing a tasty-looking resume too large an order to fill at the moment?  

A Line Cook is a prestigious and important title since they ensure that the chef’s instructions are properly followed, and dishes are ready to go asap. 

You might be an amazing line cook, but you’ll need to serve up an appetizing resume to beat the competition. 

Remember, your skills and experience are like ingredients. You have them all, you just need the perfect recipe to make something special. 

Ultimately, articulating your value as a potential hire raises your chances of getting an interview and getting employed. 

In this ResumeGiants guide, you will learn:

  • Writing a resume for entry-level link cook positions
  • How to create a great resume summary or objective
  • What experience you will need to put on the resume
  • Skills that any head cook would value in their link cook 
  • How to finish up your profile neatly 

Let’s get cooking!

Consider Using our Resume Builder

With our guide, you’ll learn everything to know how to make a resume for a line cook. 

If you’d like some extra help, we have the perfect tool for you. 

Our resume builder allows you to cook up the perfect resume to impress the head chef in any kitchen across the country. 

By using the resume builder tool, you can create a resume that will have any job recruiter’s mouth watering.  

It will also walk you through each part of a line cook’s resume template for free. 

This is a great way to help you great a professional bio whenever you apply for a line cook job opening. 

Use our resume builder to make the resume writing process stress-free. 

Line Cook Resume Sample

Before doing anything, it’s always a good idea to get some inspiration.

To give your mind some stimulation, here’s a line cook resume example that you can draw some ideas from.

Resume Example
Copied!

[Rebecca Martin]

[Line Cook]

[Oak Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55111 | (555) 971-7832 | rmartin487@gmail.com]

>> Summary <<

Charismatic Line Cook with 6+ years of professional kitchen experience. Brought timeliness and order to the kitchen, along with knowledge of European and Asian cuisines. Delivered orders 97% on time with 95% customer satisfaction at Hellfire kitchen, thanks to expert experience, skills, knife work, and speed.

Line Cook

Ricardo’s Restaurant – Minneapolis, MN

2015 – 2021

  • Assisted the head chef in creating new menu items with existing ingredients
  • Made all dishes based on menu requirements 
  • Ensure all requirements set by Belle kitchen were followed crucially. 
  • Participated in monthly culinary meetings and contributed ideas for new menu items 
  • Adjusted the daily menu based on the available raw foods and ingredients to ensure peak customer satisfaction

>> Education <<

  • Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), nutrition / Toronto Culinary School / 2010-2014
  • Associate degree, culinary science / Oakland College / Oakland, MI / April 2010
  • Colquitt High School / Oakland, MI / 2008

>> Skills <<

  • Inventory management
  • Knowledge of food safety regulations
  • Recipes and menu planning 
  • Budget and cost control
  • Written communication
  • Problem-solving 
  • Planning
  • Organization

>> Certifications <<

  • ANSI- Certificate in Food Handling and Hygiene – 2017

>> Hobbies and Interests <<

  • Listening to Culinary Podcasts
  • Wine tasting

What’s the Best Line Cook Resume Format?

The most common way for a line cook to create an effective resume is arranging the resume in a reverse-chronological format

This resume format requires all your most recent details to appear first, while the older ones come last. 

Furthermore, the reverse-chronological format is optimal in situations where you have recent noteworthy experience, achievements, and educational achievements to show. 

It’s also easy to impress hiring managers who care about your most recent abilities and not the highlights of your career. 

Taking advantage of resume templates makes your formatting task much easier if you have any doubts about where to place your skills, experience, etc. 

Remember the following when composing your resume:

  • First, ensure your font size is between 10 and 12 points
  • Next, select a font that is clean and easy to read, like Arial, Times New Roman, or Helvetica 
  • Avoid stylized fonts since they are difficult to read and won’t appear on many word processors 
  • Set your margins to 1 to 1.5 inches
  • Write your name and section headers in bold, or use a slightly bigger font size 
  • Use bullet points when listing out information like skills, and work experience  

💡top tip

Save and submit your resume in PDF version, except the establishment specifies their preferred way of receiving your Line Cook resume.

The reason is, Applicant Tracking Systems are used to scan through resumes. You can get an unfavorable result if you don’t submit a machine-readable document. 

The best file types to use are: 

  • PDF
  • TXT

Always use these types of files, unless the job recruiter asks you for another type. 

How to Write a Line Cook Resume Summary and Objective

You’re about to start getting out the ingredients to prepare your line cook resume. 

You’ll want to give the introduction to your resume some added flavor to grab a recruiter’s attention. 

Therefore, it’s a great idea to start off your line cook resume with a summary or objective.

Both concepts are primarily short paragraphs that summarize your abilities or your goals upon employment.

How can you decide between including one or the other? 

You should use a professional summary if you’re more established. 

Using a resume objective is ideal if you are just starting out as a line cook after finishing your culinary education or training. 

Here’s more information to understand the topic better:

How to Write a Line Cook Resume Summary

You’ve decided on a line cook resume summary thanks to your experience. 

This is a brief paragraph at the beginning of your document to summarize your experience and skills. 

It functions as an elevator pitch, convincing the job recruiter that the rest of the document is worth their time. 

To incorporate this factor into your Line Cook Resume, start with a heading at the beginning of your resume titled “Resume Summary” in bold letters. 

Afterward, think of as many relevant skills, achievements, and work experience as possible. 

It’s time to start your summary.

Ensure the first sentence starts with an adjective describing your personality as a Line Cook. 

Line Cook Resume Summary Example:

Right ✅

Charismatic Line Cook with 6+ years of experience, seeking employment at Richard’s Kitchen. Delivered orders 97% on time with 95% customer satisfaction at Hellfire kitchen, thanks to expert experience, skills, knife work, and speed.

Wrong ❌

I have been a Line Cook and kitchen assistant for many years and have worked for many eateries and restaurants to assist their chef and please customers. As a result, I see myself as effective, result-oriented, and driven to succeed.

How to Write a Line Cook Resume Objective

Are you looking for your first line cook job? 

A resume objective may be the perfect appetizer for your resume. 

Unlike a resume summary, a resume objective is a brief paragraph that outlines what you wish to achieve upon employment. 

It’s very useful when you want you don’t have quite enough experience yet. 

It’s an effective way to establish a connection between your personal and personal career goals and the establishment’s mission. 

Successfully employing this method can impress hiring managers, completing them to continue reading your resume and even raise your chances of employment. 

To include this section in your professional Line Cook resume, introduce a heading at the beginning of your document titled “Resume Objective.” 

Next, come up with your most relevant skills, education, and other attributes and include them in the paragraph.

Line Cook Resume Objective Example

Right ✅

Hard-working Line Cook willing to deliver high-quality food and culinary services at Belle kitchen. Commended by management for volunteer work at Hellfire Kitchen, prepared food at music festivals, and functioned as a temp at Giguere’s Market. Possess impressive cooking and knife skills.

Wrong ❌

I am a goal-oriented Line Cook with the ability to prepare food and cook them according to the ingredients. I am skilled, but unfortunately, I have no experience in the field now, but I hope to get one once I work in your prestigious kitchen.

💡top tip

Do not include unnecessary fillers like “a,” “the,” “like,” or anything of the sort in your resume summary or objective since they make the sentence cumbersome. 

How to Describe your Line Cooks Experience

Work experience is an invaluable weapon in your arsenal for employment.

It shows the employer that you have the necessary skills, and you have been validated in other establishments. 

However, having relevant experience in your resume is one thing, and presenting it correctly is another.

Unfortunately, many candidates display their experience in the wrong format, leading to an instant rejection from the hiring manager. Afterward, proceed with additional details about your daily activities in the kitchen, like how you completed the task and moved the establishment forward. 

Throw in some statistics to impress any one looking to hire you, if you can. 

Making sure you only add relevant experience and information is essential. 

Anything else can just be seen as waste of time.

For example, does the dining establishment want you to have extensive experience with sanitation measures. 

If you have that experience, show it off.  

You also do not want to add large paragraphs. Bullet points work nicely! 

To give yourself a better understanding of how you should display your experience, it is a great idea to look at line cook resume examples. This will help you understand exactly what you need to add and how to format. 

Let’s see a couple of examples to give you some inspiration for your own line cook resume. 

Experienced Line Cook Resume Example

You have the experience, all you have to do is show it. 

It’s not as complicated as making the perfect soufflé.  

Keep your section simple yet informative. 

Have a look at the sample resume’s line cook experience section below.

Right ✅

WORK EXPERIENCE

Line Cook
Ferndale Kitchen – Ferndale, MI
2018 – 2021

  • Assisted the head chef in creating new menu items with existing ingredients
  • Made all dishes based on menu requirements 
  • Ensure all requirements set by Belle kitchen were followed, crucially 
  • Participated in monthly culinary meetings and contributed ideas for new menu items 

Entry-level Line Cook Resume: Experience Section

Suppose you’re a fresh graduate from college or culinary school and haven’t occupied enough roles for your experience section; this area might be frightening. 

So, how can you remedy this issue? 

Here are a couple of ways: 

  • Volunteering in a kitchen 
  • Teaching online classes 

A few hours or days volunteering in a kitchen will do your resume a lot of good.

You can find such opportunities at your local restaurant or kitchen.

You can assist with teaching online classes at places like Draegers.com or SurLaTable.com. 

Work until you have enough details to insert your entry-level line cook resume without feeling deceptive. 

Here’s an example of an entry-level Line Cook resume experience section:

Right ✅

WORK EXPERIENCE

Culinary Intern
Captain Jack Sparrow Food Service – Milton, VT
2019 – 2020

  • Worked with a group of 3+ cooks and 11+ servers and served 300+ patrons daily 
  • Prepared fruits, meats, and vegetables according to the chef’s requirements 
  • Correctly executed kitchen special recipes for soups, salads, and sauces
  • Cleaned and maintained kitchen equipment and work areas, including the oven, grill, and counters 
  • Ensures meals were dressed beautifully and following kitchen regulations 
  • Managed inventory and ensured cooking essentials were available

💡top tip

Ensure to start your entry-level Line Cook resume with a resume objective rather than a summary, since it focuses on your skills rather than experience.

Is Your Education Section Burned? It Might Be

The Line Cook position is highly respected, requiring you to possess a specific level of education and technical know-how to function properly. 

Due to this, you need to show the hiring manager that you have the necessary training to handle the task. 

Fortunately, outlining your education isn’t much of a hassle like an experience section; it’s as simple as writing out the institution’s name, degree type, and graduation year. 

To maximize your chances of employment and outline your education without leaving room for errors, here’s our recommended format:

  • School Name and Location
  • Years in School
  • Degree type

Line Cook Resume Education Section Example:

You’ll want to cover the courses you’ve covered, giving the right amount of detail.

Include all necessary and relevant information, for example: 

Right ✅

  • Associate degree, culinary science / Oakland College / Oakland, MI / April 2018
  • Colquitt High School / Oakland, MI / 2009
    • Relevant coursework: Food Health and Safety, Chinese cuisine

Wrong ❌

Kansas University / 2009 – 20012

  • Graduated with a 2.1 GPA 
  • Finished my courses

The Best Line Cook Skills for a Resume

Line cooks have the skills to pay the bills. 

You can think of your skills as the main course. 

Communicating that you have the necessary skills is what can get you hired. 

If you don’t present your skills the correct way, you can expect an email saying, “Thank you for applying; however, we’ve chosen a more skilled applicant.” 

To avoid this unfortunate scenario, we recommend researching the best skills for a Line Cook resume.

Remember that a Line Cook’s skills are separated into two categories, soft skills and hard skills; both contain different content. 

That’s why we have included relevant hard and soft skills needed for line cooks below.

Soft Skills

  • Written communication
  • Verbal communication 
  • Planning
  • Organization
  • Reliability
  • Detail-oriented
  • Time management
  • Problem-solving 
  • Multitasking 
  • Interpersonal skills

Hard Skills

  • Inventory management
  • Knowledge of food safety regulations
  • Recipes and menu planning 
  • Budget and cost control 
  • Sanitation guidelines 
  • Food plating and presentation 
  • Performance assessment 
  • Payroll and scheduling 
  • Kitchen equipment operation and maintenance

These skills are some savory ingredients for your resume. 

Make sure you chose only the most relevant ones for each job posting you apply to. 

Ultimately, avoid combining your hard and soft skills into one list. Although it might look compact, it’s not ideal since hiring managers want a clear difference between your abilities.

Adding Contact Info to your Line Cook Resume

You’re just about ready to put the final toppings on your resume. 

That topping is your contact information. 

No matter how well you wrote your experience, skills, resume summary, etc., it’s useless if the hiring manager can’t contact you for an interview. 

Luckily, this section isn’t a hassle to compose since all that’s needed is your name, email, mailing address, and other factors. 

 Here is our recommendation below:

  • Name (full name) 
  • Professional Email address
  • Physical mailing address (optional, except requested) 
  • Active cell phone number 
  • Links to a professional profile or portfolio

💡top tip

Write your name in capital letters and ensure your address and email have no errors, since such mistakes will ruin your chances of employment. 

Example:

Right ✅

Contact:

Michael Bentley
mbentley83@gmail.com
(555) 734-3265
46 Main Street, Portland, OR,  76211

Key Takeaway

Now that you’ve gone over each section, you should know how to cook up your appetizing resume. 

Ultimately, getting your dream job as a Line Cook in a reputable establishment is dependent on how well-written your resume arrives.

According to proven methods and industry standards, your resume should contain:

  • Information consistent with the Line Cook job description 
  • The reverse-chronological method to being your most recent experience and achievements first
  • Summarize your resume or professional intent with a resume summary or objective
  • Split your skills into two categories, soft and hard skills, and fill them with the appropriate abilities 

Remember that composing an effective resume for Line Cook is tricky since you need to use the right formatting, font style and size, page set-up, headings, and many more.

If you still have any doubts, look over some resume examples to give you the best idea of how to best prepare your resume.

Before you leave, you may want to check those resume guides:

Good luck!

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