Resume example

Entry-Level Chef Resume Example

Every head chef starts as a commis. A sous chef hiring at this level wants to know which sections you have worked, how many covers you have helped with and whether you can be trusted with food safety. This example answers those three questions from a diploma, industrial training and one year in a hotel kitchen.

Early career · Last reviewed 5 November 2026 · 2 min read · How we write these

Template

Evergreen has no photo and a deep band of color across the top.

A made-up resume. The person, the employers and every number are invented, and any resemblance to a real one is chance.

Why this example works

The sections worked, the size of the hotel and the banquet numbers give a sous chef the scale of the kitchen in one line.
Temperature logs, labeling and stock rotation are written as daily habits, which is what a kitchen trusts a commis with first.
The move from breakfast to the dinner line after four months is small, but it shows a chef chose to trust the writer.
Industrial training is treated as a job with weeks, sections and one real event, so it does not read like a filler line.

How to write your own head chef resume

Name the sections you have worked, such as tandoor, curry, bakery or garde manger, because chefs hire for a section first.
Give the number of weeks of your industrial training and the sections you rotated through.
Mention the largest banquet or buffet you helped with, in guests, since volume tells a chef how you cope under pressure.
List food safety training by its full name and the body that runs it, and add the daily logs you keep.
If a chef moved you to a busier shift or a harder section, write it down; at this stage that is your promotion.
Keep cuisines honest: list the ones you have cooked in service, not the ones you studied in a single class.

Skills worth including

Section skills

Tandoor, Curries and gravies, Bakery basics, Garde manger, Knife skills, Mise en place

Hygiene and stores

Temperature logs, FIFO stock rotation, Labeling, Allergen awareness, Cleaning schedules

Kitchen habits

Following recipe cards, Banquet prep, Handover between shifts

Only list what is true for you. A skill you cannot talk about in an interview does not help.

Common questions

Should a commis chef put the hotel management diploma above work experience?

Yes, for the first year or two. The diploma and industrial training are most of your evidence, so put education near the top and move it down once you have two kitchens behind you.

Is FoSTaC training worth listing for a commis job?

Yes. Kitchens licensed with the food safety authority need trained supervisors, and a commis who already holds the training is easier to roster. Give the course name and year.

How do I describe industrial training on a chef resume?

List it as a job: the property, the weeks, the sections you rotated through and one service you remember, such as a large wedding buffet. Avoid a bare line that only says trainee.

Can I apply for a chef de partie role straight after my diploma?

It is rare. Most kitchens want a year or two as a commis first. Apply for commis roles in the section you want to grow in and ask about the path to chef de partie at interview.