Chef resume: an AI prompt and a sous chef sample
Kitchens hire chefs on stations worked, cuisines mastered and how well you run a line. From line cook moving up to sous chef applying for head chef, this prompt gets your agent to write a resume that shows covers, food cost, menu work and the team you lead.
The prompt
- Write my chef resume for [RESTAURANT, HOTEL OR JOB POSTING LINK], role: [TARGET ROLE, E.G. SOUS CHEF, HEAD CHEF, LINE COOK]. I'm [YOUR NAME] in [CITY]. My kitchen history: [KITCHENS, DATES, STATIONS, CUISINES, COVERS PER NIGHT, TEAM SIZE, FOOD COST OR MENU RESULTS]. Training: [CULINARY SCHOOL, SERVSAFE MANAGER, OTHER CERTIFICATIONS]. Show stations and cuisines, leadership, food cost and waste control with numbers, and food safety. Keep it to 1–2 pages, single column for ATS, and give me Word and PDF files.
What to change
- [RESTAURANT, HOTEL OR JOB POSTING LINK]: Where you're applying. A link lets your agent read the menu and cuisine.
- [TARGET ROLE, E.G. SOUS CHEF, HEAD CHEF, LINE COOK]: Also: chef de partie, pastry chef, executive chef, private chef, kitchen manager.
- [YOUR NAME]: Your full name.
- [CITY]: Your city.
- [KITCHENS, DATES, STATIONS, CUISINES, COVERS PER NIGHT, TEAM SIZE, FOOD COST OR MENU RESULTS]: e.g. "Harbor Kitchen, 2021–now, sous chef, modern seafood, 220 covers, team of 9, food cost 34% to 29%".
- [CULINARY SCHOOL, SERVSAFE MANAGER, OTHER CERTIFICATIONS]: Culinary diploma or apprenticeship, ServSafe Manager, allergen training, HACCP.
Example result
- Rafael Costa
- Seattle, WA · rafael.costa@email.com · (206) 555-0158
- Summary
- Sous chef with 10 years in high-volume seafood and modern American kitchens. Runs a 9-person line for 200+ covers a night, writes seasonal menus with local suppliers and keeps food cost under 30%.
- Experience
- Sous Chef, Harbor Kitchen · Seattle, WA · 2021 – today
- • Lead the line for 180–240 covers a night across grill, sauté, garde manger and pastry
- • Cut food cost from 34% to 29% by reworking prep pars, cross-utilizing fish and tightening portion specs
- • Co-wrote 4 seasonal menus a year; developed 12 dishes now on the regular menu
- • Hire, schedule and train cooks; 3 line cooks promoted to chef de partie
- • Keep the kitchen inspection-ready: HACCP logs, labeling, FIFO, allergen protocols; top health score 3 years running
- • Manage orders with 8 local fish, produce and dairy suppliers
- Chef de Partie (Sauté), Bistro Laurent · Portland, OR · 2017 – 2021
- • Ran sauté station for 150 covers; built sauces and mother stocks from scratch
- Line Cook, Pike Street Grill · Seattle, WA · 2014 – 2017
- • Grill and fry stations in a 300-cover brunch and dinner operation
- Training
- • Culinary Arts Diploma, Seattle Culinary Academy
- • ServSafe Food Protection Manager
- Skills
- Menu development · Food cost and inventory · Fish butchery · Sauces and stocks · Line leadership · Scheduling and training · HACCP and food safety · Supplier ordering · Plating and consistency
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt, then fill the [brackets] with your kitchens and numbers.
- Send it from the todo.is Today screen or straight from WhatsApp or Telegram to your agent.
- Your agent reads the menu if you add a link and writes a resume to match. You download Word and PDF.
- Want a portfolio page too? Attach photos of your dishes and ask for a one-page PDF lookbook.
Tips for a better result
- List the stations you can run solo. Chefs hiring for a line think in stations.
- Covers per night and team size tell the reader the scale of your kitchen.
- Food cost, waste and labor results are what owners care about once you're sous chef or above.
- Match cuisines to the restaurant: mention Italian pasta work for an Italian kitchen, not your sushi stint first.
- Keep your ServSafe Manager or local food safety certificate current and on the resume.
chef resume: FAQ
- What should a chef put on a resume? Kitchens and roles, stations, cuisines, covers per night, team size, menu development, food cost results, food safety certification and culinary training.
- How long should a chef resume be? One page for line cooks, up to two pages for sous, head and executive chefs with long careers.
- Do I need culinary school on my resume? No. Many chefs come up through kitchens. List apprenticeships and the chefs you trained under instead if you didn't go to school.
- Should I include dish photos? Not in the resume itself for ATS reasons, but a link or separate PDF portfolio works well. Your agent can make one from your photos.
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