Kitchen Manager
Resume Example

A kitchen manager is in-charge of overall operations in a designated kitchen area of a hotel, restaurant, or cafe. Often known as a kitchen supervisor. Their main responsibility is to keep the kitchen area clean and in an organized way. Also they are responsible for the smooth running of the kitchen. They have to open and close the kitchen at the right time too.

If you have an idea to become a kitchen manager, the first step is to write a perfect resume. Remember that the same kitchen manager resume might not be suitable to apply for multiple kitchen manager positions. That’s why you need to reference the job description and tailor your resume according to the job advert.

And if you want to get the job soon as a kitchen manager, you must definitely follow resume writing best practices. This kitchen manager resume writing guide will show you the right way to create a winning resume. If you already have a resume try these resume tips to improve your existing resume like a pro.

What do recruiters look for in a kitchen manager’s resume?

Recruiters focus primarily on the experience and skills they possess when recruiting employees for kitchen manager positions. They will pay special attention to applicants who have a related experience in a fast paced restaurant or star class hotel.

They will inspect your kitchen manager’s resume to check whether you have experience with cooking, baking, meat cutting, inventory control, food ordering processes as well as food service operations. They believe that such a person can easily fulfill his job responsibility.

Sometimes just having experience and skills is not enough to become a kitchen manager. Recruiters may expect you to have a Bachelors or Associate Degree in Hospitality or Culinary Arts. But if they do, they will let you know through the job advertisement. However, having a theoretical education in the field of employment in which you are engaged will in no way be a disadvantage but an advantage for you.

How to write a perfect resume for a kitchen manager position?

If there is a vacancy for a Kitchen Manager position, there are probably hundreds more competing with you for that position. Although there are hundreds of applicants, there are often less than 10 people who will be shortlisted for an interview.

So whenever you write a resume you should aim to write your resume in a comprehensive and compelling way so that it can be shortlisted. Without a competitive kitchen manager resume, getting an invitation to an interview could be a nightmare.

In this article we will teach you how to make a resume specifically for a Kitchen Manager position.

Let’s first look at the sections that should be included in a Kitchen Manager resume.

Resume Header

The header contains all of your contact information, including your full name. In this section you can add your location, contact number, email address as well as the link to a profile that you use professionally such as LinkedIn.

An important piece of information that you should include in this section is your job title. By using an impressive title, you can easily get the hiring manager’s attention into your resume. You can even use one of your certifications to highlight you as the perfect candidate for the kitchen manager position.

Eg:

• Executive Kitchen Manager
• ServSafe Manager

Resume Summary

One of the most important sections in your resume is the summary. This is like a summary showing the highlights of your career. In the initial resume screening, it usually takes the recruiter as little as six seconds to skim read a resume. They will only test your resume thoroughly if they are impressed with your resume in that short period of time.

To make that first impression you should answer the question why they should pick you as their kitchen manager. Tell them that you have years of experience and that you are certified by the National Restaurant Association as a Kitchen Manager.

If you could quantify your key career accomplishments, that would be more impressive. Don’t forget to include some of the key skills you have that will be helpful to operate the kitchen functions smoothly.

Take a look at this kitchen manager resume summary and get inspired:

Work Experience

The work experience section of your resume is all about your relevant experience. Inserting irrelevant experience for the position you’re applying for is one of the most common mistakes job seekers make. You should not do that if you are trying to get a job as a kitchen manager.

If you have previously worked in the food service industry or if you got some hospitality-related experience, such experience is very important for you to get a job as a Kitchen Manager.

Especially if you are engaged in a following position or similar role, be sure to include the details about them in your resume work experience section.

• Line Cook / Lead cook
• Prep Kitchen Manager
• Chef / Chef de Cuisine / Executive Chef
• Pit Master

Having experience in these kinds of positions will undoubtedly be helpful for you to become a kitchen manager in a good restaurant.

Here are some tips for you to make your resume work experience section stand out:

• When listing your related experience, be sure to list them in reverse-chronological order. That means you have to list your most recent experience first and then the others in chronological order.
  
• Put your job title at the top and then the company name and location.
  
• Mention 4-5 achievement bullet points under each job title with a simple description of what you did, the skill you have used to do it, and the result you have obtained.
  
• Use relevant action verbs to make your achievements stand out. Here are some action verbs you can use in your kitchen manager resume.
  • Greeted
  • Assisted
  • Managed
  • Assured
  • Oversaw
  • Controlled
  • Trained
  • Hired
  • Prepared
  • Promoted
  • Organized
    
• Quantify your kitchen management accomplishments whenever possible.

If you create a work experience section as mentioned above, you will finally get a strong work experience section as shown below.

Education

Kitchen managers are usually required to have at least a GED or high school equivalency diploma. Having a bachelor’s or associate degree in restaurant management or culinary arts will be more helpful to become a kitchen manager.

So first try to become a qualified person if you still haven’t got any educational qualification. Also, you need to acquire an in-depth knowledge of kitchen health and safety regulations. There are some courses that you can participate in to get this knowledge.

Courses related to marketing, food costs, vendor contracts, and management can help prospective kitchen managers to develop the hard skills needed to land their dream job. Also, it’s better to study subjects like accounting, communication, and business administration because sometimes the kitchen manager will be responsible for all the operations in a fast-paced restaurant.

Skills

To be a Kitchen Manager, you must be a skilled candidate. It is important to have the soft skills as well as the technical skills required to work successfully and to face problems that are commonly encountered in everyday life in a restaurant kitchen.

To succeed as a kitchen manager, you’ll need a variety of skills, such as:

Soft Skills

• Organization
• Time management skills
• Communication
• Interpersonal skills
• Negotiation skills
• Multitasking

Technical Skills

• Inventory control
• Budget management
• Point-of-sales systems (POS)
• Payroll

Kitchen Equipment Skills – This means all the essential items that are used for cooking inside a restaurant kitchen area.

Certifications

Being certified enables a kitchen manager to obtain a better understanding of their responsibilities, improve their management and culinary skills, and run a more efficient kitchen. If you get a professional certification related to the food service industry that means you can be hired for a better salary too.

Here are the most in-demand certifications for a kitchen manager in 2022:

• ServSafe Manager Certification (National Restaurant Association)
• Food Safety Manager Certification (National Registry of Food Safety Professionals)
• Certified Professional – Food Safety (CP-FS)

Winding up!

Now you have a thorough knowledge on how to write a perfect resume for a kitchen manager position.

But did you know that sending a cover letter along with your resume will increase your job winning rate? That’s why it is equally important to learn how to write an impressive cover letter too.

Related: Cover letter writing guide

Good luck on your job hunt!