Why This Resume Works
This resume scores well with ATS systems and hiring managers because it follows three principles:
350+ covers, 14-person brigade, 28% food cost. Numbers show the scale of the operation you can handle and the financial results you deliver.
French Technique, ServSafe Manager, HACCP. Hiring managers search for these exact terms when filtering candidates for specific restaurant concepts.
Standard section headings that ATS parsers expect. No tables, columns, or graphics.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
Summary
Open with your years of experience, kitchen type (fine dining, hotel, high-volume), and team size. Include your strongest metric like covers per service or food cost percentage. Mention your cuisine specializations. Keep it to 2-3 sentences and avoid vague phrases like "passionate culinary professional."
Skills
Group skills by Culinary, Management, Food Safety, and Software. Name specific cuisine styles, cooking techniques, and POS systems. Include your ServSafe and HACCP certifications so ATS can match them immediately.
Tip: If the job posting mentions a specific POS system like Toast or Aloha, include that exact name. Generic "POS systems" will not trigger ATS keyword matches.
Experience
Use this formula for every bullet point:
Start bullets with strong verbs: Managed, Reduced, Developed, Trained, Streamlined, Oversaw. Avoid "Responsible for" or "Helped with" since they hide your direct contributions.
3-5 bullets per role. Lead with your highest-impact operational achievements.
Education & Certifications
List your culinary degree, school name, and graduation year. ServSafe Manager certification is required by most employers and is critical for ATS screening. If you have HACCP training or specialized certifications (sommelier, charcuterie), include them here. Stage experiences at notable restaurants can also be listed.
Key Skills for Sous Chef Resumes
Based on analysis of thousands of job postings, these are the most frequently required skills:
Common Mistakes on Sous Chef Resumes
- ⚠Not including cover counts or team size - every sous chef manages a kitchen, but "350+ covers with a 14-person brigade" tells the hiring manager exactly what scale you can handle.
- ⚠Listing cuisine styles without context - "French Technique" alone is vague. Show it in action: "Developed 12 seasonal menu items rooted in classical French technique."
- ⚠Missing food cost and waste reduction metrics - sous chefs are evaluated on financial performance. Include your food cost percentage and any savings you drove through waste reduction or vendor negotiations.
- ⚠Omitting ServSafe or food safety certifications - most states require this, and ATS systems filter for it. If it only appears as a line on your degree, many parsers will miss it.