Best Kitchen Manager Resume Examples For 2024 (Template & Guide)

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Kitchen Manager Resume: Choose a Format

Choosing the right resume format is essential for showcasing your kitchen management skills and experience effectively.

The right format can make a big difference in how your hiring managers see you as a job candidate!

You can choose from three different formats: chronological, functional or combination. Let’s explore how each works and which one is right for you!

Chronological Resumes for Kitchen Managers

A chronological resume is ideal if you have a solid work history in kitchen management. This format highlights your career progression by listing your work experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent position.

It allows employers to see your most recent and relevant experience first, making it easier for them to understand your career path.

This format works very well for kitchen managers with steady growth in their culinary careers, demonstrating a solid track record of reliability and growth.

It’s also ATS-friendly, making it easier for your resume to get past the initial screening software many employers use.

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Functional Resumes for Kitchen Managers

A functional resume focuses on your skills and qualifications instead of your work history. This format works best if you’re just starting your career, have gaps in your employment, or have diverse work experience that doesn’t fit neatly into a chronological format.

By organizing your resume around your skills, you can highlight your expertise in kitchen operations, staff management, and menu planning without tying those skills to specific jobs.

For kitchen managers, a functional resume can showcase your ability to lead a team, manage inventory, and ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, even if these skills were developed in different roles or industries.

However, if you are applying online, it is important to know that functional resumes are not very compatible with most applicant tracking systems, which could hurt your chances of getting your resume noticed!

Combination Resumes for Kitchen Managers

A combination resume merges elements of both chronological and functional formats, allowing you to highlight your skills and provide a detailed work history. This format is helpful for kitchen managers who want to emphasize their impressive skill set while also showcasing a stable career path.

This format is particularly effective if you have notable achievements in kitchen management and want to present a well-rounded picture of your capabilities.

It allows you to draw attention to your most relevant skills while still providing a clear timeline of your professional experience.

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Choosing a Resume Format

Choosing a resume format is an essential first step in creating a professional and impressive resume for a kitchen manager job. If you’re unsure which resume format to use, a chronological format is a safe and reliable choice.

This format is universally accepted and preferred by employers because it highlights your work history in a clear and organized manner.

Even if you don’t have previous experience as a kitchen manager, you can tailor a chronological resume to showcase your transferable skills. Focus on positions where you demonstrated leadership, organizational abilities, and relevant food industry experience.

For each job entry, highlight responsibilities and achievements that align with kitchen management duties, such as managing staff, overseeing inventory, or ensuring compliance with safety regulations.

This approach helps to illustrate your potential as a kitchen manager, even if your past jobs were in a different role or industry.

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How to Write a Kitchen Manager Resume

Once you have chosen a resume format, the resume writing process is straightforward. We’ll walk you through each step of writing a resume and how to make it stand out from the rest!

Your kitchen manager resume outline should include five essential sections:

• • • • • Contact Information
        • Resume Summary or Objective Statement
        • Work History
        • Skills
        • Education

You can also include any additional sections of relevant qualifications, such as volunteer work or industry awards, as long as they don’t take up unnecessary space.

Each of these sections provides vital information to potential employers and creates a picture of your fit for the job. We’ll show you how to make the most of each section of your resume to help you land the job!

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Summary or Objective

Next, you will write a short introduction for your kitchen manager resume. As you can see in our resume examples, most resumes include a brief 2 or three sentences at the top to provide a quick snapshot of your qualifications.

There are two ways to approach this section. You can either write a professional summary or an objective statement.

A resume summary is ideal if you have relevant experience as a kitchen manager. It highlights your career achievements, key skills, and significant contributions. This type of introduction allows you to quickly convey to employers why you’re a strong candidate based on your past work.

When writing a resume summary, focus on your most relevant and impressive achievements, highlight your years of experience, mention key skills, and keep it focused on the specific job you are applying for.

For example, an experienced kitchen manager might write a resume summary like this one:

“Experienced kitchen manager with over 10 years in high-volume restaurant environments. Proven ability to lead kitchen staff, manage inventory, and ensure compliance with food safety standards. Adept at training employees and increasing kitchen efficiency through effective team management.”

An objective statement, on the other hand, is better suited for those entering kitchen management for the first time or who are changing careers. It focuses on your career goals and what you aim to achieve in the position.

This section helps employers understand your enthusiasm for the role and how your existing skills can be transferred to a new position.

To create a great objective statement, state your career goals clearly by mentioning the specific role you’re targeting. Then, highlight relevant skills and experiences that can transfer to the new position.

For example, an aspiring kitchen manager might write an objective statement like this:

“Passionate culinary professional seeking a kitchen manager position to utilize extensive knowledge in kitchen operations, team leadership, and food safety. Eager to contribute to a dynamic team and enhance overall kitchen productivity.”

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Work History

Now, it’s time to create a detailed work history section. This section is like the main course of a kitchen manager’s resume. Start by listing your previous positions in reverse chronological order.

For each job entry, include the job title, company name, location, and dates of employment. Then, beneath each job entry, use bullet points to highlight your key responsibilities and achievements. Here are some tips to make your work history section stand out:

Start each bullet point with a strong action verb to convey your responsibilities and achievements clearly and dynamically. Examples include “managed,” “led,” “oversaw,” and “implemented.”

Pro Tip: Where possible, quantify your achievements using numbers. This provides concrete evidence of your contributions and impact. For example, “increased kitchen efficiency by 20%,” or “supervised a team of 20 employees.”

Highlight responsibilities and achievements that are directly relevant to the kitchen manager role. This helps potential employers see your suitability for the position.

Pro Tip: Avoid vague descriptions. Provide specific details about your responsibilities and the outcomes of your actions. For example, don’t just say you were “responsible for scheduling.” Instead, say, “Created a streamlined process for employee scheduling and time off requests, increasing employee satisfaction and reducing absenteeism by 20%.”

Here’s an example of a job entry on a resume for a kitchen manager:

Kitchen Manager, Gourmet Bistro, New York, NY
January 2018 – Present

• • • • • Managed a team of 15 kitchen staff in a high-volume restaurant, ensuring efficient kitchen operations and high staff morale.

• • • • • Oversaw inventory management and ordering of supplies, reducing waste by 15% through strategic stock control.

• • • • • Ensured compliance with health and safety regulations, resulting in a 100% pass rate on health inspections.

• • • • • Implemented a new staff training program that improved overall service speed and customer satisfaction by 25%.

By following these tips and structuring your work history effectively, you can present your experience in a way that highlights your qualifications and achievements, making a strong impression on potential employers.

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Skills

Next, you will create a dedicated skills section customized to highlight your alignment with the job you are applying for.

Including both hard skills and soft skills on a kitchen manager’s resume is essential to standing out as a job candidate.

Hard skills demonstrate your technical expertise and knowledge, while soft skills highlight your ability to manage and lead a team effectively.

Together, they provide a comprehensive picture of your qualifications, making you a well-rounded candidate.

Here are some of the most valuable hard and soft skills for a kitchen manager resume:

Top 5 Hard Skills for Kitchen Manager Resumes

• • • • • Food Safety Management: Ensuring all kitchen operations comply with health and safety regulations is crucial to prevent foodborne illnesses and maintain a clean, safe environment.

• • • • • Inventory Control: Efficiently managing stock levels, ordering supplies, and reducing waste helps maintain profitability and ensures the kitchen runs smoothly without shortages or excess.

• • • • • Menu Planning: Designing menus that attract customers and maximize profitability requires creativity and a strong understanding of customer preferences and cost management.

• • • • • Staff Training: Developing and implementing training programs enhances staff performance, ensures consistency in food quality, and improves kitchen efficiency.

• • • • • Budget Management: Overseeing kitchen budgets to control costs and optimize resource allocation is essential for maintaining financial health and ensuring that the kitchen operates within its means.

Top 5 Soft Skills for Kitchen Manager Resumes

• • • • • Leadership: Leading and motivating kitchen staff to maintain high performance and morale is vital for building a productive team.

• • • • • Communication: Effectively giving instructions and feedback ensures smooth kitchen operations and helps prevent misunderstandings and errors.

• • • • • Problem-Solving: Quickly resolving issues in a busy kitchen environment is critical to maintaining service quality and preventing disruptions.

• • • • • Time Management: Efficiently managing time to ensure all tasks are completed within deadlines is essential in a fast-paced kitchen setting where timely service is crucial.

• • • • • Adaptability: Adjusting to changing circumstances and maintaining kitchen productivity under pressure is necessary to handle unexpected challenges and keep operations running smoothly.

By highlighting these skills on your resume, you can demonstrate your comprehensive ability to manage both the technical and interpersonal aspects of a kitchen manager role, making you a strong candidate for the position.

An example of the skills section on a kitchen manager resume may look something like this:

Skills

• • • • • Food Safety Management
        • Menu Writing and Design
        • Inventory Management
        • POS Training
        • Scheduling and Calendar Management

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Education

Next, you will provide your educational background, listing your highest degree first to let employers know you meet their minimum requirements.

Provide the name of the degree, institution, and location. Career experts say it is not necessary to include your graduation date, and it can actually introduce bias into the hiring process by revealing your age and level of experience.

For example, an education section of a kitchen manager’s resume might look like this:

Bachelor of Culinary Arts
Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY

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Additional Sections

If you have space on your resume, consider adding one of these optional sections to enhance your resume.

Including these can provide a more complete picture of your qualifications and set you apart from other candidates:

• • • • • Certifications: Highlighting relevant certifications demonstrates your commitment to professional development and ensures you meet industry standards.

• • • • • Awards: Showcasing awards can illustrate your achievements and recognition within the industry, giving potential employers confidence in your abilities.

• • • • • Professional Affiliations: Listing memberships in professional organizations shows your engagement with the industry and commitment to staying current with trends and best practices.

• • • • • Volunteer Experience: Including volunteer work can showcase your community involvement and highlight additional skills, such as leadership and project management, that may be relevant to the role.

• • • • • Languages: Indicating proficiency in multiple languages can be a significant asset in diverse kitchen environments, where communication with a multilingual staff or customer base might be necessary.

Adding these sections can provide a fuller picture of your qualifications, demonstrating your professional skills, dedication, achievements, and capabilities.

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Top Certifications For Kitchen Managers

Including relevant certifications on your resume can enhance your qualifications and show your commitment to professional development.

• • • • • ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification: This certification requires both work experience and passing an exam to validate your knowledge of food safety practices.

• • • • • Certified Professional – Food Safety (CP-FS): Earning this certification demonstrates your expertise in food safety management, including food microbiology, HACCP principles and regulatory requirements.

• • • • • Certified Food and Beverage Executive (CFBE): This prestigious designation, awarded by the American Hotel and Lodging Association Educational Institute, highlights your leadership skills, experience and dedication to the food service industry.

• • • • • HACCP Certification: Demonstrate your proficiency in Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points in food handling operations by earning this certification.

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10 Tips For Writing A Kitchen Manager Resume

Tailor Your Resume: Make sure to customize your resume for each job application. Highlight the skills and experiences most relevant to the specific kitchen manager position you’re applying for. This shows employers that you’re a perfect fit for their team.

Use Action Verbs: Start your bullet points with strong action verbs like “managed,” “led,” or “oversaw.” This creates a dynamic impression and clearly conveys your responsibilities and achievements.

Quantify Achievements: Whenever possible, use numbers to highlight your successes. For example, you could say, “decreased ticket time by 12 minutes, increasing customer satisfaction scores by 20%,” to give a clear picture of your impact.

Highlight Leadership Skills: Emphasize your ability to lead and motivate your team. Mention instances where your leadership resulted in improved performance or morale among kitchen staff.

Showcase Problem-Solving Skills: Provide specific examples of how you’ve resolved issues in the kitchen. This could include handling staff conflicts, fixing operational problems, or overcoming supply shortages.

Include Certifications: If you have any relevant certifications, make sure to list them. Certifications in food safety, culinary arts, or management can demonstrate your expertise and dedication to your profession.

Focus on Relevant Experience: Highlight your experience directly related to kitchen management. Whether you manage inventory, create menus, or ensure food safety, make sure these experiences are front and center.

Keep it Concise: Your resume should be clear and concise, ideally one to two pages long. Focus on the most relevant information to keep potential employers engaged.

Use Keywords: Incorporate job-specific keywords from the job description. This can help your resume pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) and reach the hiring manager.

Proofread Carefully: Before you submit your resume, check for spelling and grammar errors. A polished resume maintains professionalism and shows attention to detail, which is crucial for a kitchen manager role.