7 Line Cook Resume Examples [& Templates]

7 Line Cook Resume Examples [& Templates]

As a line cook, you’re the pro when it comes to food safety, preparation, cleanliness, culinary creativity, and exceptional customer service—but it can be difficult to know what’s important to employers and understand how to write a resume for this rewarding and essential job.

These seven line cook resume samples have helped line cooks get jobs at top-notch restaurants, so they’re a great place for you to get started building or updating your current resume before creating a cover letter.


Why this resume works

  • As a line cook, you should discuss the type of restaurants you worked in (including table count), the cuisine cooked, and how many meals you made a day. Employers want to quickly assess your work history to know if you have the experience they need.
  • Consider enhancing your resume with a summary statement if you boast 10+ years of experience in the field. 
    • A worthwhile summary should be a savvy snapshot of your best skills and specializations in two to three concise sentences. Don’t forget to mention the target business by name.
    • If the job you’re applying to mentions they want someone with a specific skill set repeatedly, you should include that skillset on your line cook resume.
  • Recruiters appreciate seeing how your actions in the kitchen increased customer service, brand loyalty, and revenue. Include your accomplishments in your resume experience.

Why this resume works

  • As a prep cook, indicate foundational skills as a culinary professional and your ability to support line cooks and other kitchen staff to ensure a fully-functioning and successful restaurant. 
  • Include your accomplishments, specifically how you saved the company money through food preservation and increased customer satisfaction through results-oriented data.
    • Hiring managers want to hire prep cooks who have been successful in the past. How can you show that? By quantifying how amazing you were in terms of performance against your goals.
  • Do you have any hobbies and interests or relevant training you underwent in your prep cook career? Display cross-functional training on your prep cook resume, showing your passion for food service and dedication to the industry.

    See more prep cook resumes >

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Lead Line Cook Resume

or download as PDF

Lead line cook resume example with 13 years of experience

Why this resume works

  • Lead line cooks should showcase their ability to prepare food, work in fast-paced environments, and manage a team. This will grab the attention of hiring managers as they see your ability to collaborate and provide leadership to the kitchen team.
    • Be specific when describing the size of the teams you managed. How many people did you oversee, and what were their roles?
  • As a lead line cook, list any special skills on your resume related to the role. Mention any support outside of your scope (vendor negotiations, customer interactions, menu creations) that you’d like the employer to notice, especially if the job description prefers candidates with your specific skill set.
    • Go the extra mile by tailoring your lead line cook resume for the specific job you want.
    • Customization includes scanning keywords from the job ad and matching them to your work experience bullet points (provided it’s true of you), to get past the ATS filter (Automated Tracking System).

Fine Dining Line Cook Resume

or download as PDF

Fine dining line cook resume example with 8 years of experience

Why this resume works

  • A fine dining line cook resume must prove your skills in not only preparing finger-licking meals but also boosting the experiences of the customers.
    • From the onset, let recruiters know of your record in ensuring food safety, prompt order preparations, and being an active team member to ensure clients’ satisfaction and retention rates.
    • You can go into greater detail on some of your top accomplishments in your line cook cover letter.

Entry-Level Line Cook Resume

or download as PDF

Entry-level line cook resume example with 3 years of experience in food service

Why this resume works

  • When looking for your first line cook role, it’s difficult to know how to show your qualifications via your resume.
    • Show your relevant skills in other roles you’ve worked, even if not in the kitchen.
    • For example, you need to be organized to be a line cook. Did you use organizational skills in any of your other roles?
  • Entry-level candidates often struggle to fill the page of a resume. Combat that issue on your entry-level line cook resume by focusing on any cuisine you have experience with cooking.
    • Another way to consume white space is to use a resume objective, but only if you’re willing to customize it to each position for which you apply.
    • Lastly, do you have experience making dishes on the restaurant’s menu to which you’re applying? Show off your relevant expertise!

Free Line Cook Resume

or download as PDF

Free line cook resume example with 13 years of experience

Why this resume works

  • As a free line cook, display your ability to handle food safely, work in a fast-paced restaurant, and support the kitchen staff in cleanliness and opening/closing responsibilities.
    • Collaboration is important to hiring managers as you’ll be recognized as a team player.
  • Discuss your culinary strategies and customer service accomplishments, how you supported company goals, increased revenue, and improved customer satisfaction and retention. 
  • Bonus: spotlight your preferred cuisine and food service expertise in your free line cook resume experience bullet points to catch the eye of a recruiter, especially if the job ad indicates a preference for your expertise.

Line Cook No Experience Resume

or download as PDF

Line cook no experience resume example

Why this resume works

  • A good career objective is the first chance to impress the hiring manager with your aspirations and the value you bring to the team.
    • After that, and considering this a line cook no experience resume, highlight achievements that contributed to the overall satisfaction of customers (Hint: reduced table turnover time by 23%, resulting in improved guest experience).

How to Write a Line Cook Resume

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Summary

Master the art of crafting a standout line cook resume showcasing your culinary skills, kitchen experience, and passion to land your next restaurant job.

Writing a standout line cook resume is about serving your culinary story with a tasty flavor. Therefore, your resume must capture your creativity, efficiency, and passion for food. This section simplifies how to create a line cook resume that’s not just ingredients on paper but your secret recipe for landing that next big kitchen job.

Resume profile

Start with a compelling professional summary

Your professional summary is the first taste a potential employer gets—make it memorable. Depending on your experience, you can craft a career objective or summary.

Use a career objective if you’re a beginner, switching careers, or have limited experience. Here, you should highlight transferable skills, relevant passion projects, and your motivation to join the culinary world.

A career summary is helpful if you’ve been in the field for a few years (or more). It allows you to spotlight achievements, kitchen leadership, and career goals.

Entry-level line cook career objective

Motivated culinary arts graduate with a strong work ethic and hands-on kitchen experience through pop-up dinners and catering events. Passionate about preparing fresh, flavorful dishes and eager to bring energy and teamwork to the line at Olive Garden as an entry-level cook.

Senior line cook career summary

Seasoned line cook with 10+ years of experience in high-volume restaurants. Known for reducing prep time by 24% while maintaining food quality and consistency. Driven to lead kitchen teams and pursue a sous chef role in a fast-paced culinary environment.

Work briefcase

Showcase your impactful work experience

Hiring managers want to know what you’ve done, how you’ve excelled, and the difference you made. Whether a pro or a beginner, every line cook role should use bullet points to showcase skills used, results achieved, and impact created. However, only include the most impactful roles and accomplishments. The rest you can include when you generate a cover letter.

Senior-level work experience bullet points

✅Led a 6-person line team during weekend rushes, increasing order turnaround speed by 28%.

✅Trained two new cooks in sauté and grill stations, improving kitchen workflow and consistency.

Entry-level work experience bullet points

✅Prepped vegetables and sauces daily for 100+ covers, ensuring efficient service during peak hours.

✅Assisted in plating and quality control for catering events, receiving positive client feedback.

Spanner

Demonstrate your well-rounded skills

A great line cook balances precision with hustle. As such, your resume should reflect both your hard skills (the technical stuff) and soft skills (the personality traits that make you a team player in a high-pressure kitchen).

Hard skills:

  • Knife handling
  • Grilling & sautéing
  • Recipe execution
  • Food safety (ServSafe)
  • Station setup and breakdown
  • Inventory management

Soft skills:

  • Team collaboration
  • Time management
  • Attention to detail
  • Adaptability under pressure
  • Communication
  • Multitasking
Graduation hat

Add relevant education and certifications

A culinary degree isn’t required, but including relevant education and certifications adds credibility. Add it proudly if you attended culinary school or took food safety training.

Education example

Certificate in Culinary Arts

Johnson & Wales University

2023

Certification example

ServSafe Food Handler Certification, National Restaurant Association

Expires 2026

List of credentials

Include your culinary portfolio

A portfolio can be your secret ingredient in today’s competitive culinary landscape. Include a link to a curated portfolio featuring photos and videos of your best dishes—think creatively plated entrees, behind-the-scenes action shots, or time-lapse clips of meal prep. This isn’t just flair—it proves your skills, creativity, and dedication to the profession.

Organizational structure

Pick the best template for a line cook

Design matters. An outdated or cluttered resume template can leave a bad taste. Choose a clean, professional format that’s easy to scan—ideally with clear headers, adequate white space, and room for achievements’ bullet points. Bold the section titles and add color to the contact section, but keep it professional. The best line cook resume template should highlight your experience, skills, and relevant certifications—just like a well-organized cooking station.


Line Cook Resume FAQs

Job seeker holds letters "F-A-Q" to ask about writing resumes, cover letters, & other job materials
How do you format a resume for a line cook?

When formatting a line cook resume, use a clean, professional format that emphasizes your strengths and qualifications for the job. When recruiters read your application, they want to quickly spot why you’re the best candidate. Before that, your resume will have to pass the ATS, and it’s crucial that your document is easy to scan.

How do you write a line cook no experience resume?

As a newbie, you don’t have much to show for work experience; that’s where your education and academic projects come in. Focus on the relevant education and certifications you may have earned from training. Also, bring transferrable skills from practical projects, volunteer activities, and internships. If you can show your potential and passion for the industry, your lack of direct work experience won’t hinder your first real job.

What skills should a line cook include on a resume?

Your line cook resume should include both hard and soft skills. Examples of technical expertise include skills in food handling, fine dining, advanced knife skills, food presentation, and recipe execution. Excellent soft skills for a line cook should include teamwork, problem-solving, multitasking, physical stamina, and initiative.

Can a line cook get a job at a restaurant?

Yes! It all takes tailoring your resume to the specific job you’re applying to. Please review the job advert from the restaurant and highlight what they’re looking for. There, you’ll see the skills, experience, roles, and other requirements they’re seeking in the perfect candidate. When you write your resume, ensure that you mirror most of the things they desire, and you’ll find your way to get the job easily.