ATS keywords for a chef resume
Many employers keep applications in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), where recruiters search and sort them by the skills the role needs. Use these terms where they honestly describe your experience, so your resume is easy to find and easy to read:
Key skills to highlight
- ▸Running a section under service pressure
- ▸Menu development and costing
- ▸Food safety and allergen management
- ▸Kitchen and roster management
- ▸Training and leading junior staff
Credentials Australian employers screen for
- ▸Certificate III or IV in Commercial Cookery
- ▸Food Safety Supervisor certificate
- ▸Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) where the venue requires it
- ▸Any cuisine or specialty training
Common mistakes to avoid
- ▸Not stating commercial cookery and food safety credentials.
- ▸Listing venues without the cuisine, section, covers or your role.
- ▸No sign of progression (commis to chef de partie to sous).
- ▸Ignoring the cuisine and venue style the job ad calls for.
Chef CV example: before and after
One experience entry, written twice. The numbers are illustrative, the structure is what matters.
Before
Chef, 2019 to present. Prepare and cook food to a high standard. Work across all sections of the kitchen, assist with ordering and stock, and keep the kitchen clean and compliant. Support the head chef as required.
With no cuisine, section, covers or qualification on the page, the venue cannot tell whether you have run a 40 cover bistro or a 300 cover function kitchen, and none of the ad's terms (commercial cookery, HACCP, à la carte) are there for the screening software to match.
After
Chef de Partie | Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery | Food Safety Supervisor certificate no. XXXXXX (current) | RSA
Modern Australian à la carte restaurant, 120 seats, 180 to 250 covers on a Saturday | August 2019 to present | Full time, split shifts
- ▸Progressed from commis to chef de partie over three years, running larder and then the grill section through à la carte service.
- ▸Menu development and costing: contributed six dishes to each seasonal menu change and worked to a 30 per cent food cost target, holding gross profit within budget across four menu cycles.
- ▸Food safety and HACCP practice including daily temperature logs, cold chain checks and cleaning schedules; the kitchen passed two council inspections with no critical non-conformances.
- ▸Dietary and allergen management, including maintaining a documented allergen matrix for the full menu and separate prep protocols for coeliac and severe nut allergy orders.
- ▸Trained and led three apprentices and two kitchen hands on section during service, and ran stock and ordering for the section against weekly par levels.
Same kitchen, same knives. The rewrite states the qualification, the cuisine, the covers and the section, and shows a commis to chef de partie progression instead of a flat list of venues.
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Frequently asked questions
What qualifications do I need on a chef resume in Australia?
Most roles expect a Certificate III or IV in Commercial Cookery and a current Food Safety Supervisor certificate. State both near the top, with an RSA if the venue serves alcohol.
How do I show my experience as a chef?
Name the cuisine, the section you ran, the covers per service, and your title at each venue, then show progression. Scale and role detail beat a plain list of restaurants.
Should I list dietary and allergen experience?
Yes. Allergen and dietary management is a real screening point in Australian kitchens. Note your experience with allergen controls and special dietary service.
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