Line Cook Resume Guide

Introduction

A well-crafted resume for a line cook position in 2025 should be tailored to pass applicant tracking systems (ATS) and catch the eye of hiring managers. Since many restaurants and hospitality businesses rely heavily on ATS screening, understanding how to optimize your resume with relevant keywords and a clear structure is essential. This guide provides practical advice to help you create an ATS-friendly line cook resume that highlights your skills and experience effectively.

Who Is This For?

This guide is designed for entry-level to mid-level line cooks seeking jobs in the hospitality industry across regions like the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, and Singapore. Whether you're a recent graduate, switching from another culinary role, returning after a career break, or looking to advance your current position, the strategies here will help you present your qualifications clearly. If you're applying in a competitive market or for a specific restaurant chain, optimizing your resume with role-specific keywords is especially important.

Resume Format for Line Cook (2025)

Use a clean, simple layout with clearly labeled sections to ensure ATS scans your content accurately. Recommended section order is:

• Summary or Objective (optional but helpful)
• Skills (highlight relevant hard and soft skills)
• Experience (most recent first)
• Education (if applicable)
• Certifications or Additional Training (e.g., food safety)

For a one-page resume, focus on the most relevant experience and skills; two pages are acceptable if you have extensive culinary background. If you possess a portfolio of work or specific culinary projects, include a link under contact info or in a dedicated section.

Role-Specific Skills & Keywords

To optimize for ATS, incorporate keywords that reflect the responsibilities and skills typical of a line cook in 2025. Here are key skills and terms to include:

• Food preparation and cooking techniques
• Kitchen safety and sanitation protocols
• Knife skills and ingredient handling
• Knowledge of culinary equipment (e.g., grills, fryers, ovens)
• Inventory management and portion control
• Time management in high-pressure environments
• Ability to follow recipes and presentation standards
• Knowledge of food safety certifications (e.g., ServSafe, HACCP)
• Multitasking and teamwork
• Adaptability to menu changes
• Use of kitchen management software (e.g., POS systems, inventory apps)
• Attention to detail and consistency
• Customer service orientation (if applicable)
• Bilingual skills (if relevant)

Ensure these keywords are naturally integrated into your experience descriptions and skills section.

Experience Bullets That Stand Out

Use action verbs and quantify achievements where possible. Here are examples:

• Prepared and cooked daily menu items with consistent quality, reducing waste by ~10% through efficient ingredient usage.
• Maintained strict adherence to food safety and sanitation standards, passing health inspections with no violations.
• Managed multiple stations during peak hours, serving an average of 200+ customers per shift.
• Trained 3 junior kitchen staff on knife skills and safety protocols, boosting team efficiency.
• Implemented new inventory tracking system, reducing stock shortages by ~15%.
• Collaborated with head chefs to develop seasonal specials, increasing customer satisfaction scores.
• Ensured timely delivery of dishes, maintaining an average order completion time of under 15 minutes.

These examples highlight operational efficiency, teamwork, and safety—qualities valued in a line cook.

Related Resume Guides

• Experienced Cook Resume Guide
• Dietary Cook Resume Guide
• Banquet Cook Resume Guide
• Cook Supervisor Resume Guide
• Pizza Cook Resume Guide

Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

• Vague job descriptions: Instead of “Responsible for food prep,” specify “Prepared ingredients and cooked dishes for 100+ patrons daily, ensuring quality and consistency.”
• Overloading with jargon: Use relevant keywords but avoid stuffing; ensure the content reads naturally.
• Including irrelevant details: Focus on culinary skills and achievements; omit unrelated hobbies or minor roles.
• Dense paragraphs: Use bullet points for clarity and easy scanning.
• Decorative formatting: Keep fonts simple, avoid excessive colors, graphics, or tables that may confuse ATS parsers.

ATS Tips You Shouldn't Skip

• Save your resume as a Word document (.docx) or PDF, based on the employer’s preferences.
• Use clear section headings (“Experience,” “Skills,” “Certifications”) matching common ATS keywords.
• Incorporate synonyms and related terms (e.g., “food prep,” “kitchen assistant,” “culinary support”) to improve keyword matching.
• Keep spacing consistent; avoid using text boxes or tables that can break ATS parsing.
• Use past tense for previous roles and present tense for current duties.
• Name your file with your name and role, e.g., “John_Doe_Line_Cook_Resume.pdf.”

By following these guidelines, your resume will be more likely to pass ATS filters and reach hiring managers, increasing your chances of landing a line cook role in 2025.