Important Line Cook Resume Skills And How To Improve Them

Updated 3 February 2023

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Line cooks usually work unconventional schedules and may require spending long hours in kitchens standing on their feet. Working in this setting may be attractive for those who enjoy cooking and do not want to work in an office setting. If you want to work as a line cook, then you can benefit from knowing what skills line cooks use on the job and how they showcase those skills on their resumes. In this article, we define line cook resume skills, list some examples, discuss how to improve your skills and share tips for highlighting them during a job search.

What Are Line Cook Resume Skills?

Line cook resume skills are the knowledge and abilities required for performing line cook jobs or any relevant skills you can include on a line cook resume. Line cooks work with other line cooks and the head chef to contribute to a kitchen's operations. They prepare food items, including chopping, mixing, steaming and preparing sauces. Performing these tasks requires good hard and soft line cook skills. Employers usually look for candidates with good line cook skills who can perform kitchen work expertly and contribute to kitchen operations.

A line cook's role may involve sauteing, grilling, frying, blanching, baking or roasting food or using other cooking techniques to prepare the desired dish for a plated meal. It is important for line cooks to follow specific food safety regulations and pay close attention to the kitchen standards where they work. They also learn the recipes their chef creates and obey the instructions when preparing a meal to help ensure that dishes that go out to diners are consistent and reflect the restaurant's intentions. Mentioning relevant skills on your resume also allows you to convince your potential employer.

Examples Of Line Cook Resume Skills

Here are some important line cook skills you can consider including in your resume:

Consistent quality

Line cooks work with dedication and demonstrate a commitment to providing diners with high-quality and tasty food. Each restaurant operates according to a set of standards. One of those is typically a standardised method of cooking and preparing meals for guests. A line cook is directly responsible for the food that guests consume, so it is critical that they ensure that the meals they cook follow the menu and quality standards.

Multitasking

As a line cook, you may perform various tasks simultaneously. You may be in charge of multiple pots or pans and require managing them all so that you can plate the dishes quickly and accurately. As a line cook, you may also require assisting other staff in the team while cooking. For instance, you may require checking the pancakes and flip them when they are ready while smashing some additional blackberries for a syrup during the wait time.

If a guest returns a dish to the kitchen because they disliked it, you are responsible for addressing the guest's concerns immediately while also managing your current tasks. Being good at multitasking can help you do your job efficiently.

Cooking skills

Line cooks may work independently and require preparing their assigned portion of the dish expertly without constant supervision. It is important for them to have knowledge of basic cooking techniques such as sauteing, simmering, baking, grilling and frying. Consider including all the relevant cooking techniques you know and mentioned in the job description to increase your chances of getting shortlisted.

Attention to detail

Even in a small restaurant with a limited menu, a line cook requires great attention to detail. A menu creation involves many components, and a line cook's job is to prepare a complete dish or part of a dish per the guest's requirements. Consider including this skill in the soft skills section on your resume to let employers know you notice every minor detail and can prepare food with the required attention.

Cleanliness

As a line cook, you may require to be clean in your work and adhere to organisational standards. Your supervisor or executive chef may monitor how clean you are and if you maintain proper hygiene. When you operate in a clean kitchen and keep your surrounding area free from unnecessary items or spills, this can help you increase productivity and produce quality food.

Food safety knowledge

Food safety knowledge is one of the most important skills for line cooks. As a line cook, it is your responsibility to serve food to guests that is safe to consume. This may include proper food storage, considering guests' allergies while preparing the order, using other equipment for raw meat and keeping your hands clean. Ensuring you cook food at the right temperatures is also important for the maximum safety of the guests.

Teamwork

Line cooks usually collaborate with other kitchen staff, including wait staff, other line cooks and head chefs. As a line cook, you can use your teamwork skills in many situations, such as while rotating cleaning duties with other kitchen staff, when you deliver food orders to customers and during cooking with other line cooks and chefs. You can consider working on your communication and empathy skills to enhance your teamwork abilities.

Organisation

Most kitchens have separate stations for meal preparation, cooking, sauce preparation and dessert preparation. A station is a designated area for a specific aspect of the meal or its preparation. Stations help keep a kitchen organised and running smoothly, reducing pressure on cooks and ensuring that guests receive their orders on time. Line cooks and other restaurant staff members use organisational skills to accomplish this.

Interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills enable you to communicate effectively, work in a team, practice patience and be responsible. Interpersonal skills are necessary because, as a line cook, you collaborate with others in the kitchen to ensure you are following the restaurant's standards. Employers usually look for candidates with interpersonal skills, as they can contribute to a positive and collaborative work environment.

How To Improve Your Line Cook Skills?

Here are some steps you can follow to improve your line cook skills:

1. Start small

If you begin your career as a line cook in a high-volume kitchen, you may quickly become overwhelmed. Rather than that, proceed with smaller restaurants to better understand how a kitchen operates. In smaller outlets, you can collaborate closely with seniors or supervisors who can act as mentors and provide constructive feedback and tips to help you improve your skills.

2. Practice

Most of your work as a line cook may require you to use a knife to cut, chop and dice food. You can practice using a knife and various cooking techniques to improve your proficiency. When you are not at work, you can practice these skills by cooking for friends and family and taking their feedback and implementing them to improve your cooking skills.

3. Observe others

Learning from others is an excellent and effective way to develop new cooking skills. You can improve your line cook skills simply by observing others at work. Consider how your colleagues do their work and remain flexible to adjust your style if you notice something that works better for you.

4. Take cooking classes

A cooking course can help you improve your cooking techniques and other line cook skills. While formal training is not always compulsory to work as a line cook, taking classes can help supplement your experience and help you feel more confident in your work. You can also look for cooking videos online by simply searching for whatever you want to learn or improve.

5. Ask for feedback

One way to determine whether you are good at cooking is to ask for feedback. You can try to get feedback on your cooking from colleagues, guests and head chefs. This way, you can identify areas for improvement as you find your strengths. Mentors can also provide valuable feedback, as they can offer constructive criticism that enables you to identify the areas that require improvement.

Highlighting Line Cook Skills During The Job Application Process

Here are ways you can highlight your skills during the job application process:

On your resume

Include your critical line cook skills in the skills section of your resume and add specific skills that are unique, specialised and relevant to gain a competitive advantage. When you highlight your line cook skills throughout your resume, the employer can quickly scan it and determine the attributes you can bring to the kitchen. When listing your previous jobs' responsibilities, consider prioritising those most applicable to the job for which you are applying and demonstrate the preferred skills mentioned in the job description.

In your cover letter

Consider writing a cover letter to support your resume when applying for a position as a line cook. In your cover letter, you can describe how your work helped in the kitchen operation, pleasing guests and delivering exceptional meals to them at your previous organisation. You can explain your experience, any additional courses and volunteer work, such as providing service in a soup kitchen or delivering a cooking class in a seminar. When writing your cover letter, consider reviewing the job description and be sure you mention all the key skills you identify in the description.