Line Cook Resume Guide

A strong resume for a Line Cook is essential to stand out in a fast-paced culinary job market where employers value reliability, technical skill, and speed. A clear, well-structured resume highlights cooking techniques, station experience, and safety certifications while demonstrating measurable impact on service quality. Resumize.ai helps create professional resumes for this role by optimizing language for ATS, emphasizing kitchen accomplishments with metrics, and producing a polished format that accelerates interviews and hiring for line-level culinary positions.

What skills should a Line Cook include on their resume?

Grill/Sauté/Fry Station OperationFood Safety & HACCPRecipe ExecutionPortion ControlKnife SkillsMise en PlaceInventory ManagementTime ManagementKitchen CommunicationSanitation (ServSafe)ExpeditingPlating & PresentationAllergen AwarenessLine Speed

What are the key responsibilities of a Line Cook?

•Prepare and cook menu items to recipe specifications across assigned stations (grill, sauté, fry, garde manger).
•Maintain consistent food quality, portion control, plating standards, and presentation during service.
•Monitor and rotate inventory; receive deliveries and label, store, and manage FIFO stock control.
•Follow food safety, sanitation procedures, and HACCP guidelines to maintain a clean work environment.
•Collaborate with sous chef and kitchen team to manage ticket times and expedite orders during peak hours.
•Set up and break down stations, perform routine prep work, and maintain mise en place.
•Adjust recipes and ingredients to accommodate special dietary needs and allergy requests.
•Track food waste and assist in cost-control measures by reporting spoilage and suggesting efficiency improvements.

How do I write a Line Cook resume summary?

Choose a summary that matches your experience level:

Entry Level

Motivated entry-level Line Cook with 1 year of restaurant experience executing recipes, maintaining mise en place, and supporting a 120-cover service. Trained in basic knife skills, portion control, and sanitation; eager to grow technical skills and contribute to consistent kitchen performance.

Mid-Level

Reliable Line Cook with 3+ years operating grill and sauté stations in high-volume kitchens, consistently meeting ticket times and quality standards. Proficient in inventory rotation, waste reduction strategies, and cross-training; recognized for improving prep efficiency and reducing plating errors.

Senior Level

Senior Line Cook with 6+ years managing multiple stations in fast-paced casual and fine-dining environments. Expertise in recipe development, HACCP compliance, and team leadership; led initiatives that cut food cost by 8% and improved average ticket turnaround by 20%.

What are the best Line Cook resume bullet points?

Use these metrics-driven examples to strengthen your work history:

"Prepared menu items for a 200-seat restaurant, maintaining 98% ticket accuracy during dinner service and reducing average ticket time by 20%."
"Reduced food waste by 15% through improved inventory rotation and portion control, saving approximately $6,000 annually."
"Trained and cross-trained 8 junior cooks on station setup and knife skills, decreasing onboarding time by 35%."
"Maintained ServSafe-compliant sanitation practices resulting in zero critical violations across 12 monthly health inspections."
"Executed high-volume ticket runs of up to 120 orders per hour while sustaining quality and presentation standards."
"Implemented prep checklists and FIFO labeling that improved inventory accuracy from 82% to 96% within three months."
"Collaborated with sous chef to redesign plating workflow, improving plate assembly speed by 25% during peak shifts."
"Handled receiving and storage of deliveries for weekly orders valued at $4,500, ensuring proper temperature control and documentation."

What ATS keywords should a Line Cook use?

Naturally incorporate these keywords to pass applicant tracking systems:

Line CookGrill StationSauté StationMise en PlaceFood SafetyHACCPServSafePortion ControlInventory ManagementKnife SkillsExpeditingPlatingFood PrepRecipe ExecutionAllergen ManagementSanitationFIFOCost ControlHigh-Volume ServiceKitchen CommunicationCross-TrainingMenu ExecutionPrep ListsTicket Time ManagementWaste ReductionReceivingTemperature ControlStation SetupQuality ControlCulinary Techniques

Frequently Asked Questions About Line Cook Resumes

What skills should a Line Cook include on their resume?

Essential skills for a Line Cook resume include: Grill/Sauté/Fry Station Operation, Food Safety & HACCP, Recipe Execution, Portion Control, Knife Skills, Mise en Place. Focus on both technical competencies and soft skills relevant to your target role.

How do I write a Line Cook resume summary?

A strong Line Cook resume summary should be 2-3 sentences highlighting your years of experience, key achievements, and most relevant skills. For example: "Reliable Line Cook with 3+ years operating grill and sauté stations in high-volume kitchens, consistently meeting ticket times and quality standards. Proficient in inventory rotation, waste reduction strategies, and cross-training; recognized for improving prep efficiency and reducing plating errors."

What are the key responsibilities of a Line Cook?

Key Line Cook responsibilities typically include: Prepare and cook menu items to recipe specifications across assigned stations (grill, sauté, fry, garde manger).; Maintain consistent food quality, portion control, plating standards, and presentation during service.; Monitor and rotate inventory; receive deliveries and label, store, and manage FIFO stock control.; Follow food safety, sanitation procedures, and HACCP guidelines to maintain a clean work environment.. Tailor these to match the specific job description you're applying for.

How long should a Line Cook resume be?

For most Line Cook positions, keep your resume to 1 page if you have less than 10 years of experience. Senior professionals with extensive experience may use 2 pages, but keep content relevant and impactful.

What makes a Line Cook resume stand out?

A standout Line Cook resume uses metrics to quantify achievements, includes relevant keywords for ATS optimization, and clearly demonstrates impact. For example: "Prepared menu items for a 200-seat restaurant, maintaining 98% ticket accuracy during dinner service and reducing average ticket time by 20%."

What ATS keywords should a Line Cook use?

Important ATS keywords for Line Cook resumes include: Line Cook, Grill Station, Sauté Station, Mise en Place, Food Safety, HACCP, ServSafe, Portion Control. Naturally incorporate these throughout your resume.

Ready to build your Line Cook resume?

Ready to land your next kitchen role? Use Resumize.ai (http://resumize.ai/) to build an ATS-optimized Line Cook resume with tailored summaries, measurable achievements, and industry keywords—get interview-ready in minutes.

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