INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Prep Cook positions are at a 26% growth rate, which is much faster than average. With that said, there are currently 2,281,400 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 594,600 to 2,876,000 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Prep Cook jobs was $27,250 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $9.13 per hour, and the highest 10% more than $18.71 per hour.
Our conclusion? The Prep Cook job market is wide open for candidates.
Top Prep Cook sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a Prep Cook resume experience section
Prep Cook Resume’s Job Experience Checklist:
- Use 4-6 bullet points per job title;
- Don’t go further than a decade behind when describing your job history, unless you’re applying for an executive position;
- Combine job responsibilities as well as achievements with numbers in results when you describe your past work;
- Start each sentence with a power verb and avoid overused buzzwords;
- Use either C-A-R or S-T-A-R methodology, when describing your experience.
The work experience samples below come from real Prep Cook resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
- Developed excellent customer service skills
- Managed inventory and product levels by stocking, refilling, rotating, and preparing fresh salads and baked goods
- Became familiar with the operations of a store
- Prepared and produced international and fusion cuisine
- Created all desserts from scratch
- Oversaw the receiving and storing of food, maintained sanitation, and cleaned daily
- Managed weekly inventory duties
- My general responsibilities included:
- Chopping/cutting vegetables/meat
- Simple cooking duties such as parboiling, reducing or stir-frying
- Preparing sandwiches and salads directly for serving
- My more detailed duties were:
- Stocking and measuring the goods and the ingredients at the start/end of the day/week
- Washing and peeling ingredients in order for them to be used in different meals
- Preparing different types of of food according to the chef's instructions
- Accepting or rejecting ingredients from food suppliers, based on their appearance and quality
- Swiping the remaining food from plates and putting them in the dishwasher/washes them
- Vacuuming dining area and washes the kitchen floor before closing.
- Preparation for corporate event catering
- Use of varied beans in a fast paced environment
- Consistent maintenance of a clean and hygienic work station
- Cash Register and POS transactions
- Preparation for corporate event catering
- Use of blended and single origin roasts
- Volumetric dosing
- Consistent maintenance of a clean and hygienic work station
- Cash Register and POS transactions
- Developed excellent customer service skills
- Managed inventory and product levels by stocking, refilling, rotating, and preparing fresh salads and baked goods
- Became familiar with the operations of a store
- -Responsable de la preparación de múltiples estaciones de comida ( grill,sopas,sándwiches, etc).
- Atención a los Clientes recibiendo y elaborando pedidos.
- Reemplazo como supervisor de línea asegurando que todo este preparado para cumplir con un adecuado servicio.
- Setting up and stocking stations with all necessary supplies
- Preparing food for service of more than 100 reservations per night
- Cooking menu items in cooperation with the rest of the kitchen staff
- Qualified that food comes out simultaneously, in high quality and in a timely fashion
- Responsible for Garde Manger and Pastry
- Hot line experience
- Knowledge of some molecular food techniques
- Responsible for the preparation of dishes served at Cafe, organize inventory, prepare and stock the day’s ingredients for each food station
- Provide food and drink for social events in a professional capacity
- Order supplies and ingredients as needed
- Prepared food in a high volume kitchen ($50,000 weekly)
- Portion control
- Following strict compliance with menu set by Chef
- Maintained a clean and orderly kitchen by washing dishes, sanitizing surfaces, taking out trash etc.
- Relied heavily on team work in order to achieve goals.
- Ensured proteins including fish, beef, chicken and lamb, were cooked to Health and Safety Standards
- Executed high-quality service for large catered events in a timely manner
- Well versed in kitchen procedures including equipment operation, maintenance, and inventory
- Recognized and awarded for dedication to the values of perseverance, quality, imagination, collaboration and happiness
- Prepared the kitchen for the morning and evening shifts, seasoned, weighted, and molded ground beef into burger patties, and sliced lettuce, tomatoes, and onions as additional items for the burgers.
- Stocked and organized the entire inventory.
- Washed dishes and kept the kitchen and dining room areas clean and sanitary.
- Supplied and trained numerous employees while employed.
- Achieved high numbers of sales daily, all while cooking, serving, and cleaning.
- Given role as acting supervisor for daily closing duties.
- Efficiently measure ingredients and seasoning to be used in cooking
- undertaking the basic cooking duties such as reducing sauces, parboiling foods etc.
- following the prep list assigned by chefs to properly plan duties.
- Full time opening and closing shift member
- Started training with food preparation
- Cleaning and dish washing
- Learned to properly greet customers and serve customers
- Cash register / Payments
- Acquired skill to fry and prep cook
- Preparing all cold food and taking care of the salad bar, deli line, and yogurt/desert bar;
- Following the prep list created by chefs to plan duties;
- Labeling and stocking all ingredients on shelves so they can be organized and easily accessible;
- Measuring ingredients and seasonings to be used in cooking.
- Preparing employee meals
- Preparing daily products for the line
- Working on the line with salads and desserts
- Prepared cooking ingredients by washing, chopping vegetables, and cutting meat
- Understood basic cooking duties
- Ran buffet and prepared all food
- Obtained food handler license and ServSafe certification
- Built a strong work ethic
- Followed safety regulations
- Worked in a team of motivated cooks with passion for food
PRO TIP
Include quantitative data throughout your Prep Cook resume to impress the hiring manager. Real facts and figures that show off your competency as an audit manager go a long way. Did you reduce the costs of audits? Manage a large team? Boosted efficiency? Show off the real numbers!
Action Verbs for your Prep Cook Resume
Recommended reads:
Prep Cook Resume Skills’ Tips & Tricks to Impress Recruiters
Resume Skills Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Skills for your Prep Cook resume
- Food Handlers License
- ServSafe Certification
- OSHA 10 Certification
- Construction Flagger Certified
- Culinary Arts
- Menu Development
- Patience
- Multitasking
- Listening
- Attention to details
- Communication
- Memorization
PRO TIP
When describing your experience, don’t go too far from its terminology. Recruiters use ATS systems to filter resumes based on them having certain keywords, so make sure you use at least a few keywords mentioned in the job description.
Recommended reads:
Prep Cook Resume Header: Tips, Red Flags, and Best Practices
CHECKLIST For Your Prep Cook Resume Header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Prep Cook resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
Prep Cook Resume Summary Best Practices
Checklist: What to include in your Prep Cook resume summary:
- Years of experience;
- Highlight top 3 skills and proficiencies;
- One big professional accomplishment you’re most proud of, that you can tie with the aforementioned skills;
- Use short, direct sentences - but no more than three - to keep the HRs interested.
Resume Summary Formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary should act as an elevator speech, briefly promoting how you will benefit the employer if hired. Pitch your strengths in the summary and expand on them in your Prep Cook experience section. Give examples like how your work benefited each employer.
Recommended reads:
Listing Your Education, Certifications and Courses
Resume Education Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Certifications for your Prep Cook resume
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Prep Cook Resume: Additional Writing & Formatting Tips
There are three basic resume formats you can choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional resume format;
- Hybrid (or Combination) resume format;
The most optimal format for your particular case will depend on your years of experience, as well as whether you’re switching industries or not.
Reverse chronological resumes are best suited for experienced individuals who are sticking to their industry. The experience section takes a central place, and its bullets contain your responsibilities and achievements, coupled with numbers and results.
Functional resumes are used by less experienced jobseekers or career changers. Note that it’s not a format that recruiters prefer, as most are used to the classic chronological alignment. Instead of a list of job titles, functional resumes focus on your skills, and through what experiences you gained them.
Hybrid resumes are great for both experienced and entry-level candidates, as well as career changers. They combine the best of both worlds - most often in a double column format, where one side of the content is focused on your experience, whereas the other - on your skills, strengths, and proudest moments.
Prep Cook Resume Summary best practices
Here are more resume tips regarding your layout and style:
- Clear and legible 12p resume font size;
- Use 10’’ resume margins - that’s default for a great resume design;
- Use a one-page template resume length if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- Save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiter.
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Test your draft Prep Cook resume by sending it out to peers and mentors in your circles. Ask them to review it as if they are hiring you for a project and implement the feedback afterwards.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company (corporation or start-up; innovative or traditional), job seniority level and your location, you may want to include more sections to your Prep Cook resume:
Prep Cook Resume: How to Make Yours More Creative & Stand Out
When you send your resume to a potential employer, chances are it's the fiftieth one they've seen that day. That's why you need to make your Prep Cook resume stand out for the right reasons. That means showing your personality, not just your professional experience. Employers are far more likely to remember a candidate who seems like a genuine person and not a robot. Do this by including your passions (which is also a great place to demonstrate skills on a resume), share your favorite books, or even what your usual day looks like.
What Makes a Great Prep Cook Resume: Key Takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
