For careers like pastry chef, which are rooted in creativity and practical skills, writing a resume and going through the formal process of applying for jobs can feel daunting. You might feel at home in the kitchen, honing new recipes and producing high-quality dishes for paying customers, but writing a professional document that summarizes those skills and experiences can feel a million miles outside your comfort zone.
Thankfully, we’re here to show you, step-by-step, how to write a pastry chef resume that showcases your craft and impresses employers. Let’s get started with this guide to the perfect pastry chef resume.
The best format for a pastry chef resume
There are typically two main resume formats to choose from, depending on your experience level. For entry-level and junior pastry chef roles where you haven’t got much relevant work experience, a functional resume format tends to work best. This is sometimes called a ‘skills-based’ resume and emphasizes your skills and qualifications ahead of your work experience. However, once you’ve built up some work experience, that’s what most employers will be most interested to read about. In this case, a reverse-chronological resume format makes the most sense, as it leads with your work experience.
Creative CV formats for pastry chef applications
Working in a profession with an emphasis on creativity and practical skills means a creative resume format or structure could be the best way to show off your skills. You might wish to include images that show your best work or present your resume in a different structure that shows your ability to think outside the box and develop creative ideas.
If you decide to adopt a creative resume layout, it’s usually best to start with either a functional or reverse-chronological resume format and add creative elements to complement or replace the traditional resume sections. If you choose a creative approach, keep these key tips in mind:
- Start by writing a traditional resume with all the necessary information, and then think about how you can present it more creatively.
- Be sure that any images, graphics or creative elements adequately replace or complement the written content of your resume—and don’t detract from the message or distract the reader.
- Be mindful that less is often more when it comes to creative elements on a resume. Don’t overfill the page with graphics or design elements that draw the eye away from your key messages.
- Think carefully about the employer you’re applying to, and what type of resume they would expect to receive. A highly creative resume might not go down well with established, traditional or highly professional organizations.
Key sections for a pastry chef resume
Below you’ll find a summary of the key sections to include in a pastry chef resume. The order you present these sections depends on the resume format you choose, and what will best showcase your skills and experience. To understand how these sections would look in a final document, check out Jobseeker’s pastry chef resume example. The key sections to include in your resume are as follows:
- Resume header: This includes your name and contact details, including your email address and phone number. You might also want to mention your location, and other details, such as your LinkedIn profile. Avoid adding too much personal information or a personal photo to this section.
- Resume summary: This is a short paragraph that concisely summarizes your key skills and experience and encourages the employer to read your resume in more detail.
- Work experience: Add your relevant previous (and current roles) in reverse order, starting with the most recent. List your job title, the employer, its location and your dates of employment. Under each entry, list bullet points that showcase key skills and experience that show you match the requirements of the role.
- Education: List any formal qualifications in this section, including any that are relevant to chef positions. You can also list certifications and training in this section if they’re essential to the role, or you can place them in their own section further down the resume.
- Skills: Mention a few key skills that match the job description as a quick reference for the reader, including both hard and soft skills, to show you’re a good fit for the role.
- Optional sections: Depending on the role and your experience, you could also add optional sections such as volunteer work, hobbies and interests and certifications.
Most in-demand pastry chef skills
To make a strong impression with your pastry chef resume, you’ll want to make sure you mention key skills that reflect the qualities and abilities the employer is looking for. Pay close attention to the job description, because that will give you the biggest indication of what you should be mentioning in your resume. Some of the key skills that might feature in job descriptions for pastry chef roles include:
Hard skills
- Advanced baking techniques
- Kitchen equipment operation
- Recipe and menu development
- Plating techniques
- Ingredient knowledge
- Kitchen health and safety
Transferable skills
- Quality control
- Budgeting
- Manual dexterity
- Time management
- Organizational skills
Soft skills
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Working under pressure
- Creativity
- Problem-solving
Keywords for a pastry chef resume
Similar to the skills you mention, adding keywords to your resume can help make your application a better match for the role. Pastry chef resume keywords can include some of the key skills mentioned above, but they also include certain phrases, industry terms and action verbs that signpost your knowledge and expertise as a professional chef.
Keywords will show the reader you know your stuff, but they’ll also help your resume to pass an automated resume screening stage. Employers often use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan and screen resumes for certain keywords, and rank them according to their likely match to the role. Using the right keywords in your resume can help you rank highly in this stage of the process.
As always, check the job description to confirm the best keywords for your pastry chef resume. However, some relevant keywords might include:
Industry terms and phrases
- Cake decorating
- Chocolate tempering
- Piping work
- Sugar work/spun sugar
- Fondant modeling
- Pastry arts
- Dough proving
- Menu costing
- Waste reduction
- Cost control
- Food safety (for example, HACCP, cross-contamination prevention)
Action words
- Developed
- Innovated
- Created
- Designed
- Supervised
- Collaborated
- Produced
- Assembled
- Enhanced
- Increased
5 tips to maximize the impact of your pastry chef resume
Writing an effective pastry chef resume is all about showcasing your skills in a clear, concise way and showing the reader you’ve got the necessary experience, while also offering something that other candidates lack. Follow these five key tips to help your resume stand out in a crowded field of applicants:
- Redraft, tailor and personalize
The key to an impactful resume is to tailor it specifically to the job description. Doing this requires a bespoke approach to each job application. You might start with a base resume, but you’ll need to redraft it, tailor it to the requirements of the role and add personalization that helps you stand out as a unique candidate.
- Use creative elements with care
While a traditional reverse-chronological or functional resume typically includes all the necessary information an employer is looking for, adding visual elements can help you showcase your credentials for creative roles like pastry chef. Subtle use of graphics, design flourishes, color accents and even photography of your culinary creations can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your resume, while also showing off your natural creative instincts.
- Focus on achievements, not responsibilities
It’s tempting to fill your resume with details about your responsibilities in previous roles, but this can actually be harmful to your chances of success. Most candidates applying for the position will share a similar employment history to you, so a list of key duties won’t set you apart. Instead, focus on your achievements in each previous role, and how you used your key hard and soft skills to achieve them. These could be awards you won (either individually, or as a collective), positive reviews you achieved, financial targets you exceeded or any other quantifiable metrics related to the role.
- Utilize the power of AI
Using AI to write your resume from scratch is a terrible idea, and is highly unlikely to help your chances of success, but there are various AI tools that can help you maximize the impact of a well-written resume. AI assistants or bespoke AI resume tools can check a job description for relevant keywords, review your resume’s suitability for the job or enhance your content to make it more impactful and readable. In this way, considerate use of AI can be a key factor in improving your job prospects.
- Use a professional resume template
Structuring, designing and formatting a resume can be one of the toughest parts of the job application process. It’s hard to strike a balance between a simple, readable document and something that’s visually engaging and helps your application stand out. That’s where resume builders can help.
Using a resume builder app means you can choose from professionally designed, customizable resume templates that make the process of producing an eye-catching pastry chef resume quick and easy. Picking a design that suits you and matches the role you’re applying for is one big step in the right direction towards success in your pastry chef applications.
