No commercial kitchen can run without a good Kitchen Porter or Kitchen Assistant. They are an essential part of restaurants, cafes, hospitals, schools, cruise ships and every other place that serves food to customers.
To land a job as a Kitchen Porter or Kitchen Assistant, your CV will need to show, you are flexible, able to work well under pressure and eager to learn.
Whether you're looking to start your career in the Hospitality and Catering or take that next step up the ladder, our free CV template is tailored to ensure your CV stands out from the crowd.
A guide to writing a CV for a Kitchen Porter and Kitchen Assistant job
Name: Francesca Morley
Tel No: 0000 0000 00
Email: FrancescaMorley@email.com
Address: 64 Front Street
Lady Hall
LA18 6QJ
Personal Profile
In the personal profile, professionally introduce yourself, in three or four sentences, with relation to the job you’re applying to.
You should include your current work situation, what type of work you are searching for (such as part-time, flexible hours, or full-time employment starting immediately) some key skills and/or traits that will show the potential employer that you are a good candidate for the advertised job. For example, if you have experience working in hospitality, or another fast pace environment, and have a passion for cooking and to progress your career, mention this here.
EXAMPLE:
I am a hard-working and reliable kitchen assistant with two years of experience working as a cook. I am looking for a full-time time job that will improve my skills and knowledge of cooking. I have a positive attitude and good organisation skills.
Work History
The work history section is to show the potential employer what jobs or work experience you’ve done. It is the first chance for you to highlight the skills and experience each one has given you, and this is turn should show why you are a good fit for the job you’re applying for. You don’t need to include every last detail, just pick the best parts. You can always write down and save your examples or other relevant skills for the interview.
Try to include your work history for the last five years, if possible. Make sure you list any experience of working in a kitchen, as it will improve your chances of landing the job.
If you haven’t been working for that long, that is okay. It will be explained by the education history and/or your age. If you have recently moved to the country, it’s okay to include employment in other countries. There is more advice on work and education history in our top tips online article.
- Job title, name of employer, location, month and year started – present (or month and year that you left)
- Briefly list the duties you had, and skills you learned while working here. Choose skills or qualities that the employer has listed in their job description.
EXAMPLE:
- Cook, Butterfly Cafe, Hull, October 2017 – present
- Responsible for making fresh sandwiches and toasties in the morning, mixing salads and making soup ready for lunch. I also prepare food for the next day, and work with the manager to order stock.
- I have learned how to manage my preparation time effectively, prioritise serving food to customers, and the correct handling of dietary requirements and customer allergies. I have also had some experience serving customers and taking their orders at the till
What jobs should you include?
- If you have recently left school or college then put your education history first and then include any work experience in kitchens, or other jobs you’ve had that might be relevant, such as working as a waiter in a restaurant or a retail job.
- Use this section to highlight skills that you learned in each role that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. The job description should have a list of things that the employer is looking for.
Education History
In education history, this is a chance to show any relevant training you have done, what skills you have learned from your courses, as well as general education subjects you’ve done. As you get more work experience, this section will become shorter, as your work history becomes more relevant and more recent.
There are no set requirements to become a kitchen porter or Kitchen Assistant, although some employers may ask for GCSEs at grades A* to E in English and Maths. if you have other certificates such as food hygiene or health and safety, include these hear as it will improve your chances of landing the job.
- Name of course or qualification, name of training centre or education centre, dates you were in attendance or you completed the course
- Explain briefly the training certificate relevant to the job you are applying to. What did you learn that is relevant to the job?
EXAMPLE:
- 6 GCSEs, Sirius Academy, Hull, September 2014 – July 2015
- Grades A – C in maths, English, art, food technology and geography
- First Aid at work (3 days), St John’s Ambulance, Hull, May 2017
- Learned how to deal with workplace injuries like asthma, bleeding, choking, allergic reactions and bone injuries
If you have completed any courses or gained certificates in things that are relevant to the job, like food safety, COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) or first aid, include that information here
Skills
Here is your chance to highlight the best skills you have in relation to the job you’re applying for. Hint: these will be the skills listed in the job advert, but only highlight the skills you have. Misleading information on your CV is likely to trip you up in an interview and is unprofessional; you don’t have to show you have every last skill listed in the job advert to be successful.
EXAMPLE:
- Working in a team – ‘Working in the small team at the café has helped me to become a better team player. I have learned how it’s important for everyone to pull their weight, and help each other when it’s busy or someone is new.’
- Communication skills – ‘I have learned to listen carefully to instructions from the café manager, and why it’s important to communicate with the front of house staff about food orders in busy times.’
- Maintaining stock levels and writing daily prep lists – ‘I’ve learned the importance of keeping stock levels up and be prepared for the next day. This is especially important when ordering for the weekend delivery, and to be ready for the busiest times of customer orders.
References
Job title and relation to you in the work place (if it isn’t obvious from the job title), name of work place, work contact number (or main company phone number which they can be reached through) and work email address
EXAMPLE:
Jane Smith
Manager at the Butterfly Cafe
0000 0000 00
janesmith@email.com
Who should you include as a reference?
- Your first reference should ideally be from a senior chef or manager who you’ve been working closely with in your most recent role. The second reference can be from a current colleague, or line manager or supervisor from a previous job. It’s best practice to ask someone if they will be a reference for you before they are contacted. Be aware that not all employers actually contact references, but it’s important to have them available if needed.
- It’s important to remember that while you are in your current job, consider that you may not want your reference (eg. your current head chef/boss) to be contacted until you have had an interview for a new possible job, or are actually offered it. This is because, for instance, if you weren’t offered the new job, and end up staying in your current job then you might not want your manager having been contacted as a reference. It can cause tension or awkward conversations about why you were trying to leave. A good way to get around this is to simply write ‘References available on request’. This shows the new employer that they can ask you for them as needed, but also means you can ask them to only contact them if you are offered the job, and then have time to ask the reference if it’s okay for them to be contacted. Most potential employers will be happy to wait to do this after offering you the job.
- If you have only had one previous job, or have been studying, it is okay to include a tutor as a reference, or someone else as a character reference (who is not related to you)
