🧑‍🍳 How to Write a Great Chef CV for Jobs Abroad: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re a passionate chef looking to take your culinary career abroad, your CV is your passport to exciting international kitchens. Whether you’re applying for a role through Talent Odyssey or reaching out to restaurants on your own, a well-prepared CV is your first chance to stand out.

Here’s how to make sure your chef CV gets noticed — and gets you hired.

✅ 1. Start with a Strong Personal Summary

Begin your CV with a short paragraph (3–4 lines) that sums up your experience, your specialty, and what makes you a great team member.

Example:

Passionate Chef de Partie with 5+ years of experience in high-volume hotel kitchens across Malta, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Skilled in Mediterranean, Asian fusion, and event catering. Known for fast-paced precision, attention to hygiene, and collaborative spirit.

✅ 2. List Your Work Experience Clearly

Employers want to see your kitchen history — in reverse order, from most recent to oldest.

For each role, include:

• Job title
• Employer and country
• Dates of employment
• 3–5 bullet points with specific tasks and achievements

Example:
Sous Chef – Exiles Beach Club, Malta
May 2024 – September 2024

• Supported the Head Chef with menu development and daily kitchen operations
• Supervised and trained a team of 8 junior chefs
• Managed ordering, inventory, and supplier coordination
• Ensured high standards of hygiene and service during beachside events

✅ 3. Highlight Your Skills

Add a section that quickly shows what you’re good at. Include:

• Key technical skills (e.g., sauce work, butchery, seafood prep)
• Culinary styles or cuisines you know well
• Certificates and food safety training (HACCP, etc.)
• Languages spoken

✅ 4. Show Your Adaptability

Working abroad means flexibility. Employers love seeing signs of:

• Multicultural experience
• Willingness to relocate
• Previous work in different kitchen settings (e.g., hotels, events, beach clubs)
  If you’ve worked in more than one country, make that obvious!

✅ 5. Keep It Clean and Easy to Read

Your CV should be:

• No more than 2 pages
• Consistent in layout: same fonts, spacing, bold job titles
• Saved as a PDF (not Word) for easy sharing
• Named clearly: JohnDoe_ChefCV_2025.pdf

✅ 6. Bonus Tip: Include a Short Portfolio

If you have great food photos — clean, well-lit shots of your plated dishes — add a link to an online portfolio (Instagram, Behance, Google Drive folder).

This gives recruiters and employers a taste of your style and attention to detail.

🌍 Ready to Work Abroad?

Your CV is your first impression — and with Talent Odyssey, it’s your ticket to new countries, new kitchens, and new opportunities. Need help reviewing your CV or matching with the right job? We’re here to help.

Looking for your next chef opportunity in Greece, the Netherlands, or Austria?
📩 Submit your CV to natalia.k@talent-odyssey.com and let’s cook up your next adventure.