Top 12 Line Cook Skills to Put on Your Resume

In a clanging, heat-hazed kitchen, a line cook wins the night with sharp technique, relentless pace, and steady judgment. Your resume should echo that—skills that signal speed, precision, and calm execution when the board lights up and tickets won’t stop.

Line Cook Skills

1. Knife Skills
2. Sous-vide
3. Grilling
4. Sautéing
5. Baking
6. Plating
7. Inventory Management
8. Food Safety
9. POS Systems
10. Time Management
11. Teamwork
12. Pressure Handling

1. Knife Skills

Knife skills are the backbone of prep: controlled, consistent cuts—chop, slice, dice, mince—done safely and at speed so food cooks evenly and looks clean on the plate.

Why It's Important

Better cuts mean even cooking, tighter portioning, faster execution, and fewer injuries. Order flows smoother. Waste drops. Plates look sharp.

How to Improve Knife Skills

Make your hands smarter and your blade truer with focused practice:

1. Pick the right tool: A sharp, well-balanced 8–10 inch chef’s knife covers most tasks. Keep a petty and serrated on standby.

2. Grip matters: Pinch the blade just ahead of the handle; wrap the rest of your fingers around the handle. Stable, controlled, quick.

3. Use the claw: Tuck fingertips; guide with knuckles. Safety first, speed next.

4. Stabilize your board: Damp towel underneath. No slip, no surprise.

5. Drill the classics: Julienne, brunoise, batonnet, chiffonade. Aim for uniform size over speed—speed follows.

6. Hone often, sharpen regularly: Hone daily to realign; sharpen on a stone when honing no longer restores the edge.

7. Consistency is king: Same size equals same doneness and timing. Practice with bulk veg during prep.

How to Display Knife Skills on Your Resume

2. Sous-vide

Sous-vide cooks food sealed in a food-safe, airtight bag—vacuum-sealed or water-displacement sealed—at a precise, low temperature in a water bath. Results: tenderness, repeatable doneness, and moisture that stays put.

Why It's Important

It locks in consistency service after service, trims waste, and lets you stage proteins ahead so the line moves without panic.

How to Improve Sous-vide Skills

1. Dial in temperature and time: Know your targets for common proteins and vegetables. Keep a simple log to track preferred settings.

2. Season smart: Salt lightly pre-bag; add aromatics that won’t turn bitter. For meats, consider a quick pre- or post-sear to boost flavor.

3. Finish hot: After the bath, dry the surface well and sear hard—pan, plancha, grill—to build crust without overcooking the interior.

4. Mind food safety: Chill rapidly if holding; store sealed and labeled; retherm properly before service.

How to Display Sous-vide Skills on Your Resume

3. Grilling

Grilling brings direct heat and smoke together. You manage zones, flip with purpose, chase grill marks when they matter, and hit target temps without drying out the goods.

Why It's Important

That char, that aroma—guests notice. It proves control over high heat, timing, and seasoning while juggling a crowded board.

How to Improve Grilling Skills

1. Start clean, start hot: Scrub grates, preheat properly, and oil the grates or the food as needed to avoid sticking.

2. Use heat zones: Sear over direct heat; finish over indirect. Keep a cool zone for flare-ups and thick cuts.

3. Season with intention: Salt early for larger cuts, closer to cook time for thin ones. Balance rubs and marinades so sugar doesn’t scorch.

4. Track temps, not guesses: Use a thermometer. Pull a few degrees early and rest to redistribute juices.

5. Rest and slice right: Short rests for thin cuts, longer for roasts. Slice across the grain to keep tenderness.

6. Stay organized: Tongs, clean trays, raw/cooked separation, and labeling—speed without cross-contamination.

How to Display Grilling Skills on Your Resume

4. Sautéing

Sautéing is fast, hot cooking in a thin film of fat—color on the outside, moisture inside, flavors blooming in minutes.

Why It's Important

It’s the line cook’s sprint. Crisp edges, bright vegetables, quick sauces—done right, dishes fly out tasting vivid and clean.

How to Improve Sautéing Skills

1. Preheat properly: Hot pan first, then fat, then food. You want sizzle, not a sad steam.

2. Pick the right fat: High-smoke-point oils for high heat; finish with butter for flavor if needed.

3. No crowding: Give food contact with the pan. Work in batches to keep temperature up.

4. Move with purpose: Toss or stir to cook evenly, but let food sit briefly to brown.

5. Adjust heat on the fly: If it smokes too hard or browns too fast, lower the flame and recover.

6. Mise en place tight: Uniform cuts and all ingredients ready; you won’t have time mid-cook.

7. Season in layers: Salt early for veg; finish and correct before plating. Deglaze to capture fond for quick pan sauces.

How to Display Sautéing Skills on Your Resume

5. Baking

Baking uses dry heat—usually in an oven—to transform doughs and batters into structured, finished goods: breads, pastries, cakes, savory bakes.

Why It's Important

It broadens the station’s range. From gratins to cornbread to crumble toppers, controlled baking rounds out a menu and tightens consistency.

How to Improve Baking Skills

1. Measure by weight: Scales beat cups. Precision = repeatability.

2. Know your ingredients: Protein in flour sets structure; fat tenderizes; sugar browns and holds moisture; leaveners need the right pH and timing.

3. Mind temperatures: Ingredient temps matter (butter softened vs chilled), and ovens lie—use an oven thermometer and rotate pans.

4. Master core methods: Creaming, rubbing-in, lamination basics, folding without deflating, proper gluten development.

5. Doneness cues: Internal temp, color, spring-back, crumb set—don’t rely on time alone.

6. Document tweaks: Keep notes on hydration, proof times, pan types, and ambient conditions.

How to Display Baking Skills on Your Resume

6. Plating

Plating is the choreography of a dish—arrangement, color, height, negative space—so the first look primes the first bite.

Why It's Important

Guests eat with their eyes first. Clean lines, intentional placement, and restrained garnishes lift perceived value and set expectations.

How to Improve Plating Skills

1. Lead with the focal point: Make the main component obvious; support it, don’t bury it.

2. Balance and contrast: Play with color, texture, and temperature; avoid overcrowding.

3. Use the right tools: Offset spatula, tweezers, squeeze bottles, ring molds for consistency.

4. Mind the sauce: Nap, dot, or swipe with intention. No puddles without purpose.

5. Garnish with meaning: Edible, flavorful, and relevant. If it doesn’t add, it distracts.

6. Stay tidy: Wipe rims. Keep the pass spotless. Speed plus cleanliness wins.

How to Display Plating Skills on Your Resume

7. Inventory Management

Inventory management keeps your station stocked without bleeding costs—tracking usage, rotating product, and forecasting prep so the board never catches you empty-handed.

Why It's Important

It prevents waste, protects margins, and ensures menu items are always available. Fewer 86s, smoother service.

How to Improve Inventory Management Skills

1. Count and record: Quick daily spot-checks for key items; full counts on schedule. Simple spreadsheets work if kept up.

2. FIFO always: First in, first out. Label, date, and rotate every time.

3. Tight par levels: Set pars based on realistic usage and seasonality; adjust after busy or slow stretches.

4. Standardize prep yields: Track trim and cooked yields so ordering aligns with reality.

5. Audit regularly: Compare theoretical vs actual. Find the leaks—over-prep, over-portioning, spoilage.

6. Train the team: Everyone dates, labels, and stores the same way. Consistency is savings.

How to Display Inventory Management Skills on Your Resume

8. Food Safety

Food safety guards guests and the team—clean handling, correct temps, proper storage, and airtight habits that stop cross-contamination before it starts.

Why It's Important

One lapse can harm people and reputations. Strong food safety keeps meals safe, inspections smooth, and service uninterrupted.

How to Improve Food Safety Skills

1. Wash hands, often and well: Warm water, soap, 20 seconds. Before prep, after raw proteins, after breaks.

2. Separate raw and ready-to-eat: Color-coded boards and knives; dedicated trays; change gloves between tasks.

3. Store smart: Cold foods at or below 40°F (4°C); frozen at 0°F (-18°C). Cool hot foods quickly and label with dates and times.

4. Cook to safe temps: Poultry 165°F (74°C), ground meats 160°F (71°C), whole cuts of beef/pork 145°F (63°C) with rest, fish 145°F (63°C). Verify with a calibrated thermometer.

5. Prevent allergen cross-contact: Separate tools and surfaces, change gloves, and confirm orders with allergens clearly.

6. Clean and sanitize: Follow contact times. Sanitize high-touch areas throughout service, not just at close.

How to Display Food Safety Skills on Your Resume

9. POS Systems

Restaurant POS and kitchen display systems route orders, modifiers, fires, and coursing to the line—clean tickets, clear timing, fewer mix-ups.

Why It's Important

Accurate tickets and real-time updates keep the rail honest. Communication with expo and front-of-house stays tight, and the line can pace properly.

How to Improve POS Systems Skills

1. Learn the language: Know every modifier, seat number, course code, and fire/hold flow used in your house.

2. Use KDS features: Bump, hold, and prioritize. Sync cook times across stations so plates land together.

3. Shortcut savvy: Master quick keys and common order patterns to shave seconds and reduce errors.

4. Feedback loop: Flag unclear items and recurring ticket issues so the team can standardize naming and routing.

5. Basic troubleshooting: Know how to reprint, recall, or reroute a ticket fast when the rush hits.

How to Display POS Systems Skills on Your Resume

10. Time Management

Time management on the line is triage and rhythm—prioritizing fires, stacking tasks, and pacing so everything hits the pass hot and on-time.

Why It's Important

It keeps quality high and chaos low. Guests wait less, the board stays under control, and the crew breathes easier.

How to Improve Time Management Skills

1. Prioritize relentlessly: Long-cook items first, quick hits later. Work back from pickup times.

2. Organize your station: Tight mise, clear labels, backups within reach. Clean as you go.

3. Batch and sequence: Group similar tasks; combine motions. Build smart prep flows that reduce stops and starts.

4. Use timers and cues: Multiple timers, visual markers, and clear communication at the rail.

5. Post-service review: After the rush, note bottlenecks and adjust pars, prep, or station layout.

How to Display Time Management Skills on Your Resume

11. Teamwork

Teamwork on the line is clear calls, swift hands, and trust—every station moving as one so plates land together without drama.

Why It's Important

It speeds service, smooths problems, and turns a rough push into a clean finish. Morale rises, mistakes fall.

How to Improve Teamwork Skills

1. Communicate cleanly: Short, standard calls. Confirm, echo, and close the loop.

2. Define roles: Everyone knows their lane and backup duties. Fewer gaps, fewer collisions.

3. Help without prompting: When your board is clear, jump to the next choke point. Refill, fire, garnish—keep the pass fed.

4. Practice together: Run mock services, time dishes, and align on plating maps and pick-up orders.

5. Respect and reset: Own mistakes, give constructive feedback, and reset quickly after heat-of-the-moment calls.

How to Display Teamwork Skills on Your Resume

12. Pressure Handling

Pressure handling is staying sharp when the printer screams—prioritizing, breathing, and executing without letting stress sabotage the plate.

Why It's Important

The rush is inevitable. Your response decides whether quality holds and tickets keep moving.

How to Improve Pressure Handling Skills

1. Prep like a pro: Over-prepare for peak windows—backups, garnishes, labeled pans, hot plates ready.

2. Work clean: A tidy station saves seconds and prevents errors when it counts most.

3. Prioritize in waves: Group tickets by cook time; fire long items first, then fill with quick pickups.

4. Breathe and reset: Short breaths between tasks, quick mental checklists, micro-breaks when the board allows.

5. Communicate under fire: Clear calls for all-day counts, 86s, and re-fires. Silence breeds mistakes.

6. Review and adapt: After service, identify stress points and tweak pars, layout, or sequencing.

How to Display Pressure Handling Skills on Your Resume