Top 12 Prep Chef Skills to Put on Your Resume
In today’s crowded kitchens, standing out as a prep chef isn’t just about chopping fast. It’s about being precise, clean, adaptable, and calm when the tickets keep printing. The right mix of technique and timing turns good prep into unstoppable service. Below are the 12 core skills that lift your resume and your line presence, showing you’re ready to plug into any brigade and keep it humming.
Prep Chef Skills
- Knife Skills
- Food Safety
- Inventory Management
- Sous-vide Technique
- Portion Control
- Recipe Adherence
- Time Management
- Pressure Cooking
- Sanitation Protocols
- Food Presentation
- Temperature Control
- Batch Cooking
1. Knife Skills
Knife skills are the bedrock of prep: clean, consistent cuts that speed service, reduce waste, and keep fingers intact.
Why It's Important
Great knife work boosts speed, safety, and consistency. Even cuts cook evenly, look better on the plate, and help you hit the same result every time.
How to Improve Knife Skills
Sharpen the fundamentals and everything else gets easier.
Use a sharp, versatile chef’s knife: Dull blades slip. Sharp blades obey.
Master core cuts: Slice, dice, julienne, brunoise. Build muscle memory through repetition.
Stabilize the board: A damp towel under the board stops wobble and mishaps.
Pinch grip the blade: Thumb and forefinger on the blade’s heel; the rest curl around the handle.
Claw with the guide hand: Fingertips tucked, knuckles forward, blade riding safely.
Rocking motion: Tip anchored, heel up and down, smooth and efficient.
Practice daily: Vary produce. Push for speed only after precision is automatic.
Respect safety: Focus on the cut you’re making. No multitasking with knives.
How to Display Knife Skills on Your Resume
2. Food Safety
Food safety covers handling, storing, cooking, and cooling food to prevent contamination and illness—everyday discipline, not optional detail.
Why It's Important
It protects guests and staff, preserves a restaurant’s reputation, and keeps operations compliant. One lapse can derail everything.
How to Improve Food Safety Skills
Relentless handwashing: Before prep, after breaks, after raw proteins, after trash—every time.
Stop cross-contamination: Separate boards and tools for raw and ready-to-eat foods. Color-code if possible.
Safe storage: Cold foods at or below 41°F (5°C), hot foods at or above 135°F (57°C). Raw below ready-to-eat, properly wrapped and labeled.
Cook to safe temps: Use a calibrated thermometer and verify internal temperatures for proteins.
Clean and sanitize: Wash, rinse, sanitize surfaces and equipment on a tight schedule. Don’t forget high-touch points.
Cooling control: Shallow pans, ice baths, or blast chillers to move food quickly through the danger zone.
Allergen awareness: Prevent cross-contact and label clearly. Communicate before mistakes happen.
How to Display Food Safety Skills on Your Resume
3. Inventory Management
Inventory management means tracking ingredients, rotating stock, and ordering precisely so nothing runs out and nothing rots.
Why It's Important
It cuts waste, protects margins, and keeps service steady. The right product, at the right par, at the right time.
How to Improve Inventory Management Skills
Run FIFO religiously: First in, first out. Date everything and rotate daily.
Set accurate pars: Base them on sales data and seasonality; adjust after each inventory cycle.
Audit routinely: Spot-count high-cost or fast-moving items; full counts on schedule.
Tighten ordering: Align deliveries with menu cycles and storage capacity. Smaller, more frequent orders can cut spoilage.
Track waste: Log trims, overproduction, and spoilage. Fix the causes, not just the numbers.
Train the team: Labeling, dating, storage zones, and portioning matter to everyone, not just the purchaser.
How to Display Inventory Management Skills on Your Resume
4. Sous-vide Technique
Sous-vide means vacuum-sealing food and cooking it in a precisely controlled water bath. Gentle heat, exact results, juicy textures.
Why It's Important
It delivers repeatable doneness, better yield, and flexible timing—huge wins on a busy line and a smart way to reduce waste.
How to Improve Sous-vide Technique Skills
Dial in temperature: Keep circulators calibrated and verify with a reliable thermometer.
Seal properly: Remove air so bags don’t float; double-bag for long cooks or sharp bones.
Respect time: Learn ideal windows for each protein and veg; overcooking still ruins texture.
Season wisely: Salt early; go easy on raw garlic/onions (they intensify). Finish with aromatics after searing.
Maintain circulation: Don’t overcrowd the bath. Space bags so water can move freely.
Finish with intent: Hard, fast sear; pat dry first for crust without overcooking the interior.
Food safety: Hold foods above 130°F (54°C) when appropriate and chill rapidly if storing.
How to Display Sous-vide Technique Skills on Your Resume
5. Portion Control
Portion control means serving exact, repeatable amounts to protect cost, maintain quality, and keep plates consistent.
Why It's Important
Consistent portions protect margins and ensure guests get what they expect—no surprises, no shrinking plates.
How to Improve Portion Control Skills
Measure with tools: Scales, ladles, spoodles, portion scoops. Don’t eyeball what you can weigh.
Standardize recipes: Clear yields and portion sizes, with photos or notes where helpful.
Pre-portion ingredients: Pack line-ready portions during prep so service flies.
Use visual cues: Plate maps and reference portions keep everyone aligned.
Audit plates: Spot-check during service and correct drift immediately.
How to Display Portion Control Skills on Your Resume
6. Recipe Adherence
Recipe adherence is the discipline of following specs exactly—ingredients, weights, methods, and order of operations.
Why It's Important
It guarantees consistency, protects brand standards, and speeds training. Guests come back for the same great dish, not a guess.
How to Improve Recipe Adherence Skills
Standardize everything: Clear steps, precise measurements, defined yields, and photos when useful.
Organize mise en place: Prep stations so steps flow smoothly and errors don’t sneak in.
Train and verify: Walk-throughs, tastings, and periodic refreshers keep habits tight.
Use visual aids: Step photos, plating diagrams, and labels reduce ambiguity.
Document changes: Update specs immediately and retire old versions so no one guesses.
Quality checks: Random pulls and tastings catch drift before it spreads.
How to Display Recipe Adherence Skills on Your Resume
7. Time Management
Time management means sequencing tasks so prep lands exactly when the line needs it—fresh, full, and ready to fire.
Why It's Important
It keeps service on pace, reduces stress, and prevents costly last-minute scrambles. Smooth prep equals smooth service.
How to Improve Time Management Skills
Plan the day: Make a production list with times, yields, and dependencies. Work backward from service.
Prioritize: Tackle long-cook and cooling items first; finish with delicate garnishes.
Batch smartly: Group similar tasks to minimize setup and cleanup.
Use timers: Track multiple items without losing the thread.
Build buffers: Leave space for surprises—because they’ll come.
Review and refine: Post-shift, note bottlenecks and adjust tomorrow’s plan.
How to Display Time Management Skills on Your Resume
8. Pressure Cooking
Pressure cooking raises the boiling point, cooking foods faster while locking in flavor and tenderness—especially handy for tough cuts, beans, and grains.
Why It's Important
It saves time, preserves nutrients, and delivers deep flavor quickly. A powerful lever in high-volume prep.
How to Improve Pressure Cooking Skills
Know your cooker: Understand settings, safety valves, and release methods.
Mind the fill line: No more than two-thirds full; half for expanding foods like beans and grains.
Cut evenly: Uniform sizes cook uniformly—simple as that.
Add enough liquid: Typically at least 1 cup (check your model); too little scorches, too much waters down flavor.
Layer smart: Slower-cooking items low, quick-cooking items high.
Choose release method: Natural for soups/legumes; quick for delicate veg and seafood.
Season twice: Light before, adjust after; flavors intensify under pressure.
Maintain equipment: Gaskets, seals, and valves need regular checks.
How to Display Pressure Cooking Skills on Your Resume
9. Sanitation Protocols
Sanitation protocols are the rules of a clean kitchen: personal hygiene, proper cleaning, smart storage, and constant verification.
Why It's Important
Cleanliness stops hazards at the source. It shields guests, protects staff, and keeps you aligned with current food codes.
How to Improve Sanitation Protocols Skills
Hand hygiene: Wash thoroughly and often; glove use never replaces proper washing.
Clean to a schedule: Assign tasks, frequencies, and chemicals. Log completion. Verify.
Separate zones: Raw and ready-to-eat areas need distinct tools and clear signage.
Sanitize correctly: Use food-safe sanitizers at proper concentrations and contact times.
Equipment upkeep: Break down, deep clean, and reassemble correctly. Maintain gaskets and blades.
Ongoing training: Refresh team knowledge regularly and update procedures as standards evolve.
How to Display Sanitation Protocols Skills on Your Resume
10. Food Presentation
Food presentation is the craft of arranging and finishing components so plates look as good as they taste—clean lines, intentional color, balanced shapes.
Why It's Important
Guests eat with their eyes first. Thoughtful plating sets expectations, elevates perceived value, and tightens brand identity.
How to Improve Food Presentation Skills
Choose the right canvas: Plate shape, size, and color should frame the food, not fight it.
Use color and contrast: Mix hues and tones for pop without clutter.
Layer textures: Crunch against cream, crisp beside silk—variety brings energy.
Garnish with purpose: Fresh herbs, citrus zest, or a tight sauce swipe—nothing random.
Control portions: Negative space is your friend; overcrowding flattens impact.
Build height: Stacking or shingling adds dimension when it makes sense.
Trim and tidy: Clean edges, precise cuts, wiped rims—no smudges sneaking by.
How to Display Food Presentation Skills on Your Resume
11. Temperature Control
Temperature control means holding, cooking, chilling, and storing food within safe ranges to stop pathogen growth and preserve quality.
Why It's Important
It safeguards guests, protects texture and flavor, and meets current food code requirements—non-negotiable in any professional kitchen.
How to Improve Temperature Control Skills
Measure often: Use calibrated digital thermometers; log critical temps during prep and service.
Calibrate routinely: Thermometers, ovens, and refrigeration need regular checks for accuracy.
Pre-chill and pre-heat: Get equipment and ingredients to target temps before you start.
Cool rapidly: Shallow pans, ice baths, and blast chilling; move food through 135°F to 70°F quickly, then to 41°F.
Maintain equipment: Clear vents, check gaskets, avoid overloading fridges so air can circulate.
How to Display Temperature Control Skills on Your Resume
12. Batch Cooking
Batch cooking is preparing larger volumes of components or dishes at once, then holding or finishing as needed. Efficiency now, agility later.
Why It's Important
It smooths service, reduces labor spikes, and increases consistency. Done right, it also limits waste and keeps costs tight.
How to Improve Batch Cooking Skills
Plan ruthlessly: Set a production schedule with yields, pan sizes, and cooling steps baked in.
Dial in mise en place: Chop, measure, and stage ahead so cooks move without friction.
Use the right gear: Heavy pots, sheet pans, hotel pans, racks—durable tools handle volume.
Cook in waves: Stagger batches to avoid bottlenecks at ovens, burners, or coolers.
Chill safely: Rapid cooling with shallow pans or blast chillers; don’t stack hot pans tight.
Label and date: Clear product names, prep dates, and discard dates; rotate daily.
Taste and test: Verify seasoning and texture across batches so the first portion matches the last.
How to Display Batch Cooking Skills on Your Resume
