Kitchen Steward Resume Guide + Tips + Example
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Start your career in the hospitality industry with a professional kitchen steward resume. This guide will help you create an effective kitchen steward resume to highlight your time management and organizational skills to showcase you as a desirable candidate.
Start by editing this kitchen steward sample resume template or explore our 40+ resume templates to find the best one for you.
Kitchen steward resume example (text version)
Bryan Boswell
San Diego, CA 92111
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com
SUMMARY STATEMENT
Reliable and professional kitchen steward with 13 years of experience working in restaurants and hotels. Strong knowledge of restaurant kitchen cleanliness standards, industrial dishwasher operations and best practices for keeping things sanitary. Commitment to following all safety procedures and company policies when working with kitchen equipment and tools. Dedicated work ethic and focus on completing each assigned task the right way. Motivated self-starter who has the ability and the desire to work as part of a successful team.
CORE QUALIFICATIONS
- Freezer and refrigerator cleaning
- Operate kitchen machines
- Cooking station setup
- Safe food handling practices
- Proper storage procedures
- Communication
- Problem-solving
- Time management
Education
- San Diego Mesa College San Diego
Professional Certificate Culinary Arts - Culinary Arts and Management
- San Diego High School San Diego, CA
High School Diploma
WORK EXPERIENCE
January 2015 – Current
Sheraton San Diego – San Diego, CA
KITCHEN STEWARD
- Operate the machine dishwasher during busy breakfast, lunch and dinner shifts to keep a constant supply of clean dishes and utensils for a staff of 30.
- Organize, wipe and clean up surfaces in and around the dishwashing machine throughout the shift and during closing time, improving 25% of kitchen area productivity.
- Pick up extra shifts when needed in a variety of other restaurant kitchen positions, such as busboy, host, kitchen prep or bar back.
September 2012 – December 2015
Nobu San Diego – San Diego, CA
KITCHEN HELPER
- Stacked and put away clean dishes, utensils, pans and pots after the dishwashing cycle was finished so the dining room and kitchen area were well stocked.
- Cleaned the trash area around the outdoor dumpster by breaking down boxes for recycling, removing debris on the ground and emptying kitchen trash cans.
- Monitored inventory monthly deliveries of over 2,000 items to minimize product losses and prep for service.
June 2010 – August 2012
Marriott International, Inc. – San Diego, CA
DISHWASHER
- Cleared and washed all restaurant dishes, cups, pans, containers and silverware in a busy chain restaurant during dinner shifts.
- Replenished takeout containers, condiments, sugars, salt and pepper shakers and napkins throughout the restaurant.
- Achieved a 98% score on restaurant cleanliness inspection when shift supervisors came through the dishwashing station periodically.
HONORS AND AWARDS
Awarded employee of the month three times during employment with the restaurant because of excellent work ethic, teamwork and attitude. – (2018, 2019 and 2021)
CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES
- OSHA Safety Certificate – (2023)
- Cross-Contamination Prevention Certification (Updated 2022)
- ServSafe Certification – (Updated 2022)
- Kitchen Sanitation Certification – (2021)
- Food Storage and Temperature Control Certification – (2013)
Profession Relevant Skills
- Experience working with high-powered mechanical dishwashing machines, commercial glassware cleaners, power washers, pot washers and moving dishwasher belts.
- Fluent in both English and Spanish and able to communicate and understand directions in each language.
- Dedicated to providing excellent customer service to restaurant patrons by keeping cooks and waiting for staff stocked with supplies.
- Excellent attention to detail, allowing me to spot problems with dishes that didn’t get completely cleaned.
- Strong teamwork skills and commitment to working together with others and supporting people when they need something.
Languages
- English
Native or Bilingual - Spanish
Full Professional
HOBBIES AND INTERESTS
During my time off, I spend many hours at some of the community theaters around San Diego. I focus my time on writing and directing original plays. Since I graduated high school, I have directed 15 plays and written 10. My plays focus on comedy and black humor about life in a political town.
5 essentials of a top kitchen steward resume
Contact details
In the contact section of your kitchen steward resume, include your full name, city, state and ZIP code, followed by a phone number and email address. Finally, include a professional website, LinkedIn profile or any other professional networking profile.
Personal statement
This section is also called a professional summary and works as your introduction to the hiring manager. This is where you display your best skills and related work experience as a kitchen steward resume. In five or fewer sentences, let the recruiter know: how long you have been in the industry, one or two professional accomplishments and your job-relevant skills. Pick your best to grab the hiring manager’s attention.
Skills
The skills section of your kitchen steward resume showcases your abilities to perform a job. Grab the recruiter’s attention by creating a skills section that matches the job description. Create a bulleted list of hard skills, like equipment knowledge and cleaning skills, and soft skills, time management, attention to detail and organization.
If this is your first job, include transferable skills from other employment.
Work history
Build the work history section of your kitchen steward resume in reverse-chronological order. Add the company names, locations and dates of employment and for every job, include a bulleted list of three measurable accomplishments. For example, if your work was recognized, your equipment knowledge and if you are able to communicate in more than one language with the staff.
If this is your first job as a kitchen steward, you can include other relevant work experience, like volunteer experiences, community services, professional projects and more.
Education
Use bullet points to create the education section of your kitchen steward resume. Include the educational institution’s name, the degree conferred and graduation year. Skip your graduation date if it has been over 10 years. If you did not attend college, list your high school and any other post-high school course or training you’ve completed.
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Action words for a stand-out kitchen steward resume
Use action verbs to highlight your strength by directly and confidently showcasing your achievements. Combine these words with your accomplishments to make a great impression on your potential employer.
These are a few examples of actions words for your kitchen steward resume:
- Maintain
- Operate
- Handle
- Organize
- Wash
- Clean
- Report
- Return
- Assist
- Inspect
- Transport
Combine these words with your quantifiable achievements to build a resume that grabs the hiring manager’s attention. Create it even faster with a tool like our Resume Builder. It provides guidance through prompts, expert suggestions and content specific to your industry. We have 800+ resume examples to show you how your perfect kitchen steward resume could look.
Top skills for a kitchen steward resume
Build a skills section to highlight your kitchen knowledge and people skills. Create a balanced bulleted list of soft and hard skills. Before you start, review the job description and carefully match the required skills to the skills and traits that fit you.
These are a few skills you could include in your resume:
- Experience with kitchen equipment
- Physical stamina
- Sanitation
- Customer service
- Time management
- Cooking
- Cleanliness
- Stocking
- Organization
- Foreign language and level of fluency
- Teamwork
- Attention to detail
Certifications for kitchen steward resume
Certifications can help you stand out from the crowd by showcasing your commitment to the craft and interest in improving your skills. Add value to your kitchen steward resume by including relevant certifications.
These are a few certifications to consider for your kitchen steward resume:
Remember to include the expiry date, when applicable.
Pair your CV with a matching cover letter
Kitchen steward resume FAQ
What skills to put on a resume for a kitchen steward with no experience. ?
When it comes to how to write a resume with no experience, think outside the box. You may lack formal experience, yet your skills, training and other types of experience can help you stand out as a candidate.
- Focus on your skills — Create a thorough skills section with soft and hard skills relevant to the position and match those skills in the job description.
- Use relevant experiences for your work history — internships, volunteer work and personal projects.
- Highlight your education — include your education as well as any relevant courses and training.
Building a resume can be easy with the help of tools, like our Resume Builder. It provides guidance and content suggestions according to your industry and experience.
Do I need to include certifications in my kitchen steward resume?
Certifications are not required to create a resume. Unless explicitly stated in the job description, you do not need a certification to work as a kitchen steward. However, adding certifications to your experience and resume helps you stand out from other applicants. It demonstrates your commitment to the craft and your interest in advancing your career.
What to put on a resume for a kitchen steward?
A resume should highlight your best, strongest qualifications. It should also always be customized to the role you’re applying for. To do this, match your skills to those in the job description. Then, from your employer research and industry knowledge, includes other skills that would be beneficial to the role and help you stand out from the candidate pool. Write a resume with the help of this guide and our Resume Builder, which provides step-by-step guidance and expert suggestions.
Do’s and don’ts for building a kitchen steward resume
- Use measurable achievements to describe your abilities and experience as a kitchen steward.
- Use action words to make an impact on your kitchen steward resume.
- Tailor your resume to your target kitchen steward job.
- Use keywords from the job description throughout your kitchen steward resume.
- Format your kitchen steward resume so that it is easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
- Lie about your kitchen steward experience and skills.
- Boast that you’re the “best kitchen steward ever.”
- Add skills and experience not pertaining to kitchen steward.
- Forget to proofread. A kitchen steward resume with errors is unprofessional.
Top 4 tips for acing a kitchen steward interview
Research the prospective employer.
Take the time to learn about the employer’s history, goals, values and people before your steward interview. Your knowledge will show interest, dedication and commitment — traits that create a desirable candidate. Plus, having a glimpse of the company culture before you arrive will give you an idea of what to expect on arrival so that you can feel confident.
Practice at home.
The best way to prepare for your interview is by practicing at home. Start by reviewing the most common interview questions, such as:
- How Have You Motivated Others? Give Me an Example.
- We Can Sometimes Identify a Small Problem and Fix It Before It Becomes a Major Problem. Give an Example(s) of How You Have Done This
- What Is the Most Significant Contribution You Made to the Company During a Past Job
- How Do You Determine Priorities in Scheduling Your Time
Ask a trusted person for help and perform a mock interview. Search for possible interview questions, prepare your answers and then practice with your interview partner. Once you’re done, ask them for feedback and work with them to improve. Preparation will boost your confidence, allowing you to perform better during your interview.
Pro tip: Practice in front of a mirror. Look at your facial expressions and body language, which hiring managers will notice.
Ask questions
An interview works both ways: you’re interviewing this employer as much as they’re interviewing you. Have at least three questions ready to ask during or at the end of your interview. Create questions that help you determine if the employer is right for you.
These are a few examples of questions to get you started:
- Why did you choose to work for this employer?
- What is the day-to-day like?
- How do you deal with issues within the staff?
- How do you support staff issues with difficult customers?
- What’s the career path in the kitchen?
Ask open-ended questions and allow the interviewer to answer before moving on to the next.
Gather references.
Contact former managers and colleagues to be potential references. These individuals should be able to vouch for your work ethic and skills. Explain to them where you are in the process and when they could expect to be reached. Don’t forget to ask if they could write a letter of recommendation for you.
If this is your first full-time job as a steward, you can request a reference from a mentor, community leader, volunteer coordinator or someone that can vouch for your skills.
Resume examples for the next step in your culinary career
- Restaurant Manager Resume
- Dishwasher Resume
- Restaurant Assistant Manager Resume
- Restaurant General Manager
- Restaurant Shift Leader Resume
- Restaurant Shift Manager
- Restaurant Shift Supervisor Resume
- Indian Chef Resume
- Food Service Assistant Resume
- Head Chef Resume
- Personal Chef Resume
- Bakery Assistant Resume
- Line Cook Resume
- Pizza Chef Resume
- Deli Clerk Resume
- Chef Resume
- Restaurant Chain Manager Resume
- Cook Resume
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Kitchen Steward CV Example
Nilda Melissa is a Certified Professional Resume Writer who has written for The Washington Post and Latina Style Magazine. She has a master's in Journalism from Columbia University and is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
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