Pick a simple layout that highlights your kitchen leadership and pastry skills. Use reverse-chronological or hybrid layout so your latest chef roles show first and hiring managers find them fast.
Keep length to one page if you have under 10 years of pastry leadership. Go to two pages only when you have long-tenure pastry director roles or notable pastry publications and awards.
Use ATS-friendly fonts like Calibri, Arial, Georgia, or Garamond. Set body text to 10–12pt and headers to 14–16pt for clear hierarchy.
Leave enough white space around sections. Use consistent margins and short line spacing so your content reads quickly on mobile and desktop.
Avoid heavy graphics, complex columns, and embedded images that confuse parsing systems. Simple bullets and clear dates beat decorative elements.
Use standard headings such as Contact, Summary, Experience, Skills, Education, and Awards. Put kitchen-specific achievements first, like cost control, menu launches, and team size managed.
Common mistakes include cramped blocks of text, vague verbs, and long duty lists. Cut duty lists to three to five achievement bullets per role and show metrics like food cost or team size.
Proofread for consistent punctuation, date formats, and tense. Keep verbs active and start bullets with strong action words like directed, launched, reduced, and trained.