Life without cooks and chefs would be very dull indeed! Most of us have some experience in food preparation. Some may even ENJOY this experience!

Tell your hospitality story?

Telling YOUR story about what you do in the kitchen is a fabulous way to find out ALL of your skills.

Here is Tom’s story (as an EXAMPLE).

So, Tom, you like cooking at school. Tell me about it.

Tell me what you did in the last class.

What did YOU do?

I listened to the teacher first, then read the recipe. I got the ingredients and cooking utensils out.

What next?

I carefully read each instruction on the recipe and made sure I got each step right.

What next?

What next?

I mixed it up, rolled it out, cut out the scones and put it in the oven. I got it going earlier 180 degrees.

What next?

What next?

What does your teacher think about your cooking?

She would probably say that I can follow recipes really well and that I enjoy cooking.

So….

Tom could probably write something like this in his resume

You might have experience in Hospitality like this….

Work at the school canteen on a voluntary basis. This includes serving students, tidying canteen, preparing salad sandwiches and stocking the drink fridge and refreshment section.
Assisted with school BBQs at Parent Information nights. This included ordering food, preparing salads, cooking meat, serving parents and tidying up afterwards.
Worked as a waiter for a football function. This included wearing the appropriate clothes, setting tables, serving food, clearing tables and communicating with the other wait staff and chefs to get things done quickly.
During work experience at the Telegraph Hotel I used industrial dish and glass washing machines, prepared fruit and vegetables, made dips and kebabs, set and cleared tables and waited on customers.

You may (for example) have a part time job at your local BAKERY or HOTEL, and could say things like:

Able to set tables and ensure dining room is nicely presented for customers.
Able to memorise menus and communicate with Chef regarding ingredients and style of cooking.
Able to follow instructions (written and verbal) to get things done.
Able to prioritise to ensure that the important things are done first.
Can be relied upon to turn up 10 minutes early
Known for being well groomed and presented.
Being friendly and attentive to customers helps to maintain a great atmosphere at work.
Assist the Chef with tasks such as vegetable preparation, meat marinating, dip preparation, dessert concoctions and cleaning as required.
Well known for my coffee making skills.
Work as a team in the VET Hospitality class to cater for different functions throughout the year. Planning, preparation and serving of three-course meals to dignitaries and visitors to the College on numerous occasions.

You can use these words and phrases in your resume:

Include this in your career portfolio.

Employers like to see what you can do.