You’ve graduated with a great culinary qualification and you’re thrilled to be able to work on cruise ships, in game lodges or at impressive five-star resorts. You’re keen to get going in the culinary world but you’re falling short and you think it may be down to your CV. Maybe you don’t even know how bad your CV is, maybe it’s too much work to change it. Despite your talents, you may be overlooked for employment because your CV is a disaster. It’s a common problem that graduate chefs face, and in this blog, we explore ways to create a culinary CV that’s honest, impressive and will get you in the door.

 

Great qualification + great CV = the right way to go

International Hotel School has one of the most enviable reputations, especially as far as chef’s schools in Cape Town go. Not least because of the 50% practical training element linked to each and every culinary course, but also because standards are incredibly high both academically and in the workplace, and this makes our chef graduates employable when they leave us. That should be enough to get a great job, but without a professional looking CV, you’re going to struggle to show off your skills to any prospective employer. Recruitment expert, Adele Buyze, from Recruitment Hospitality Solutions explains what we mean:

“I struggle daily with endless CV’s that come in from chefs with the most horrific photos (or none at all) blurry etc. The sad part is that some of these chefs have worked at amazing places and seem so surprised when we ask for pictures of their work (some even at Exec Sous or Head chef level). They always complain that when working, they don’t have time on the pass to take photos. Whilst I quite understand this predicament, I think chefs should be informed early on when they are in the last year of studies that when they go on their Work Integrated Learning (chef practicals) or they create dishes on campus, they should already be starting to compile their own portfolio. This should include only pictures of their BEST dishes. Many clients we deal with nowadays will NOT accept a CV without any food pictures. It’s that simple. And blurry pictures or copied images from the internet won’t do,” says Buyze.

Creating your very own Food Portfolio

A professional-looking portfolio is essential for anyone looking forward to a successful culinary career. Adele shares some tips with us on how to create a Food Portfolio, which should accompany a chef CV.

• Your portfolio can be presented in many different formats. If you are using it in an interview, it should have at least five to ten of the best examples of your cooking abilities or work.
• You can also include any magazine or newspaper articles you may have.
• Take a photo of yourself and plenty of pictures of your food. These should be high-quality photos that make you and your food shine. (Create an Instagram account which can also be linked to your CV through a quick hyperlink)
• If you’re unsure how to edit photos of your food without having to pay someone to do it, check out these 5 free photo editing apps that will make this a simple task to achieve.
• Include around 4 to 6 pictures relevant to the vacancy you are applying for when you send off your CV for a specific job role. Photos mustn’t be more than 2mb and must be of good quality.
• Remember, you need to be prepared to explain exactly how you prepared the dish and the techniques or methods you used. Pictures are only valuable in an interview if they are special and show a specific event, dish, or culinary technique.

Get your boss on board

It’s easy to forget to take photos when you’re under pressure in the kitchen, but it won’t help you impress prospective employers when you graduate. Get your boss on board and tell them what you’re doing – explain what a Food Portfolio is, and why it’s so important. Ask them to support you by either letting you grab your smartphone to take a pic of your work before it leaves the pass, or ask them to take the pic for you. If you get buy-in from your boss, you’re on your way to interview success with a well put-together Food Portfolio you can be proud of.

If you have any questions for our students or lecturers, drop us a line in the comments section below, or email info@dev.brokenpony.club with your questions. We would love to hear from you! Alternatively, get in touch with Adele Buyze by emailing her any queries on adele@irecruithospitality.co.za