Top 12 Kitchen Worker Skills to Put on Your Resume
Building a strong kitchen-worker resume means showing real technique and steady people skills in the same breath. Move fast, stay safe, keep plates consistent, communicate cleanly. The 12 skills below are the nuts and bolts hiring managers look for—and the ones that keep a line humming when the tickets won’t stop.
Kitchen Worker Skills
- Knife Skills
- Food Safety
- Inventory Management
- POS Systems
- Time Management
- Teamwork
- Multitasking
- Pressure Handling
- Customer Service
- Cleaning Protocols
- Recipe Execution
- Equipment Maintenance
1. Knife Skills
Knife skills mean safe, accurate, and efficient control of blades to prep ingredients—slice, dice, mince, chiffonade, trim—with speed and consistent yield.
Why It's Important
Good knife work keeps fingers safe, prep fast, waste low, and presentation sharp. It touches cost, timing, and quality all at once.
How to Improve Knife Skills
Pick a proper tool: A balanced 8–10 inch chef’s knife you actually like using.
Keep it sharp: Hone daily, sharpen on a schedule. Dull blades slip; sharp ones obey.
Lock the board: Damp towel under the board. No skating.
Claw grip: Curl fingertips in; guide with knuckles.
Master fundamentals: Even dice, clean slices, steady julienne. Uniformity beats speed—at first.
Use the rocking motion: Tip anchored when appropriate, smooth arc through the cut.
Build pace gradually: Accuracy, then rhythm, then speed.
Learn from pros: Seek a quick class, a mentor on the line, or reputable video demonstrations.
Measure your results: Consistent sizes cook evenly; check and adjust.
Reps win. Ten minutes a day turns into confidence.
How to Display Knife Skills on Your Resume
2. Food Safety
Food safety is the discipline of handling, cooking, cooling, and storing food to prevent illness and keep every plate safe to serve.
Why It's Important
It protects guests, passes inspections, avoids costly waste, and keeps the operation’s name clean.
How to Improve Food Safety Skills
Hygiene first: Wash hands for 20 seconds at the right times; change gloves between tasks.
Stop cross-contamination: Separate boards, tools, and storage for raw and ready-to-eat items. Sanitize between uses.
Temperature control: Fridge at or below 40°F (4°C); freezer at 0°F (-18°C). Hot-hold at 135°F (57°C) or above.
Cook to safe temps: Poultry 165°F (74°C); ground meats 160°F (71°C); seafood/whole cuts 145°F (63°C). Reheat to 165°F (74°C).
Cool quickly: From 135°F to 70°F (57°C to 21°C) within 2 hours, then to 41°F (5°C) within 4 more. Use shallow pans and ice baths.
Clean and sanitize: Use correct solutions and contact times. Verify with test strips.
Label and date: Clear dates, FIFO rotation, discard on time.
Know your code: Keep current with local regulations and maintain required certifications.
How to Display Food Safety Skills on Your Resume
3. Inventory Management
Inventory management means tracking ingredients and supplies so the kitchen stays stocked, waste stays low, and costs remain predictable.
Why It's Important
It prevents 86s, cuts spoilage, protects margins, and keeps service smooth when the board gets crowded.
How to Improve Inventory Management Skills
Live FIFO: First in, first out. Date, label, rotate.
Set par levels: Establish minimums and reorder points for key items.
Count regularly: Weekly (or more) spot-checks matched to usage. Reconcile against prep sheets and sales.
Track waste: Log trims, spoilage, and remakes to find patterns and fixes.
Standardize portions: Scoops, ladles, scales—consistency tames food cost.
Know your yields: Weigh before and after prep to set accurate ordering.
Tight supplier communication: Delivery windows, substitutions, and seasonality—no surprises.
Digitize or simplify: Use a simple spreadsheet or an inventory tool, but use it the same way every time.
Train the team: Everyone labels, everyone rotates, everyone records.
How to Display Inventory Management Skills on Your Resume
4. POS Systems
A POS (and often a kitchen display system) turns orders into clear, trackable tasks for the line, ties items to tables, and can connect inventory and timing—so food flows where it should, when it should.
Why It's Important
Accurate tickets, fewer mistakes, faster turns, tighter communication with front-of-house. Less chaos, more consistency.
How to Improve POS Systems Skills
Learn the map: Menus, modifiers, fire times, voids, and comps—practice in training mode if available.
Use shortcuts: Hotkeys, quick-modifiers, and common builds speed up busy periods.
Read tickets like a pro: Scan for allergies, doneness, and special instructions first, then course and timing.
Prioritize orders: Group similar items, coordinate with stations, and pace based on cook times.
Close the loop: Confirm changes with FOH immediately; call out 86s and delays early.
Basic troubleshooting: Know how to reprint, resend, or escalate issues fast.
Keep hardware ready: Charged, clean screens, readable printers—no fumbling mid-rush.
How to Display POS Systems Skills on Your Resume
5. Time Management
Time management in a kitchen is the art of sequencing tasks so food hits the pass hot, correct, and together—while the station stays clean and safe.
Why It's Important
It shrinks wait times, calms the line, and keeps quality high when the printer rattles off a wall of chits.
How to Improve Time Management Skills
Prioritize by cook time: Fire long-cook items first; slot in quick-cook sides last.
Plan your prep: Build a realistic prep list; batch tasks and minimize backtracking.
Organize the station: 5S-style thinking—everything in its home, labeled, within reach.
Use timers and cues: Timers, ticket rails, and mental checks prevent slips.
Mise en place, always: Ready ingredients and tools beat heroics every time.
Delegate smartly: Match tasks to strengths; communicate clear handoffs.
Trim motion: Set up to reduce steps. One reach, one move, one result.
How to Display Time Management Skills on Your Resume
6. Teamwork
Teamwork means the line moves like one organism—clear calls, quick help, no dropped balls.
Why It's Important
Better speed, safer floors, fewer errors, higher morale. Guests feel it even if they never see the kitchen.
How to Improve Teamwork Skills
Pre-shift huddles: Specials, 86s, allergy notes, station coverage—align before the first order hits.
Speak the language: “Behind,” “Hot,” “Corner,” “Hands”—short calls, loud and clear.
Define roles, stay flexible: Know your station; jump to help when the tide rises.
Cross-train: Learn adjacent stations to fill gaps and smooth bottlenecks.
Offer and accept help: Quick swaps, shared tools, split tasks—ego off, service on.
Feedback loops: Short, specific notes after service; improve together.
How to Display Teamwork Skills on Your Resume
7. Multitasking
In kitchens, “multitasking” is really quick switching with systems—juggling pans, timers, and tickets without losing the thread.
Why It's Important
It keeps orders flowing, prevents overcooks, and turns a crush into a controlled sprint.
How to Improve Multitasking Skills
Tier your priorities: What burns first, what can wait, what must be watched—decide fast.
Stage tasks: Batch similar moves; plate in logical order.
Use timers liberally: External reminders free up attention.
Organize tight: Clear zones for hot, cold, raw, and ready; tools prepped.
Prep ahead: Pre-portion, par-cook where appropriate, stock backups.
Stay calm: Short resets, focused breaths, quick mental checklists.
How to Display Multitasking Skills on Your Resume
8. Pressure Handling
Pressure handling is staying effective when the board fills, the fryer beeps, and a server needs a remake—without cracking the flow or the standards.
Why It's Important
It safeguards quality and safety in the most chaotic moments and keeps service pointed forward.
How to Improve Pressure Handling Skills
Default to procedure: Systems over panic—use the checklist, follow the station plan.
Micro-triage: Decide in seconds: do now, delegate, or delay.
Communicate early: Call backups, announce delays, ask for hands before the dip turns into a crater.
Control your breath: Short, steady breaths steady your hands.
Take micro-breaks: Ten seconds to reset can save ten minutes of mistakes.
Review after: Quick debriefs turn stress into better systems next time.
How to Display Pressure Handling Skills on Your Resume
9. Customer Service
For back-of-house, customer service means consistent plates, clear communication with FOH, careful handling of requests and allergies, and speed that respects the guest’s time.
Why It's Important
Happy guests return, tip well, and spread the word. Consistency in the window shapes the entire dining experience.
How to Improve Customer Service Skills
Honor specs: Portion, temperature, and presentation—repeatable and reliable.
Handle special requests: Read tickets closely; verify allergies; separate tools and spaces as needed.
Move with urgency: Keep courses together; communicate if timing slips.
Own remakes: Fix fast, notify FOH, prevent repeat errors.
Close FOH loops: Share 86s, delays, and menu changes before guests feel them.
Stay current: Train on new dishes, seasonal updates, and service standards.
How to Display Customer Service Skills on Your Resume
10. Cleaning Protocols
Cleaning protocols are standardized steps for washing, rinsing, sanitizing, and storing tools and equipment—plus keeping spaces hygienic and compliant.
Why It's Important
They prevent cross-contamination, meet health codes, and keep staff and guests safe.
How to Improve Cleaning Protocols Skills
Build a schedule: Daily, weekly, monthly tasks with owners and checklists.
Right chemicals, right strength: Mix to the proper ppm; verify with test strips; label spray bottles.
Color-code tools: Separate raw, ready-to-eat, restroom, and general cleaning gear.
Clean as you go: Wipe spills, swap boards, empty trash before it overflows.
Sanitize touchpoints: Handles, switches, rails, and screens get frequent attention.
Store safely: Food below chemicals, mops hung to dry, closed lids on bins.
Pest prevention: Seal gaps, rotate stock, and keep floors clear and dry.
Document: Logs for temperatures, sanitation, and deep cleans keep standards visible.
How to Display Cleaning Protocols Skills on Your Resume
11. Recipe Execution
Recipe execution is following a recipe accurately—ingredients, technique, timing—to produce the same dish, every time.
Why It's Important
It protects flavor, appearance, and cost. Consistency builds trust with guests and with the team.
How to Improve Recipe Execution Skills
Mise en place: Measure, cut, and set tools before you start.
Read twice: Scan the whole recipe, note critical steps and temperatures.
Weigh and measure: Scales and standardized scoops beat eyeballing.
Control heat: Preheat pans, respect carryover, don’t crowd.
Taste and adjust: Salt, acid, texture—dial it in without drifting from specs.
Use timers: Track cook, rest, and chill times accurately.
Document tweaks: Note any approved adjustments so the next cook repeats success.
How to Display Recipe Execution Skills on Your Resume
12. Equipment Maintenance
Equipment maintenance is cleaning, inspecting, and servicing kitchen tools and appliances so they run safely and last longer.
Why It's Important
It prevents downtime, protects food quality, and avoids expensive repairs or replacements.
How to Improve Equipment Maintenance Skills
Clean after use: Remove buildup before it hardens and hides problems.
Follow schedules: Stick to manufacturer maintenance and deep-clean cycles.
Use correctly: Right tool, right task—less strain, fewer breakdowns.
Sharpen and calibrate: Knives, thermometers, slicers—keep them true.
Report fast: Tag issues immediately; don’t let small faults grow.
Basic LOTO awareness: Power down and secure equipment before service or cleaning that requires it.
Train the crew: Teach daily care routines and safe operation.
Keep manuals handy: Specs and troubleshooting steps within reach.
How to Display Equipment Maintenance Skills on Your Resume
