Head Chef CV: Example and Template
This is what a convincing Swiss CV for head chefs looks like - with food cost, covers figures and the right qualifications.
Currently 339 open Head Chef positions in Switzerland, across 14 cantons, 67 of them from the last 7 days. Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève advertises the most.
CV example — two-page template
This template is editable straight away — or upload your existing CV and it is carried into this layout automatically.
Check your CV against real Swiss job adverts
The check compares your CV with what Swiss adverts actually ask for — structure, language level, missing evidence.
Check my CVWhat qualifications belong in a head chef CV?
State your Chef EFZ with the training company, followed by your professional examination or advanced federal diploma - in that exact order.
In Switzerland, the basic qualification is the Federal VET Diploma as a chef (Koch/Köchin EFZ, three-year basic training). Write out the qualification in full with the training company, vocational school and year of completion. HR staff in the hotel industry also read the training company: a seasonal business with 200 covers says something different than a staff canteen. If you trained abroad, add the SBFI recognition decision or a note that recognition is in progress.
For management positions, what builds on top of this counts: the Federal PET Diploma as Head Chef or Chef de Cuisine (professional examination), the Advanced Federal PET Diploma as Head Chef or Manager of Institutional Catering (advanced federal examination), or a Higher Vocational College (HF) diploma in hospitality and catering management. Awarding bodies such as Hotel & Gastro formation Schweiz or GastroSuisse should be stated as well. If you are only planning to take the professional examination, state the exam year transparently rather than leaving it out.
Two additional certificates are almost always required in job ads: the vocational trainer course, if you are expected to train apprentices, and a current course on food hygiene and HACCP self-monitoring under the Foodstuffs and Commodities Ordinance. Place these in a separate Certificates section with the year, so that their currency is clear. Specialised courses such as sous-vide, dietary cooking, Fourchette verte criteria or allergen management round off the picture.
How do I describe kitchen work experience with figures?
Describe the type of business, brigade size, cover numbers and your cost KPIs for each position.
A line like 'responsible for kitchen operations' says nothing. Under each position, add two lines of context: type of business (4-star hotel, à la carte, banquet, institutional catering, hospital kitchen), number of seats, average and maximum covers per day, and the size of your brigade including apprentices. Only this framework makes your achievements comparable.
This is followed by three to four achievements with figures. For kitchens, these are food cost as a percentage, kitchen gross profit, budget volume in CHF, staff cost ratio, food waste reduction in kilograms or percent, complaint rate, number of banquets managed, and food inspection results. Phrase before-and-after figures: 'reduced food cost from 34.2% to 29.4%' is verifiable, 'cost-conscious' is not.
Seasonal positions are normal in Switzerland and not a drawback - summarise winter and summer seasons per employer and state the season duration. Write gaps due to military service, further training or time abroad openly. Don't forget the note on your work permit: without a Swiss passport or a valid permit (C, B, G), running a kitchen will immediately raise a question in the application process.
How long should the CV be and does it need a photo?
Two pages, a friendly portrait photo and a clean file with all employment references are standard in Swiss catering.
Keep the CV to a maximum of two pages. Page one should contain contact details, permit status, a three-sentence profile, core competencies and your current position with KPIs. Earlier positions from around ten years ago or more may be shrunk to two lines. A photo is still customary in Switzerland: a professional portrait in chef's jacket or business attire looks appropriate, a snapshot from the kitchen does not.
A complete application file includes a cover letter, CV, all employment references and interim references, plus copies of your EFZ and PET diplomas. Submit everything as a single PDF file with a meaningful file name, for example 'CV_Brunner_HeadChef.pdf'. State references as 'available on request' and inform your referees beforehand.
Add details that concretely decide on an interview invitation in catering: availability for shift, weekend and seasonal work, start date with notice period under the L-GAV, category B driving licence, and accommodation situation for seasonal positions. If you're asked to state a salary expectation, give a range for an annual gross salary, for example CHF 85'000 to CHF 95'000 based on 13 monthly salaries, and mention board and lodging if included in the offer.
Where Head Chef are hired in Switzerland
How the 339 open positions are spread across the cantons.
Figures as a table
| Canton | postings |
|---|---|
| Waadt | 22 |
| Genf | 17 |
| Freiburg | 12 |
| Zürich | 9 |
| Neuenburg | 7 |
| Bern | 6 |
| Wallis | 3 |
| Tessin | 2 |
Which languages the postings require
Of 232 postings that state a language — in brackets, those requiring professional level.
Figures as a table
| Language | postings |
|---|---|
| French | 167 (145) |
| German | 101 (68) |
| English | 51 (37) |
| Italian | 8 (5) |
Who hires Head Chef in Switzerland
Employers with the most open positions. Staffing agencies are excluded.
Figures as a table
| Employer | postings |
|---|---|
| Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève | 16 |
| Hospitaliti | 10 |
| Groupe E | 10 |
| CSD ENGINEERS | 9 |
| The Living Circle | 8 |
| AFRY | 8 |
Full-time or part-time?
How the positions are advertised.
Figures as a table
| Workload | postings |
|---|---|
| Vollzeit / plein temps | 263 |
| Teilzeit / partiel | 12 |
| Temporär | 15 |
The CV in full
To read through and reuse.
Marco Brunner
Head Chef with Federal PET Diploma, Chef EFZ
Head Chef with 12 years of experience in hotel, à la carte, and banquet catering for up to 250 guests. Leads a kitchen brigade of 16 employees including 3 apprentices and is responsible for a kitchen budget of CHF 1.9 million in food cost. Combines seasonal regional cuisine with rigorous cost control: food cost 29.4%, kitchen gross profit 70.6%.
What sets me apart
Food cost management with recipe costing: Costs every dish at portion level in Delegate, reviews contribution margins monthly and has kept the kitchen gross profit above 70% for three years.
Self-monitoring and hygiene without complaints: Runs the HACCP self-monitoring concept under the LGV and Hygiene Ordinance including digital temperature monitoring; four consecutive cantonal food inspections without any complaints.
Brigade management and vocational training: Trained vocational trainer: guided 8 apprentices to their Chef EFZ, all passed their qualification procedure, two with a grade average above 5.0.
Regional sourcing with reliable labelling: Builds direct relationships with 14 producers from Central Switzerland and ensures correct origin and allergen labelling on all menus.
Key achievements
Food cost reduced by 4.8 percentage points. Standard recipes, weekly inventory of A-items and a utilisation concept for trimmings lowered food cost from 34.2% to 29.4% - around CHF 91'000 in savings per year.
Food waste reduced by 27%. Measured according to the United Against Waste methodology, switching the breakfast buffet to small-batch replenishment and cook-and-chill for banquets: 4.1 tonnes less waste per year.
Gault Millau rating raised from 13 to 15 points. New seasonal 6-course menu line with sous-vide cooking methods and regional fish; à la carte revenue rose 18% in the first year to CHF 2.4 million.
Experience
Head Chef — Hotel Seeblick Vierwaldstättersee AG, Lucerne, since 03/2020
4-star superior hotel with 118 rooms, restaurant with 80 seats, banquet hall for 250 guests, kitchen brigade of 16 employees and 3 apprentices.
- Responsible for CHF 1.9 million in food cost; reduced food cost from 34.2% to 29.4%.
- Coordinated up to 320 covers per day including breakfast, à la carte, banquets and seminar catering.
- Switched shift scheduling under the L-GAV for 16 people to Gastrotime, reducing overtime balance per head from 68 to 21 hours.
- Revised the self-monitoring concept: 4 food inspections without complaints, temperature monitoring fully digitised.
Sous Chef — Restaurant Bergquelle AG, Zermatt, 08/2016 - 02/2020
Seasonal business with 110 seats and 14 Gault Millau points, winter peaks of 240 covers per evening, brigade of 9 people.
- Deputised for the Head Chef on 120 days per season, independently leading 9 employees.
- Built up the sauce station and shortened mise-en-place times by 35 minutes per service.
- Introduced sous-vide and regeneration processes, reducing the complaint rate from 1.4% to 0.5%.
- Coordinated weekly orders with 22 suppliers, reduced the number of suppliers by 6 and improved terms by 4%.
Chef de Partie (Entremetier / Gardemanger) — Landgasthof Rebstock GmbH, Sursee, 09/2012 - 07/2016
Traditional country inn with 90 seats, weddings and club events for up to 180 guests, brigade of 6 people.
- Independent responsibility for 2 stations with around 140 covers on peak days.
- Prepared banquet production for up to 180 guests using cook-and-chill, reducing service time per course by 12 minutes.
- Co-developed a seasonal menu with 18 dishes, increasing the share of regional products to 62%.
- Provided professional guidance to two first-year apprentices, both passed their qualification procedure.
Education
Federal PET Diploma, Head Chef (Professional Examination) — Hotel & Gastro formation Schweiz, Weggis · 2019
Federal VET Diploma (EFZ), Chef — Berufsbildungszentrum Zentralschweiz, apprenticeship at Landgasthof Rebstock GmbH · 2012
Further education, Restaurant Management and Costing — GastroSuisse Weiterbildungszentrum · 2021
Vocational trainer course for training companies (40 hours, cantonally recognised), 2018 · HACCP and food hygiene certificate under the LGV/Hygiene Ordinance, refresher 2024 · Sous-vide and cook-and-chill certificate, Hotel & Gastro formation, 2017 · Wine and sensory course WSET Level 2, 2022
Common questions
- What language should I write my CV in as a Head Chef?
- 71% of adverts are in French, 24% in German. In this occupation two versions earn their keep.
- Where in Switzerland are Head Chef most in demand?
- Spread out, Vaud first at 6%, then Geneva and Fribourg. Across a language border, apply with the matching version.
- What language level do Head Chef adverts ask for?
- French in 72% of adverts that state a requirement, 87% of them at professional level. "Good knowledge" will not do — give A2 to C2.
- Are Head Chef roles offered full or part time?
- 96% full time, only 4% part time. If you need part time, say so early rather than leaving it open.
- Who hires Head Chef in Switzerland?
- Currently Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Hospitaliti, Groupe E, among others. Their adverts are the best word list for your own CV.