When writing a Catering Assistant CV, it is important to know how to format your writing so that it stands out to an employer. In this section, we will detail what information you need in a CV, such as a personal statement, relevant skills and qualifications, education and work experience. Use this guide to inform your CV and check out our CV writing tips for a general overview of best practices.
1. First, you will need to write an eye-catching personal statement.
2. Follow with your work experience, listing previous roles in reverse chronological order.
3. Include a section for key skills and qualifications relevant to the role.
4. You can also include additional information such as hobbies or references, but they’re not as important.
A Catering Assistant's CV should list relevant skills and experience and omit any unnecessary topics that will make your application undesirable.
How to Write a Personal Statement for a Catering Assistant
Your personal statement should be concise and hold all the relevant information that you will expand on in your CV, this includes brief descriptions of your work experience or education, and you should mention relevant skills or personal achievements.
Keep your personal statement around 100-150 words long to keep an employer interested in reading on.
Catering Assistant Personal Statement Example
“I have recently completed an apprenticeship in Hospitality, and I am looking to continue pursuing a career in catering. During my apprenticeship I worked closely with kitchen staff, and it helped me learn the correct way to communicate with different hospitality teams. My friendliness and willingness to learn also encouraged them to teach me basic culinary skills and in turn gave me a greater understanding of food safety and hygiene.
Though the work was difficult it was also very rewarding, during my apprenticeship I was awarded an accolade for my hard work and tenacity, which boosted my spirits and encouraged me to exceed the expectations of my mentors.
I believe the skills I have learned will transfer well into your role and I am keen to improve my knowledge and understanding of catering.”
Ideal Work Experience for a Catering Assistant CV
Once you have completed your personal statement it is worth going into more depth about your relevant work experience. Use bullet points to outline the skills you have learned and how they relate to the job you’re applying for.
Which Jobs to Include
When looking at your employment history, omit any jobs that don’t include relevant work experience or skills.
Catering Assistant CV Work Experience Example
You should start with your most recent experience first and work backwards including only 5-6 job roles that have given you useful skills for the job you’re applying for:
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Barista at [company name] from [start date] to [end date]
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I acquired the ability to multitask while working as a Barista. I was able to carefully listen to customer orders and prepare them to the correct specifications.
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Event Support at [company name] from [start date] to [end date]
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During my time as Event Support, I was able to hone my communication skills while working in a team. I was also tasked to maintain a clean and hygienic work environment and assist with the setup and breakdown of the event.
If you received notable praise for your work, talk about those when discussing the skills you used at the time.
Key Skills & Qualifications for a Catering Assistant CV
You will need to be able to briefly discuss your skills and qualifications in your personal statement, these skills should be useful to the job you’re applying for.
Important Skills for a Catering Assistant
There are numerous skills needed to be a Catering Assistant which will be outlined in the job description, some common skill requirements are organisation and time management skills, basic culinary skills, communication skills and customer service.
These skills can come from previous employment or education such as college courses or apprenticeships.
Qualifications Needed to Be a Catering Assistant
There are some qualifications that will benefit your CV if you have them, these qualifications include food hygiene certificates, a Level 1 or 2 in Food Preparations and Cooking, or even a Level 2 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles. No formal qualifications are required, but certification will boost your employability within a Catering Assistant role.
Additional Content to Boost Your Catering Assistant CV
An employer will be interested in hearing about any hobbies or interests you have that offer skills. Include them after you have written about your work experience.
It is also helpful to include any references you might have after your hobbies.
Hobbies & Interests
If you have a particular interest in cooking or baking which has given you food preparation experience, talk about that here if it is something you do in your free time. Relevant hobbies will also teach patience and how to follow recipes and measure ingredients which are useful skills for a Catering Assistant to have.
References
An ideal reference will be a manager, mentor or senior worker from a previous job who you worked well with. Make sure that their details are correct and that you have their permission to use them as a reference, as some employers will contact them to discuss your past conduct.
How to Make a Catering Assistant CV Stand Out
Talk about your positive experiences and hurdles you’ve overcome during your previous jobs, this will show an employer that you have the capabilities to improve, problem-solve and take action when necessary.
Make sure your information is concise and factual; it is important that an employer can find the exact information they need when reading your CV and being able to describe your skills in an appropriate manner will keep them engaged.
Talk about how you and your skill set will benefit the role you’re applying for, being confident in your abilities is encouraging to a business.
Mistakes to Avoid
It is important to avoid bad grammar and structure when composing a CV, have someone check it before you send it to an employer to make sure it is easy to read and there are no spelling mistakes.
Do not be too descriptive with your achievements and hobbies. An employer will ask more questions at the interview stage if they are interested in certain aspects of your CV and that is the best time to share more information.
Catering Assistant CV Example
Now that you have the information you need to start your CV, you can use our free CV template to get used to the layout of a good CV. Our template is free to download and use.
