Grill cook, shawarma specialist or pizza chef: showcase your speciality

Can you prepare good grilled food, make shawarmas or bake pizzas? To convince an employer, explain what you actually do, the setting you have worked in and how independently you can work. A speciality becomes a hiring asset when your application shows how you would contribute during service.

1. Give your skills a precise name

A title such as “all-round cook” can hide your strongest skill. Use wording suited to the vacancy: “Grill cook — preparation and grill service”, “Shawarma preparer” or “Pizza chef — dough preparation, shaping and baking”. If you are starting out, try “Shawarma preparation assistant” or “Kitchen assistant seeking to develop pizza-making skills”.

List the products you know, equipment you have used and stages you can handle independently. Helping with pizza toppings does not mean you can manage dough production and the oven. Experience at a small food stand or through catering work is useful too: state the setting and dates clearly.

2. What Kamerjob vacancies show

The following three adverts were closed when checked on 18 October 2026. They illustrate employers’ expectations; they are not currently open recruitment opportunities.

• Grill cook — TARGET Restaurant, Bansoa-Balatsi: the advert combined grilling with food presentation, workstation cleanliness and monitoring ingredients. Speed and teamwork also mattered.
• Shawarma cook — Amazon Supermarket, Buea: the duties included marinating, spit cooking, slicing and quick service. This employer accepted beginners and advertised one month of training. That was an opportunity specific to this advert, rather than a promise from every employer.
• Pizza chef and other positions at a pizzeria in Yaoundé: this advert covered several roles and emphasised reliability, punctuality and teamwork. The exact requirements for the pizza chef role needed to be confirmed with the recruiter.

The lesson: describe your speciality alongside the working habits that make you dependable during a busy service.

3. Three examples for your CV

These are fictional templates. Replace the brackets with your own details and remove any task you cannot perform.

Grill cook: describe your workstation responsibilities

“Grill cook — [food business or catering work], [town], [dates]. Prepared and portioned [products], organised the grill station, cooked to the supervisor’s instructions and prepared orders. Cleaned equipment and reported ingredient requirements.”

Add the type of grill you used and your exact responsibilities. If you know your normal output, give a verifiable number with context. Otherwise, describe the service without inventing quantities.

Shawarma preparer: explain your level of independence

“Shawarma preparation assistant — [business], [dates]. Prepared toppings, assembled and wrapped orders, and maintained the workstation. Assisted with preparation under the cook’s supervision.”

If you also handle meat preparation, the spit or slicing, list these separately. Do not claim them if your experience is limited to assembling orders.

Pizza chef: specify the stages you can handle

“Pizza chef — [business], [dates]. Prepared dough to the business’s recipe sheet, portioned, shaped, topped and baked pizzas using [oven type actually used]. Organised preparation and coordinated orders with the team.”

If you can follow a supplied recipe but cannot yet plan dough production, explain that. An employer can plan your training more effectively when your starting level is clear.

4. Build a small, honest portfolio

Choose three to five photos of your own work: a product close-up, an order ready for service and, where possible, your workstation. For each image, add an approximate date, the setting and your contribution. For example: “Pizza made at [business], shaped and topped by me, baked under supervision”.

Ask permission before taking photographs in a workplace or naming a customer. Avoid identifiable people and private information. A stock photo can illustrate an article, but must never be passed off as your own work in a job application. Get permission before sharing a referee’s phone number.

5. Send a targeted application message

“Hello, I am applying for the [job title] position. My speciality is [speciality], which I have practised in [real setting]. I can carry out [two specific tasks] and have used [equipment]. I can share a few photos of my work. I am available from [date]. Could you clarify the duties and equipment used? Thank you.”

Tailor the message to the advert and attach a readable CV. Related specialities are not automatically interchangeable: knowing how to grill does not mean you have used a professional pizza oven.

6. Clarify expectations before a practical trial

Ask about the menu, available equipment, expected quantities, trial length, supervisor and assessment criteria. Clarify any payment arrangements for the trial beforehand, then discuss the job’s working hours, rest days and pay. Ask for a demonstration if equipment is unfamiliar.

Your value shows through consistent food, good organisation and clear communication with the team. Prepare simple evidence and explain accurately what you can already do and what you want to learn.

Read also: preparing for a practical kitchen trial and succeeding in a cook’s job interview. Find available vacancies on Kamerjob and always check each advert’s status.

Cover photo: David Iloba / Pexels. Illustrative scene photographed in Nigeria; the person pictured is not associated with the vacancies cited.

The Kamerjob team