From cook to head chef: how to demonstrate your team leadership skills

You can prepare dishes and manage your station during service. To move towards a head chef role, your application also needs to show how you help a team work together: planning preparation, allocating tasks, explaining instructions and responding when a problem arises.

In Cameroon, restaurants, hotels, snack bars and catering businesses may organise their kitchens differently. Start by understanding the scope of the vacancy, then present real situations that demonstrate your ability to lead.

1. Clarify what “chef” means in that business

A job title does not explain every responsibility. Ask how many people are on the team, who decides the menu, who manages purchasing and stock, and who approves work schedules. A chef de partie responsible for a station may have a different scope from a head chef overseeing the whole kitchen.

Before applying, identify the leadership duties in the advert. Match each one to an experience you can explain. If you have never managed purchasing or staff schedules, be clear about that and explain what you want to learn.

2. Turn working habits into concrete evidence

“I am a good leader” is difficult to assess. Describe what you did, who was involved and the setting. Here are five skills to document:

• Organisation: preparing a preparation checklist, setting priorities and checking that everyone understands their station.
• Training: demonstrating a task, letting a colleague practise and checking their understanding.
• Coordination: following orders and communicating with front-of-house staff about delays or unavailable dishes.
• Checking standards: checking preparation against the business’s instructions and arranging corrections where needed.
• Development: giving specific, respectful feedback after service and following up on the improvement needed.

Explain your level of authority for each skill. “I proposed a task allocation that the supervisor approved” describes a useful contribution without implying that you ran the kitchen alone.

3. Prepare three situations for your interview

The scenarios below are fictional. Use their structure with your own experience, without claiming results you did not achieve.

A busy service: organise before starting

“During a catering assignment, the supervisor asked me to coordinate preparation with two colleagues. I listed the preparations, allocated tasks according to their experience and checked what was missing before service. I told the supervisor what remained so priorities could be adjusted.”

Then explain the result you observed: preparation completed before orders arrived, an omission spotted or an instruction clarified. If you have a reliable figure, give it with context. Avoid percentages reconstructed from memory.

A new colleague: teach without taking over

“I helped a new kitchen assistant learn portioning using the business’s preparation sheet. I demonstrated one preparation, watched their attempt and corrected a specific point. I checked again during the next service, then told the supervisor which tasks they could handle independently.”

The recruiter may ask how long the support lasted and how you responded to mistakes. Prepare a concrete, respectful answer.

An unexpected problem: act within your authority

“An ingredient was likely to run out during service. I checked the remaining quantity, informed the supervisor and passed the approved instruction to front-of-house staff. I then recorded the requirement for the next preparation.”

Explain who made the final decision. Do not present an unapproved recipe change or substitution as a positive initiative.

4. Build a small evidence folder

A few documents can make your account clearer: a preparation checklist, station allocation, stock tracking sheet or briefing outline. Only share documents you are authorised to disclose. Remove names, contact details, confidential recipes, supplier prices and other private information.

If you create a document for your application, label it “sample prepared for the interview”. A template demonstrates your method; it does not prove that you used it in employment. Ask a former supervisor’s permission before sharing their details as a referee.

A sample briefing could ask: “What orders are expected? Who prepares each item? Which products are missing? What must be checked before opening? Who informs front-of-house staff if a problem arises?”

5. Write a precise CV and application message

Keep your actual job title. You can list leadership responsibilities under a cook position even if your contract did not call you a head chef.

“Cook — [business], [dates]. Occasionally coordinated preparation with [actual number] colleagues under the chef’s supervision. Supported new kitchen assistants with [tasks]. Reported ingredient requirements and took part in end-of-service debriefs.”

For an application:

“Hello, I would like to progress into the [job title] role. My experience as a cook includes [specific responsibility]. I can describe a situation involving service organisation and another involving training a colleague. Could you clarify the team size and responsibilities of the position? My CV is attached. Thank you.”

6. Prepare to take on responsibility

If a practical trial is proposed, clarify its duration, tasks, team, supervisor and assessment criteria, along with any payment arrangements. For the job itself, ask what authority you would have over schedules, purchasing and decisions during service.

A first step may be coordinating a station or preparation under supervision. After each service, note one success and one area for improvement. Your progress is demonstrated by instructions people understand, problems reported in time and a team supported with respect.

Browse vacancies on Kamerjob and tailor your application to the responsibilities described. Read also: succeeding in a cook’s job interview and preparing for a practical kitchen trial.

Cover photo: Anna Tarazevich / Pexels. Illustrative image; the people pictured are not the candidates described in the examples.

The Kamerjob team