Hospitality Resume

Although hospitality resumes are not necessary for all positions in the hospitality field, they can be designed in order to offer candidates an advantage to others competing for the same job.  For candidates interested in making a good first impression or those applying for managerial or other executive level occupations, this testimony of achievements, qualifications, and skills are necessary.  It is important for professionals to fully research and prepare before they begin to compose their resume.  Resumes are often the deciding factor on whether or not candidates receive an interview, so it is important to draw the reader in and pique their interest in order to gain an interview.  Hiring managers often have little time to review each resume; therefore, good resumes should grab the reader’s attention, and deliver adequate information in a quick 15-30 second scan. 

When composing a resume, it is often important for candidates to focus more on the skills they have obtained rather than their past titles, unless professionals have experience in the specific position they are applying for.  Wherever possible, it is helpful to include specific numbers, percentages, or titles within the text.  Candidates should avoid negativity, the use of complete sentences, and writing in first person by using words such as “I” or “my.”  These documents are meant to summarize skills, not to deliver an autobiography.  The use of bullets and bold, underlined, or italicized text is great for highlighting important information, but should not be overused.  Many candidates assume that they must cram as much information as possible into their resume, but readers are looking for documents that are easy to read and deliver important facts.  Candidates should keep in mind that many details they want included in their resume should be reserved for an interview.  Documents should be no longer than two pages, and written in 10-12 point standard font. 

There are three types of resume formats candidates may choose from.  The most widely accepted resume for hospitality professionals is the chronological resume.  This resume lists information in reverse chronological order (most recent listed first), and can include a variety of sections.  Functional resumes are useful for candidates possessing little work experience, and arrange information to emphasize skills obtained rather than work history.  The final option is a combination resume which focuses on skills obtained by the candidate, but information is listed in reverse chronological order.  While chronological resumes are often the best option, any format, if properly composed, has the ability to yield positive results. 

Resumes should be unique to each individual candidate’s hospitality skills and experiences, so there are many sections and topics that professionals may choose to include within their resume.  It is not necessary to include all topics, but candidates should highlight the areas that directly relate to skills necessary for employment within the hospitality industry.  It is necessary for resumes to include identification information including name, address, telephone number, and email address, employment history within the past 10 years, and educational background, including all formal training and certification programs.  Additional topics may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Awards, Achievements, Honors
• Military Training/Experience
• Special Skills
• Community Service
• Foreign Language Fluency
• Memberships/Affiliations

Upon completing an effective resume, it is often necessary to compose an additional format.  Resumes containing decorative graphics and special characters are accepted, if not preferred, for hand delivery or mailing, but it is necessary for documents to have sharp lines to ensure they can be easily scanned.  Many resumes are also accepted online, which require candidates to compose a plain text resume that contains no graphics or special characters.  These pages are often plain, but are accepted by approximately 98% of online job boards and employer email systems, and ensure employers have the opportunity to view candidates’ documents.  All pages should be carefully reviewed and checked to ensure no errors are presented to employers.

For more information on creating a hospitality resume, please visit the following sites:

• #1 Resume Writing Services
• Job Secrets Revealed
• The Jay Block Companies
• The University of Tampa
• University of British Columbia Career Center

Let iHireHospitality help get your resume out into the hospitality industry.  We offer resume fax and email blasting for hospitality candidates to companies in your area for a small fee, or have your cover letter sent out for no charge.  A few of the job titles we offer include:

• Restaurant Manager
• General Manager
• Service Manager
• Marketing Manager
• Sales Manager
• Casino Operations Manager
• Conference Manager
• Convention Manager
• Meeting Services Manager
• Credit Manager