Securing that all-important next job in hospitality starts with sending out a stellar resume to help sell yourself to prospective employers and recruiters.
This is easier said than done, of course, so let’s go through some must-follow pieces of advice to transform a so-so resume into one that really sparkles.
Showcase Your Personal Skills
Your personal skills speak volumes about how well you can perform in a hospitality position. When creating your resume:
- Pinpoint interpersonal abilities: Excellent communication and customer service are invaluable for fruitful guest interactions.
- Emphasize teamwork: Showcase your ability to work well in diverse teams, underlining instances of leadership or effective collaboration from your past roles.
- Add language proficiencies: If you’re multilingual, don’t forget to mention it! The more languages you know, the bigger the advantage you have in this sector.
Accentuating these elements in your resume gives recruiters a clear picture of the distinct value that you can bring to the table. Let the world see what makes you unique, and the rest will follow.
Highlight Relevant Work Experience
The hospitality sector values real-world experience. When outlining past work:
- Detail your roles: Rather than a generic list, describe specific tasks you accomplished in previous employment.
- Showcase progress: If you rose through the ranks or took on increased responsibilities over time, shout about it!
- Note impactful moments: Include achievements or particular instances that demonstrate how your contribution made a difference.
A well-narrated work history allows potential employers to infer the prospective contributions you can make to their organization. It’s not just about what job titles you’ve had, but what lessons and results you drew from them.
Use Keywords Strategically
Implementing the right keywords is vital to getting your resume seen, and in fact it has several benefits. Here’s how it can help:
- Increased visibility: Recruiters often use scanning software to speed up the processing of applicants, so incorporating relevant job-related terms increases your chances of being noticed.
- Industry relevance: Using technical jargon or industry-specific phrases portrays you as someone in-the-know about the hospitality business. Just don’t overdo it with niche terminology, or use specific keywords to the detriment of readability.
- Tied-in skills: Blend soft and hard skill keywords throughout your work experience to provide a unified narrative.
The last point here is that including strategic keywords doesn’t mean stuffing them into your resume artificially. They need to fit contextually within your experiences and capabilities, or else it won’t feel genuine.
Integrate Impactful References
References can make a world of difference in your application, but you need to harness them in the right way. Here are some insights:
- Choose referees wisely: Opt for former employers or colleagues who appreciate your work and skills.
- Maintain up-to-date details: Verify that your listed references have current contact information.
- Ask permission first: Always secure approval from potential referees before including them in your resume. That way you can be confident they’ll give a good account of your employability.
An effective reference is someone who can vouch for not just what you did, but how well you did it. Choose people who have seen you triumph in the face of challenges firsthand, inspiring confidence with a hiring manager about your future performance.
Pay Attention to the Details
Your hospitality resume is your professional calling card, so make sure to scrutinize every bit of it with utmost precision. The following tips will help here:
- Double-check all contact details: Minor mistakes in your email address or phone number can cost you potential job opportunities.
- Consistency is key: Use the same font type and size throughout for a more professional look.
- Eliminate grammatical errors: Run your text through applications like Grammarly to catch any unnoticed typo or grammar mistake.
With this thorough approach to the tiniest aspects of your resume, you effectively demonstrate one of the most coveted skills in the hospitality industry, which is of course meticulousness. Using an online resume creator is a good way of guaranteeing that this type of minutiae doesn’t get overlooked at the last minute.
Include Professional Training and Certification Info
Your additional credentials provide an edge against the competition, which can be fierce in the hospitality field. To use this to your advantage:
- Highlight relevant training or courses: Whether it’s a wine-tasting class, crisis management workshop, or culinary course, let employers know!
- Feature industry-specific certifications: Top options include First Aid qualifications, Food Handling certificates, or alcohol service permits.
- Capture transferable skills from non-industry training: If you have unrelated education that endowed you with useful skills (think project management), don’t shy away from featuring it.
Every bit of learning is an opportunity for growth, so showing proactive knowledge gathering and skill honing in your resume lets you establish yourself as someone dedicated to your craft.
Optimize your Cover Letter Crafting
Your cover letter provides an opportunity to draw employers in. Here’s how:
- Personalize it: Tailor your cover letter for each job you apply for, addressing the hiring manager if possible.
- Summarize wisely: Briefly outline your experiences and skills that make you ideal for the specific role.
- Show enthusiasm: Convey your passion for the industry and eagerness to contribute to their organization.
It’s no secret that a well-written cover letter can set you apart from other candidates before recruiters have even looked at your resume. Be authentic, show excitement about joining their team, and give them glimpses of what makes you special.
The Bottom Line
Most importantly, remember to always make tweaks to your resume over the course of your career, even if you’re not actively looking for a new job. That way when the perfect position crops up, you’ll be primed to strike and snare and interview.
