INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hospitality positions are at a 17% growth rate, which is much faster than average. With that said, there are currently 4,429,300 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 740,000 to 5,169,300 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Hospitality jobs was $24,130 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $8.66 per hour, and the highest 10% more than $15.55 per hour.
Our conclusion? The Hospitality job market is wide open for candidates.
Top hospitality sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a hospitality resume experience section
Hospitality resume experience: checklist
- Use either chronological or reverse-chronological format when listing your previous jobs;
- Mention only relevant positions that add value to your resume;
- Briefly state the challenges you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome them;
- Highlight the results from your efforts (for bonus points, add numbers, percentage rates, etc.);
- Forget about buzzwords! Use power verbs instead.
Use the examples below to build your own experience section!
- Nurtured relationships with more than 15 vendors for Hospitality IT platforms;
- Brought more than 5 Business Cases for Capital Raising Meetings in UAE and KSA.
- Leading a local team of 3 to ensure success of HITEC Dubai 2017
- Collaborated with colleagues to create and pitch C-Level executives on a hospitality-specific business unit that grew to 30 hotel clients and resulted in $4MM of new business in 2 years
- Accountable for maintaining the hotel relationships, project managing new hotel implementations, overseeing tech support, executing training and education, and facilitating account expansions
- Executed sales & marketing strategy to acquire brand recognition in SFLA as a leading in-room technology and entertainment provider
- Responsable for the F&B and Hotel Major Accounts Management, such as Burger King, KFC, Hyatt, Four Seasons, Starwood, among others located in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay & Bolivia
- Develop the commercial relationship with the customer, creating business proposals for every new project on customer's roadmap, site sizing of the place and in combination with the Operations team, create the scope of deployment
- Daily communication and follow up on their deliverables and quotes with our customers
- Plan and execute commercial presentations to each corporate group new project
- Product workshop preparation and presentation including Business cases and reports
- Plan and participate in different Hospitality events, congress and fairs/exhibitions of our products and services
- Negotiated contracts in excess of $20 million while increasing annual sales 18% YOY.
- Steered, coordinated and directed the delivery of comprehensive training programs.
- Conducted on-site inspections and interfaced with cross-functional teams of architects, contractors, brand officials and leadership team to ensure sound engineering and construction.
- Supervised complex renovation with budget of $1.5 million.
- Implemented process improvements, which increased company-wide profit by $5 million.
- Established practices that decreased yearly loss and resulted in $437,000 profit.
- Providing catering/banqueting services at dedicated tradeshows and business conventions;
- Organising mise-en-place, providing logistical support and ensuring foodsafety standards;
- Front-of-house services (access control/registration, coat check, visitor information)
- Handled registrations and check-outs at the reception
- Supported the housekeeping team as well as the kitchen staff
- Was part of the service team responsible for daily breakfast
- Consulted for Colchester Conservative Party and Local MP Will Quince
- Developed a 'Colchester Host' Tourism course and delivered training
- Carried out Heritage and Tourism market research for Colchester
- Guest speaker for 'Revive & Thrive' national event
- Promoted twice within a year.
- Showed signs of great customer service and understanding of hospitality.
- Managed a team of 10+ valet.
- Consulted for Colchester Conservative Party and Local MP Will Quince
- Developed a 'Colchester Host' Tourism and Customer Service course
- Hosted a Town Heritage and Tourism 'Have you say' day
- Subject Matter Expert for Hotels, Bars and Restaurants
- Member of the Hotel Districts best performing team.
- Present on reception to ensure guests were allocated to correct rooms and to ensure all matters were dealt with in a timely manner.
- Maintain excellent brand standards for health and safety, service standards and stock taking procedures.
- Ensuring cash was counted and banked in the safe after every shift.
- Lead and manage operations of a faculty with 450 students and 15 faculty members including senior lecturers, lecturers and administrators.
- Provide academic leadership in planning, designing and implementing academic programs at tertiary level from Diploma, Bachelor and Masters degree program in Tourism Management, Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts. I also ensure curriculum development and review through chairing the CDC (Curriculum Development Committee) and the CRC (Curriculum Review Committee) for every new program as well as program under review.
- Successfully increased enrollment by about 150% in the past 3 years in the position.
- Successfully planned, designed and supervised the building of a 8000 square feet specialized hospitality and tourism teaching facilities which includes 5 training kitchens (western, asian, garde manger, butchery and pastry), mock housekeeping room, mock front office counter and training rooms at a cost of US$250,000 in December 2013.
- Helped build the university's branding and awareness by active participation in marketing activities including but not limited to roadshows, school talks, education fairs, open days, social media marketing, flyer distribution as well as press ad campaigns.
- Ensured the approval and accreditation of new and existing academic programs in line with regulations set forth by governmental regulatory bodies such as the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Malaysia as well as the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) as well as foreign regulatory bodies such as the QAA, UK.
- Developed and maintained strategic collaborative academic partnerships with foreign university partners such as the University of Sunderland, UK as well as scrutinize and explore possible future mutually beneficial collaborative partnerships with foreign and local universities and professional bodies.
- Manage academic quality, student progression, student services, assessments, academic discipline, graduation and alumni relations.
- Manage strategic partnerships with industry partners for training, internships, apprenticeship, industrial training and career opportunities for students
- Represent SEGi University in attending meetings, events, conferences and conventions to build up it's brand name and reputation.
- Consulted for Colchester Conservative Party and Local MP Will Quince
- Developed Colchester Host' Tourism course for local businesses
- Hosted a Town Heritage and Tourism 'Have you say' day
- Guest speaker for 'Revive & Thrive' national event
- Working here has allowed me to work closely with customers, which enhanced my knowledge on customer needs, satisfaction and behaviours.
- Development of customer service skills
- Cash handling (including EFTPOS)
- Hospitality basics
- Responsible for representation, expansion, and sales and marketing activities within hospitality sector throughout MENA region
- Dramatically increased product line sales, exceeding targets by AED1.2 million in 2009 and AED2.1 million in 2010
- Secured significant hotel sales contracts, generating business growth of 26% in 2009 and 42% in 2010
- Planned and managed the assembly and operation of in venue hospitality areas in the Olympic Golf Course for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (350 pax per session and 975m2 of temporary structure built) and in Maracanã Stadium for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies (380 pax in 20 suites per session).
- Worked with Rio 2016 functional areas in the venues in order to guarantee the delivery of the in venue hospitality project (e.g. Logistics, Security, Sustainability, Technology).
- Managed the Rio 2016 in venue hospitality team (5 people) and the contractor team's deliveries in partnership with their site managers.
- Ensured sponsors received the deliveries guaranteed by contract with the appropriate service, attending to them directly.
- Receptionist at 4-star hotel in Canberra (2 years) and hostels in Brisbane, Taiwan and South America
- Foreign "bell-boy" at 5-star hotel in Nanjing, China
- Tour guide for private Chinese groups in Sydney
- Waiter at restaurants and cafes in Canberra and Brisbane
PRO TIP
Show off real numbers that display your accomplishments in past roles. Instead of listing out your responsibilities as Hospitality, talk about the measurable impact you made to their business. Did you boost their revenue? Increase customer retention? Mention your proudest points on your resume.
Action verbs for your hospitality resume
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Hospitality resume: the skills section!
How to write a strong hospitality resume skills section?
- Make sure to include all types of skills - soft, hard, technical;
- Focus on skills that show your expertise in the field;
- Check the job description for keywords and make sure to add them to your resume – this will help you pass ATS;
- Leave room for discussion – elaborate on some of your strongest skills in other sections of your resume
Top skills for your hospitality resume
OneNote
Outlook
Visio
Archibus
DELPHI
MICROS
Patience
Multitasking
Listening
Attention to details
Communication
Memorization
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
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Hospitality resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your hospitality resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
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PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Hospitality resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
A career summary for your hospitality resume
Things to include in your hospitality resume summary:
- Your total years of experience in the industry;
- 2-3 of your most remarkable achievements so far;
- How your experience relates to the position you’re applying for;
- A very brief description of your strengths.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary section should act as a brief but informative introduction to your experience section. In this section you should go into more depth about what you have done, and how you did it.
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Hospitality resume: the education section
Things to include in your resume's education section:
- Your highest education degree – including course, year of graduation, institution;
- Awards received as part of your education;
- Extracurricular activities that have helped you gain relevant skills;
- Certifications that have helped you master new skills and increase your expertise;
- Entry-level applicants only: relevant courses and projects.
Top certifications for your hospitality resume
TripAdvisor Domination For Hospitality & Hotel Management
Hotel Management: Improve Your TripAdvisor Ranking And get more Customers in 2021
Hotel management: Hospitality and service.
Hotel introduction. All you need to know about hotel sphere to start or improve your career
Hotel Management Fundamentals - Hotel Management Operations
Learn hospitality management basics, dive into hotel operations, succeed in your hospitality career and become a manager
Hotel Management Fundamentals: Kickstart Your Career Success
Learn how to be a stand out talent in hospitality, think like a manager, plan your career, set yourself up for success!
Bar & Hospitality Management Training Course
Take the next step
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Choosing the right format for your hospitality resume
In general, there are three basic formats for your resume:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Some things to consider when choosing the right format for your Hospitality resume include the stage of your career, whether you have all the right skills required for the job or are looking for an industry change, and what field you’re looking to grow in.
The reverse-chronological resume format is the most common one. It lets you describe your most recent job and then move backward. This makes it great for people who have around or less than 10 years of experience and are looking to highlight only their work-related skills and qualities.
If you’re just starting your career journey and reverse-chronological resumes sound too demanding, go for the functional resume format. It’s ideal for showcasing your strengths, personal qualities, skills, education, and the courses you’ve taken, without putting too much pressure on experience and expertise.
Don’t worry if neither of these sounds suitable for you – the hybrid or combination resume format will surely match your needs. It’s similar to the reverse-chronological, but with a catchy twist. Combination or hybrid resumes are great for showcasing both your experience and work-related skills and your personal qualities. Add a “What my day looks like” section for enhancing the jaw-dropping experience!
Here are some more things worth remembering when it comes to formatting your Hospitality resume:
- Choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for traditional resume fonts sized 10-12p;
- Match the length of your Hospitality resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates – use them only when applying for executive positions;
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid formatting issues and potential unauthorized editing.
Tired of getting rejected? Check out this article on how to craft a resume that stands out!
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PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
Other sections suitable for your hospitality resume
Depending on the position and the industry, you can spice your resume up by adding some more sections. They will help the recruiter get a glimpse of who you are as a person, besides all your job-related skills and qualities.
Here are some examples:
How to add creativity to your hospitality resume
Gone are the days when creative resumes were frowned upon by recruiters!
What’s more, the right amount of creativity will make recruiters remember you and want to learn more about who you are – both as an individual and as a professional.
There are two ways to build a creative resume - add creative sections or go for a more creative design approach in general. Go for whatever suits you, the position, and the industry most!
What makes a great hospitality resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
