A Hospitality Resume Example That Extends a Warm Welcome

Hospitality encompasses a broad range of career opportunities. Workers in this field are employed in food-service, catering companies, at hotels or resorts, amusement parks, even on cruise lines or casinos. Jobs range from entry-level to upper management – well-paid positions with attractive perks. 

So what does it take to thrive professionally in the hospitality industry? Well, the best hospitality workers are personable, outgoing, efficient, and always focused on the guest experience. No matter what career you are pursuing, your job as a hotel, restaurant, or amusement worker depends on a great resume. For help with that, check out the next essential tips as well as a sample hospitality resume.

Stick With a Simple Resume Design

The average hospitality worker has numerous daily responsibilities. In addition to this, hospitality workers tend to change jobs frequently. You could have several seasonal work gigs or temp contracts. As a result, your resume may look a bit ‘busy’.

That’s fine! Just don’t add to that with an overly complicated resume design. Instead, select a simple, minimalistic resume template. Choose a vertical split design if possible. This will allow you to maximize the page space, and get your resume onto a single page.

Mention Specialized Experience

What are the most in-demand skills for the position you are trying to secure? Then, think about the industry-specific experience that you have gained. For example, compare two different hotel management positions. Someone who manages a boutique hotel in a Colorado ski town will have a different set of skills when compared to someone who manages a chain hotel in the Midwest. So be sure to tell about your “specialty”.

For example, you may want to highlight the following specialized skills:

• Operating rides or games
• Providing tours and demonstrations
• Detecting potential fraud among casino users

Show a Guest Focused Personality

Disney is often held up as the gold standard when it comes to hospitality. One thing they do is refer to every staff member as a cast member. The idea is to get every worker to understand that their job is to keep the guest happy.

Other businesses may not go that far. However, the sentiment is still there. If you are applying for a hospitality job your resume must show that you value guests and that you will go the extra mile to help them enjoy their experience.

Start With Your Most Relevant Degree

Traditionally, you would lead with your most recent degree. However, in a field like this where skills may be more beneficial than academic mastery, consider placing your most relevant degree first.

For example, if you apply for a job at a catering company, the associate’s degree you earned in culinary arts two years ago may be more valuable to the hiring manager than the degree in Finance that you’re pursuing right now.

Use Numbers

Hospitality managers rely on numbers to make sure their businesses are running smoothly. They consider guest satisfaction surveys, daily sales, ticket sales, and other metrics. Use numbers whenever you can to quantify your successes.

Hospitality Resume Sample (Word version)

Here is an example resume for a hotel concierge in a large city.

Download resume example (.docx)

Hospitality Resume Example (text version)

Final Tip: Use Action Words

Something as simple as a verb can make a big difference in your resume. Use powerful verbs that help hiring managers see you in action. Try using words like, managed, led, coordinate, solved, operated, and communicated. A good rule of thumb is to replace any adverbs with a more powerful verb.