Crafting the Perfect CV for a Hospitality Management Job

When applying for a hospitality management job, your CV is one of the most important documents in the application process. With hospitality CV template choices available, creating an effective CV that stands out can be challenging. Follow these tips to craft a compelling CV that will catch the eye of recruiters in the competitive hospitality industry.

Target Your CV

Research the company and role you are applying for to understand what skills and experience they are looking for in an ideal candidate. Tailor your CV to match their requirements as closely as possible. Mention specific skills or qualifications listed in the job description and provide relevant examples that demonstrate you are a strong fit for the role and company.

Highlight Relevant Experience

Carefully select and showcase your most relevant hospitality experience at the top of your work history section. Elaborate on your responsibilities, achievements, and the skills you developed in each position. Quantify your accomplishments with facts and data. For example, instead of writing “Responsible for restaurant operations”, write “Managed daily operations for a high-volume restaurant with $2M in annual revenue and 25 staff members.” This provides concrete evidence of your capabilities.

Use Action Verbs to Emphasise Your Skills and Experience

Here are some examples of strong action verbs to use in your CV for hospitality roles:

• Managed – “Managed a team of 15 servers across three restaurant shifts.”
• Trained – “Trained new hotel front desk staff on booking systems and customer service protocols.”  
• Created – “Created new menus and drink lists to highlight seasonal ingredients.”
• Planned – “Planned and executed 5-star dining experiences for resort guests.”
• Coordinated – “Coordinated conference and event catering for groups of 50-300 attendees.” 
• Oversaw – “Oversaw restaurant operations including inventory, staffing, and financials.”
• Developed – “Developed and implemented customer satisfaction improvement initiatives.” 
• Anticipated – “Anticipated customer needs and preferences to provide exceptional service.” 
• Ensured – “Ensured all guest rooms were properly cleaned, stocked, and prepared.”
• Communicated – “Communicated effectively with kitchen team to coordinate timely food delivery.”
• Achieved – “Achieved 5-star hotel rating through rigorous quality standards.”
• Maximised – “Maximised utilisation of hotel event spaces through strategic booking.”

Using strong, active verbs like these helps demonstrate you have the necessary skills and experience to excel in hospitality management roles.

Focus on Transferable Skills

In addition to concrete hospitality experience, employers want to see skills like customer service, communication, multi-tasking, and problem-solving. Use your experience descriptions to demonstrate these transferable skills. For example, highlight how you “resolved customer complaints regarding reservations” or “created staff schedules to effectively cover shifts during peak periods.” These details show you have the soft skills to excel in a management role.

Education and Training

List your highest relevant qualifications first, including degrees, certifications, training programs, and other coursework or education related to hospitality management. Mention scholarships, awards, or honours that demonstrate academic achievement. If you don’t have formal hospitality management education, describe transferable skills gained through your degree like leadership, project management, budgeting, etc.

Formatting and Design

Use an easy-to-read font like Arial. Organise information clearly under logical headings like Work Experience, Skills, Education, etc. White space between sections makes your CV visually appealing and scannable for recruiters. Target two pages in length or follow any specific guidance provided. Name the file clearly including your name and “hospitality CV” to make it searchable.

Check for Errors

Carefully proofread your CV for any spelling, grammar, formatting, or consistency errors. These mistakes can damage your professional credibility. Ask a friend or career advisor to review your CV with a fresh perspective to catch anything you might have missed.

Customise Your CV

Research the specific company’s values, brand, and culture when applying to tailor your CV. For example, if the company focuses on sustainability, highlight any “green” initiatives you implemented or led in previous roles. This shows your interest in and alignment with that company specifically.

Follow Up After Submitting

Once you’ve applied and submitted your stellar hospitality management CV, follow up to confirm your application was received if you don’t hear back within two weeks. Briefly reiterate your interest in the role and fit with the company. Following up could give your application a second look.

Your CV is the first impression you’ll make on recruiters, so putting time into crafting a polished, professional CV tailored for each application is a valuable investment in your hospitality management job search. Use these tips to create an appealing CV that gets you noticed. With a little extra effort, you can develop a winning CV that effectively sells your skills, experience, and fit for exciting new career opportunities in the hospitality industry.