How to write a CV for the Hospitality sector?
The hospitality industry is a very customer focused industry. A hospitality employee is expected to provide top notch customer service to its customers. Hence, the CV writing style needs to reflect and focus mainly on one particular skill i.e. customer service. Hospitality employers like to hire candidates who have demonstrated excellent customer service skills in their previous roles and are a 100 percent committed to their customers.
If you are applying to the hospitality industry, your CV needs to showcase the above. The introduction, skills and job roles should all focus on your ability to provide outstanding customer service. As an employee within a hospitality business, you will be expected to work flexible hours, politely meet and greet customers, maintain a professional outlook at all times and be presentable. This applies for most hospitality jobs from the front staff to a management job such as a Hotel Manager.
The first step towards writing a compelling hospitality CV is to identify the skills required by the employers. For example, if it is a back house job such as in the Kitchen or cleaning department, the required skills will usually revolve around cooking skills, cleanliness and organization. Make sure these are prioritized in your CV and highlighted in a way that draws the employer’s attention right away. Remember that such skills need to be backed by the relevant qualification because unlike customer service skills these cannot be learned through on the job training and experience.
On the other hand, for a front staff or concierge job, the skills should revolve around customer service. Relevant qualification should be mentioned here as well. References play an important role in such resumes as these skills are not quantifiable and the best way for the employer to verify your past reputation and performance is by speaking with your colleagues.
Writing a hospitality CV is very different from writing a CV for a normal office job. It has to be more engaging and the writing style needs to appeal to the very specific nature of this industry. Therefore, following a generic CV format will not get you the interview call you have been waiting for. It is a good idea to hire a professional CV writer, ideally one that is experienced in writing CVs for this particular industry. There are many companies that offer professional CV writing services in UAE but hiring one that has a hospitality background will bring you much closer to your goal.
