Breaking Into the Hospitality Industry Requires the Right Resume

The hospitality industry is wonderfully vast, providing interested job seekers a wide array of professional options.  Whether you’re looking to be an executive chef or a hotel accountant, there is something for you to do that you’ll love.

Because there are so many opportunities for employment in hospitality, some think that it’s easier to enter this industry than others.  In some respects, this may be true, depending on the field that’s being compared, but overall, you still have to work hard to get your foot in the door and should therefore know a few tricks to help get you started.

Get Ready to Sell Yourself

As an entry-level candidate, you’re competing against other candidates with varying levels of experience.  You may be a recent college grad with a couple of summers of internships under your belt—and some wonderful volunteer positions as well.

But if you’re competing against a person who’s had four internships and a paid position during one school year, your competition now looks a bit steep.  So how do you sell yourself?

Provide the best of your accomplishments and skills in your resume—while proving that you’re irrefutably dedicated to service.  Also, use plenty of action keywords to show that you weren’t simply handed tasks to complete on your jobs.  You actually initiated projects and accomplished your own goals, which surpassed the company’s expectations.

List awards you’ve won that prove you were appreciated for your work.  And include testimonials from former employers and professors who can vouch for just how outstanding you were.

Don’t Be Ashamed to Start at the Bottom

It’s common in the hospitality industry, like many other fields, to get your start way down on the totem pole.  If your goal is to be an executive accountant and you have your accounting degree, you still may end up starting in an entry-level position in accounts payable.

So if you find that you’re getting more employer interest at a lower level, go ahead and send more amazing resumes out at this level to get yourself a job.  Be sure to have a resume packed with good qualifications that show that, while you’re not overqualified, you bring skills to the table that others you’re competing against may not yet have.

Then when you’re hired, you’ll be able to impress management with your high-level skills, encouraging them to help you work your way up the corporate ladder.

For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow us on Twitter @GreatResume or visit our blog.