Many a time, candidates create a generic resume that fails to catch the attention of their potential employers. No matter what industry of work you’re applying for, it is crucial to tailor your resume to fit the prospective job.
The process of creating a resume can definitely be a daunting one. There are so many aspects to consider throughout the creation process, including spelling, grammar, and of course, making sure to incorporate the right jobs, duties fulfilled, and anything else that ensures the hiring manager understands your worth.
With so much to consider, it’s no wonder people have a difficult time sorting out all of the details. To help you sort out your own resume-writing venture, let’s take a look at a few “dos” of resume writing that can make the process flow smoother.
There are three types of resume formats candidates may choose from. The most widely accepted resume for hospitality professionals is the chronological resume. This resume lists information in reverse chronological order (most recent listed first), and can include a variety of sections. Functional resumes are useful for candidates possessing little work experience, and arrange information to emphasize skills obtained rather than work history. The final option is a combination resume which focuses on skills obtained by the candidate, but information is listed in reverse chronological order. While chronological resumes are often the best option, any format, if properly composed, has the ability to yield positive results.
Resumes should be unique to each individual candidate’s hospitality skills and experiences (Hospitality Career Skills and Qualifications), so there are many sections and topics that professionals may choose to include within their resume. It is not necessary to include all topics, but candidates should highlight the areas that directly relate to skills necessary for employment within the hospitality industry. It is necessary for resumes to include identification information including name, address, telephone number, and email address, employment history within the past 10 years, and educational background, including all formal training and certification programs. Additional topics may include, but are not limited to the following:
Awards, Achievements, Honors
Military Training/Experience
Special Skills
Community Service
Foreign Language Fluency
Memberships/Affiliations
Make Your Resume Action-Based
One mistake that job seekers make when creating their resume is writing out the responsibilities they were given when employed at a company, rather than noting the goals they accomplished. For example, if you created a system for sorting and organizing paper and electronic files as a secretary, instead of stating that your “responsibilities included sorting and organizing paper and electronic files,” you can make the process action-based. (Hospitality Industry Career Description)
In other words, try stating that you “designed and developed a filing system that maintained both paper and electronic files for the entire office.” The more specific you are about what you accomplished, the easier the prospective employer can create a vivid image of your capabilities.
Use the Right Keywords
When creating your resume, “do” try to incorporate keywords that define the industry you’re working in. What are keywords exactly? They are words or phrases that are deemed popular in the industry you’re working in. For instance, in the pharmaceuticals industry, you may use the word “pharma” because it is easily identifiable by an industry professional. Or in marketing, you might want to utilize the phrase “trade show” because this is something marketers very often participate in.
By incorporating keywords into your resume, you can make sure that any scanning software can catch the words to help sort your resume accordingly. This increases your chances of having your resume noticed – especially if you apply online – and gives employers an idea of just how much you know about your industry.
Know the Purpose of Your Resume
Another “do” that’s important to keep in mind when writing your resume is knowing its purpose, which is to land an interview. Very often, job seekers become accustomed to creating carbon-copy resumes that look good, read well, but present the same information over and over again with no real purpose in mind. So instead of jotting down carbon-copy information that sounded good for the last resume, why not think of what you can put in this resume that will impress this prospective employer – and hopefully help you get your foot in the door for an interview?
Use Bullet Points
If you want to make sure that the hiring manager can easily flow through your resume, it’s a good idea to use bullet points. While it may be tempting to write paragraphs as your great ideas flow through your fingers, it’s usually better to separate the ideas on paper to help the manager clearly identify the main points of your resume.
Knowing what to add to your resume can help improve its quality ten-fold. So keep these “dos” in mind as you write what may be the masterpiece of all resumes.
Don’t be lazy when submitting your resume to several different job advertisers. It is tempting to simply submit the exact same resume to multiple recipients, but modifying your resume for every different job application works much better in highlighting the relevant skills to the prospective employers.
Source: Hospitalityjobsite, Ihirehospitality
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Hospitality Career Skills and Qualifications
Hospitality Career Working Conditions
Hospitality Industry Career Description
Make a Hospitality Career in Hospitality Industry
