What to Include in Your Hospitality CV

When it comes to writing a fantastic CV, there are certain rules that everyone should follow no matter that type of job they’re looking for.

Every good CV should be succinct and to the point, there should be no spelling, punctuation or grammar errors, and you should ensure you include all the necessary contact information – you’d be surprised how many folk miss out a telephone number or email address.

For some industries, however, it’s worth tailoring your CV to that specific sector. Here, we look at how to write the ideal resume for a job in the hospitality industry.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

This should include your name, address, telephone number and email address. You don’t have to include your date of birth or nationality.

PERSONAL STATEMENT

Hospitality is all about people, an industry where customer service comes first, and where staff with a good personality are important. This personal statement is your chance to shine and stand out from the other applicants by detailing the skills you have that are relevant to the job. So, if you’re looking for bar work but your only past experience is working as a barista, focus on your experience of the service industry, dealing with the public, your excellent people skills and ability to work in a busy environment. If you’ve picked up any relevant experience or awards during college or through volunteering mention those here, too. Highlight what’s important to the hospitality industry – willingness to serve others, being a team player, a polite and friendly personality and being able to work under pressure. But remember it’s not your life story you’re providing here – stick to two or three lines.

EXPERIENCE

List any previous jobs in date order, starting with the most recent. As well as dates and job titles, you should include a brief description of your duties for each position held. Even if previous roles were not within the hospitality sector, were there aspects relevant to the job you’re applying for? For example, if you previously worked in an office, emphasise times when you worked well as part of a team or managed to get results while working under pressure. If you don’t have any past work experience, it may be worth considering voluntary work. And don’t leave any gaps on your CV – if you took a year off to go travelling, make this clear on your CV.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Like any other CV, this is where you list your academic qualifications: Standard Grades, Highers, diplomas and degrees. It’s also a good chance to highlight any training you’ve had that could be beneficial to a career in hospitality, such as food safety certificates or first aid training.

REFERENCES

Contact details for two referees should suffice and always remember to get their permission BEFORE including them as someone willing to provide a reference.

Now that you’ve got your CV sorted, why not check out the latest hospitality jobs on Fish4jobs?