You want to articulate your managerial experience in hospitality and make sure that you make an impression.
The best CVs evolve with time, and though it can be tempting to use the same type of CV that we started out in the industry with, it’s essential to make sure that you show your suitability for a senior role relatively quickly.
Studies have shown that the average recruiter scans a resume for six seconds – something we wouldn’t personally recommend as best practice and is a bit extreme – so making a positive impression is vital.
How can you write the perfect hospitality CV for a senior/managerial role?
What you need to know
In studies relating to how recruiters and hiring managers view CVs, it was found that hiring managers spent 80% of their reviewal time on:
The name
Current job title, company name, job description
Previous job titles and company names
Start and end dates
Education
In this study, it took just 6 seconds for recruiters to make a decision.
Whilst this is unlikely to be the case for managerial hospitality roles, in which there are generally fewer applicants and more time spent reviewing the full scope of a CV, it is worth noting the areas that are focused on more prominently.
What do our consultants say?
“CV format is key for me. A badly formatted CV would put me off reading their CV further.” – Ryan Sedgewick, Talent Scout
Add specificity
It might sound obvious, yet a common pitfall for managerial CVs is expecting the general skills required of all hospitality roles to be enough to land a senior role.
You’ll often be told to focus on skills such as an ability to work under pressure, strong communication skills, flexibility, and strong collaborative ability – yet these are skills lacking in context and experience.
Though you want to be concise, you also want to convey your experience adequately as well.
As an example, a hotel manager would be expected to provide specific examples of how they have achieved targets, increased room occupancy rates, and boosted profits – these are all part of demonstrating key performance indicators (KPIs) that put your experience and performance into context.
When thinking of KPIs to incorporate into your CV, it’s important to follow a format that elaborates on the connection between business goals, the desired outcome, and your contribution and results:
What was the desired business outcome? (e.g., increase revenue by 10%)
How was this outcome met/exceeded, in what timeframe? (e.g., revenue was increased by __% in ___)
How was this outcome achieved? (this needs specificity for your role in achieving this outcome)
Using an area manager as an example, here is how this would read on a CV:
Spearheaded an internal marketing strategy that resulted in 12% growth of customer base over a 6-month period.
Adding figures, statistics, and timeframes shows that you not only have the experience but that you also regularly track your performance and contributions to a business.
What do our consultants say?
“Detail on most recent roles is important for me. This includes revenue figures, team sizes, and key achievements.” – Richard Batchelar, Talent Scout
Be concise… in the right places
A lot of the CV advice you’ll read will tell you in no uncertain terms to be as concise as possible… but remember, you’re trying to make an impression by giving an overview of your skills, experience, and even cultural fit.
If you try to be too concise, you’re likely missing key information that could make a significant difference.
Take your opening summary, for example – ideally, you’ll want to cover your level/duration of experience (e.g., last job title, years of experience), the areas of focus (e.g., corporate policy, process efficiency, etc), and characteristics for the purpose of culture alignment (e.g., committed to providing the highest level of customer service).
The last point – culture alignment – is particularly important as it provides the opportunity to show how well you match the company’s core values, which is something that most hiring managers will be on the lookout for.
If you see the company posting frequently on their social media about customer service, goals and performance, or even fast-paced work, these are all key terms that can be included in your opening summary to suggest an ideal culture fit.
Quality over quantity
As mentioned above, there are certain areas that require elaboration, and others that should be focused more on quality rather than quantity.
In your skills and previous experience sections, the quality of the information is more important – this is where it becomes important to include only relevant, specific information.
Between 3-5 skills should be more than enough to demonstrate your competency – preferably a mix of soft and hard skills – and also any relevant qualifications/certificates you’ve gained along the way.
For most senior roles, the CV format will differ from traditional CVs in terms of the order of information:
Summary
Skills
Experience
Education
Interests
Skills and experience are often displayed in the format order based on preference, as some candidates will want to display their skills first as they relate prominently to the job description, whereas other candidates may find their experience to be a more valuable and prominent element.
What do our consultants say?
“For me, correct dates on a CV are paramount, adding the month and years, not just years. I’m a stickler for detail.” – Chloe Hand, Talent Scout
Don’t discount the hobbies/personal interests section
Though there can often be a notion that CVs for managerial positions shouldn’t include hobbies or personal interest information, it can actually be used to your advantage for two reasons.
Firstly, certain hobbies and interests can align heavily with the skills included in the job role you’re applying for, or the values of the company looking to hire (e.g., if you participate in a group sport, it displays a good level of teamwork. If you volunteer at a charity, it speaks to your personal values.)
Secondly, it can create a sense of compatibility with the hiring manager, particularly if you’ve done your research, whether on LinkedIn or through the company website (keep in mind that many websites will include ‘meet the team’ information, which could prove useful!).
In conclusion
You want to make a good impression as quickly as possible with your CV, which means that adopting a quality over quantity approach and emphasising the most relevant information is essential.
Demonstrating that you have the experience and skills for the role comes down to how well you can provide evidence for your statements, and how relevant your experience and skills are to the job advert.
If you’re looking for a new career opportunity, take a look at our vacancies or get in touch with our specialist recruiters!