Oftentimes, your resume is the first opportunity potential employers have to form an opinion of your background and abilities. While the visual design of this document is important if you want to put your best foot forward, the skills you choose to showcase within it are even more so. Consider the following nine as essential. Some are unexpected, while others are decidedly common sense. However, all will help you set your hospitality resume apart and impress any potential employer.
1. Agility We’re not talking about the ability to dodge and weave around physical obstacles, but rather a talent for adjusting to rapidly changing environments, responsibilities, and priorities. Hospitality workers who can demonstrate agility are in demand as hotels, restaurants and other employers look to build teams that can continue to thrive as the industry changes.
2. Curiosity People who are curious about the world around them ask lots of questions. Finding the answers to these questions helps them broaden their knowledge, discover innovative ways to solve problems, and explore new opportunities for growth. Hospitality workers who can demonstrate constructive curiosity are in demand as employers seek new team members who can help take their organizations to the next level in both small- and large-scale ways.
3. Self-reliance Right or wrong, the millennial generation has developed a reputation for demanding constant assessment, reassurance, and recognition on the job. Hospitality workers of any age who can demonstrate self-reliance – or an ability to self-direct and remain productive even in the absence of continual supervision – are in demand as hotels, restaurants and other employers look for new hires who can help them improve organizational efficiency and service quality.
4. Commitment Turnover is notoriously high in the hospitality industry, with many hotel and restaurant workers hopping from one job to the next or only remaining in the industry until they’re ready to move on to a different career. Professionals who can demonstrate that they are committed to hospitality work through their job history and continuing development efforts are in demand as employers try to reduce the effects of turnover on their organizations’ bottom lines.
5. Dependability A successful hotel or restaurant runs like a well-oiled machine, with each employee a vital cog within it. Hospitality workers who can demonstrate dependability – or a history of regularly arriving on time, missing very few shifts, making very few mistakes, and complying with their employer’s overtime requests – will always be in demand.
6. Creativity Much like those who are curious, creative people are more likely to look at their world in new ways and find alternative approaches to typical tasks. In doing so, they make themselves invaluable to hospitality employers who want to differentiate their organization, improve its efficiency, and remain resilient as their marketplace changes and develops.
7. Negotiating Whether dealing with an irate hotel guest or a restaurant supply vendor, negotiating can be a valuable tool for coming out ahead. Hospitality workers who can demonstrate an ability to negotiate effectively while also solving problems and managing projects are in demand as employers seek out new hires who can help them improve service quality and better position the organization for success.
8. Technical know-how From proprietary apps and reservation software to social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Foursquare, proving you’ve mastered today’s hospitality and social-driven technology will make you more valuable to employers whether you’re working the front desk or behind the scenes.
9. Emotional intelligence Generally defined as the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions as well as recognize and react to emotions in others, highly developed emotional intelligence can be very valuable if you wish to succeed in the hospitality industry. Demonstrate you possess this skill on your resume by showcasing accomplishments related to teamwork, conflict resolution, process improvements, and guest satisfaction, and you’re certain to impress potential employers.
For best results when adding these skills to your resume, work them into your past accomplishment descriptions as well as peppering them throughout your text as keywords.