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Resume Creation Tips

No matter what type of resume you are putting together, use these tips and strategies

to insure your finished document has the most impact possible when a potential

employer reads it.

■ Always use standard letter-size paper in white, ivory, cream, or another neutral

color.

■ Include your name, address, and phone number on every page.

■ Make sure your name is larger than anything else on the page (example: your

name in 14-point font, the rest in 12-point).

■ Use a font that is easy to read, such as 12-point Times New Roman.

■ Do not use more than three fonts in your resume.

■ Edit, edit, edit. Read it forward and backward, and then have friends with good

proofreading skills read it. Don’t rely heavily on grammar and spell checkers,

which can miss errors.

■ Use bullet points for items in a list—they highlight your main points, making them

hard to miss.

■ Use keywords specific to the hospitality industry.

■ Avoid using excessive graphics such as boxes, distracting lines, and complex

designs.

■ Be consistent when using boldface, capitalization, underlining, and italics. If one

company name is underlined, make sure all are underlined. Check titles, dates,

et cetera.

■ Don’t list your nationality, race, religion, or gender. Keep your resume as neutral

as possible.Your resume is a summary of your skills and abilities.

■ Don’t put anything personal on your resume such as your birth date, marital

status, height, or hobbies.

■ One page is best, but do not crowd your resume. Shorten the margins if you

need more space; if it is necessary to create a two-page resume, make sure you

balance the information on each page. Don’t put just one section on the second

page. Be careful about where the page break occurs.

■ Keep your resume updated. Don’t write “9/97 to present” if you ended your job

two months ago. Do not cross out or handwrite changes on your resume.

■ Understand and remember everything written on your resume. Be able to back

up all statements with specific examples.

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Job Search Skills

You can organize the information on your resume in a number of ways,

depending on your work history, and how the hiring company wants the

resume submitted. The three most common formats are:

Chronological format

Skills format (also known as a functional resume)

Combination of chronological and skills formats

The most common resume format is chronological—you summarize your

work experience year-by-year, beginning with your current or most recent

employment experience and working backward. For each job, list the dates

you were employed, the name and location of the company for which you

worked, and the position(s) you held. Work experience is followed by edu￾cation, which is also organized chronologically.

The skills resume (also known as the functional resume) emphasizes what

you can do rather than what you have done. It is useful if you have large gaps

in your work history or have relevant skills that would not be properly high￾lighted in a chronological listing of jobs. The skills resume concentrates on

your skills and qualifications. Specific jobs you have held are listed, but they

are not the primary focus of this type of resume.

You may decide a combination of the chronological and skills resumes

would be best to highlight your education, experience, and talents. A com￾bination resume allows for a mixture of your skills with a chronological list

of jobs you have held. You get the best of both resumes. This is an excellent

choice for students who have limited work experience and who want to

highlight specific skills.

Cruise Line Tip

Special note to those applying for positions with cruise lines: Many large ship-owning

companies use different processes for finding employees. Some companies ask for

references to be submitted with a resume; others may demand a specific format for

your resume. Whatever the instructions, it is vital that you follow them exactly, or your

resume may never be considered.

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HOTEL/RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT career starter