The hotel industry is a very competitive field. If you want to work in the management side of things, then you’re going to have to fight tooth and nail for every opportunity.
In this article, we’ll go over how you can make yourself stand out when applying for jobs at hotels so that your resume doesn’t get pushed aside by other applicants’ resumes.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| A career as a hotel manager requires strong leadership and communication skills. |
| Obtaining a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management or a related field is beneficial. |
| Gaining hands-on experience in the hotel industry through entry-level positions is valuable. |
| Consider pursuing certifications such as Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) or Certified Hospitality Supervisor (CHS). |
| Networking is essential for building connections and finding job opportunities in the hospitality industry. |
Know The Industry And The Company
Knowing the company you want to work for is the first step in landing your dream job. You need to know the industry, and you also need to know the company. This includes:
- The history of the organization.
- What are its vision and mission?
- What are its values?
- Where does it want to be in five years? Ten years? Twenty years?
How does this position fit into that strategy or action plan (depending on whether your dream job is with a large corporation or small business)?
Are there any upcoming changes that might affect how you do your job or affect what kind of things you can expect from management over time? Are there any new products/services being introduced soon that will require more staffing, more space, etc.?
Do they have plans for expansion within five years (or sooner)? How would these things affect me personally as someone working here now and then again when I’m working at another hotel down the road in five years?
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Impress At Your Interview
Impress the hiring manager at your interview by being punctual, dressing appropriately, and being yourself.
Be prepared for the interview. Research the company and practice answering questions to avoid sounding unprepared or unqualified.
Be confident; don’t tell lies about your accomplishments or experience. Instead, be honest about what you’ve done to appear as if you’re trustworthy and reliable.[2]
Try to make eye contact with each person in the room so that they see that you are engaged in conversation with them not just sitting there waiting for them to talk while ignoring everyone else around you.[3]
Be polite when speaking with others (e.g., “please”) but also assertive enough that they know who’s in charge (e.g., “no thanks!”). This balance will help establish a rapport between all parties involved while still maintaining authority over yourself and others around you.[4]
Open-mindedness is key when working together on projects; always keep an open mind when listening patiently rather than shutting down ideas immediately.
Because they sound too complicated or unrealistic at first glance – often these very ideas turn out well later down the road thanks largely due to collaboration opportunities during the initial stages
Get Experience
Find a job in the industry. This can be as simple as working at a restaurant or as complex as becoming an expert in your field by taking classes and reading up on industry blogs. In either case, you’ll learn valuable skills that will come in handy once you land your dream job.
Get experience with the company. You might have heard of the expression “if you want to get hired somewhere, don’t apply for jobs there… instead work there!”
This is because getting hired by a company shows them that you know what they do, how they do it,, and why they do it that way;
This shows them that you care about their business and therefore may be more dedicated than other candidates who simply want to work there.
Because they think it’s cool or prestigious without actually thinking deeply about why they would want this role or what the company stands for (which could be very different from what YOU stand for).
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Offer A Good Reference
The next step to landing your dream job is providing an impressive reference.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s essential to remember that references are not just for getting the job they can also be used to help you get promoted or land new opportunities outside of your current organization.
To set yourself up for success with a strong reference, follow these tips:
Be sure to provide at least two professional references who can speak about your work experience and skillset in detail.
Reference providers should be able to discuss how well you work within teams, as well as how well they know your personality and aptitude for leadership roles (if applicable).
Make sure all references are up-to-date; outdated information could make them less appealing than they would have been when first given out.
Make Your CV Stand Out
A CV should always be tailored to the job you are applying for. It is important not to include any irrelevant information, and also to ensure that your most recent achievements are highlighted towards the top of the document.
You can use our CV builder tool or one of the many other options available online to create a professional-looking CV;
However, if you don’t have time or know-how, it may be worth considering using a professional service such as CV Writers Limited which offers ghostwriting services for CVs, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles at reasonable prices.
Highlight Your Key Strengths
The next step is to highlight your key strengths. You should be able to show off at least one or two of these in your resume, cover letter, and interview. You can also demonstrate them in person at the job interview.
You should also have a clear understanding of any weaknesses that you may have, and work on improving them as much as possible before applying for jobs.
If there are any skills or knowledge gaps between where you are now and where the position requires someone skilled at doing something.
It’s worth taking some time off before applying so that by the time of the interview process, these gaps are filled up by yourself with appropriate training or self-study
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Showcase Your Skills And Experience
When you’re looking for a job, the most important thing you can do is showcase your skills and experience. To land your dream job as Hotel Manager, you must build a resume that highlights all of the important aspects of your career and education.
The first thing to include on any job application is a list of all your skills and experience as well as qualifications and work experience.
This can be done by listing each item separately under their heading or grouping them together in bullet points (or both). This will give the hiring manager an idea of how much talent they’re dealing with from the get-go!
Write A Cover Letter That Makes An Impact
As you write the cover letter, it’s important to keep the following in mind:
Make sure it’s well-written. A cover letter should be proofread and edited thoroughly before you submit it.
It’s always better to have someone else read your work before you submit it than to risk sending a messy piece of writing (or one riddled with spelling or grammatical errors) that could have easily been corrected.
Make sure it’s relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Your cover letter should clearly explain why you’re interested in the position and what unique skills, experiences, and qualifications make you a good fit for this particular role at this particular company–not just any role at any company!
Keep it short. If possible, limit yourself to one page; if not possible, try for two pages max (and even then I’d try hard not to stretch).
This is because recruiters are busy people who don’t want to spend an hour reading through every single word of every single application they receive and neither should we expect them to!
The best way we can set ourselves apart from everyone else applying is by showing our potential employer how much thought we put into making each part relevant.
But still engaging enough that someone would want to read through all of them again after receiving our application packet in person rather than just quickly skimming over everything without really stopping anywhere long enough to carefully evaluate what we’ve done right/wrong thus far…
Demonstrate Your Leadership Skills
The ability to lead others is an essential trait for any hotel manager, and it’s also an important quality for other roles in the hospitality industry.
You can demonstrate your leadership abilities by explaining how you have successfully led teams at work or in school, or even leading a group project during a class or extracurricular activity.
If you don’t have professional experience managing staff, consider sharing examples of times when you were tasked with leading others outside of work such as organizing a fundraiser or event on campus, coordinating volunteers for charity projects, etc., and how well those efforts went over.
Showcase Your People Skills
Be a good listener. As the manager of your workplace, you’ll need to be an excellent listener. You’ll need to hear what your employees are saying and respond accordingly.
It will also help you identify potential problems before they occur and assist in resolving them before they become bigger issues for your team.
Be a good communicator. This is especially true when dealing with clients and customers outside of the hotel, who might have questions or concerns about their upcoming stay on your property.
Your ability to communicate clearly will set everything right in their mind, which will make them more likely to book again with us next time they’re looking around town!
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Demonstrate How You’re Adaptable
As a hotel manager, you’ll need to be able to work in a variety of environments and under various pressures. You may be managing an entire hotel on your own for the first time, working with a team of staff members who report directly to you.
Or working in a managerial position that requires you to be an expert at delegating tasks and communicating effectively with colleagues from all over the world.
To demonstrate this skill set on your resume and during interviews, think about how many different types of jobs or internships have helped prepare you for this career path.
If there are any gaps (for example: if it looks like it’s been 10 years since your last job), explain why: perhaps something happened out of necessity or personal choice that prevented further employment during those years (such as having children).
Showcase Your Communication Skills
Listening skills: If you’re hiring a manager to run an entire hotel, the applicant needs to be able to listen and respond with the appropriate action.
Speaking skills: The ideal candidate will have great speaking skills — this means being able to present information clearly and concisely, as well as speak comfortably in front of others.
Written communication skills: It’s vital that the candidate can write well so they can communicate effectively with employees, guests, and other associates.
Asking questions in writing is also important when it comes time for interviews or asking questions during your interview.
Presentation skills: Just like written communication skills, presenting information is necessary if you want someone who will do well at their job as a manager at your establishment.
Provide Evidence Of Being Reliable
The next step in your hotel manager job search is to provide evidence of being reliable. Most employers will check your references and track record before offering you a job. If they don’t, that’s their loss you’re more than qualified for the position!
The best way to show employers your reliability is by providing examples from previous jobs or internships where you demonstrated excellent time management skills, attention to detail, and dependability.
You may also want to include information on any awards or recognition you’ve received for outstanding performance in these areas.
Be Flexible With Timings And Availability
To land your dream job, you need to be flexible. When you’re applying for jobs, be flexible with your time, location, availability, and workload.
When does the hiring manager ask you when would be a good time for them to reach out? What if they only want someone available during certain hours? What if they ask if you can travel or move around the country?
These are all things that will help them decide whether or not they want to hire YOU! If something doesn’t work with YOUR schedule or YOUR life plans then it won’t work out, in the end, either way so don’t get upset when these questions come up!
Be open-minded about everything because at the end of the day everyone wants what’s best for themselves and their family/friends etc…
Show You Can Juggle Multiple Tasks At Once
As a hotel manager, you’re expected to be able to handle many different tasks at once, such as dealing with employees and customers. One way to demonstrate your ability is by showing that you can juggle multiple tasks and still get the job done well.
For example: If an employee calls in sick, it’s up to the manager to find another person who can take over their duties so there won’t be any disruptions in service or other problems caused by the absence.
A good manager will be able to keep track of what needs doing while also keeping tabs on other things going on around her or him.
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Talk About Budgets, If Relevant, And Cost-Effective Solutions You’ve Implemented
It’s important to talk about budgets, cost-effective solutions, and revenue management when applying for a job as a hotel manager. If you have experience in these areas, mention how you saved your previous employers’ money.
For example, if you worked at a restaurant and managed the budget, talk about how much money you were able to save for them by reducing waste and implementing better processes.
If you worked at an office and implemented cost-effective solutions like printing double-sided or more efficient printers, it would be worth mentioning these initiatives in your cover letter.
It’s also important to show that although it may seem difficult to increase revenue from accommodation rooms at hotels (e.g., by having restaurant sales), they do happen – even though there are many factors affecting this such as location/size of the building, etc…
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a job in the hotel industry, make sure you do your research, prepare well for the interview, and highlight all your key strengths. If you can do that, then you’ll be on your way to landing yourself an amazing job!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to further explore the topic of landing your dream job as a hotel manager:
Get Your Hospitality Dream Job in 5 Easy Steps: Discover five simple steps to help you secure your dream job in the hospitality industry.
4 Steps to Getting a Job as a Hotel Manager: Learn about the four essential steps to take when pursuing a career as a hotel manager.
How to Work at a Hotel: Explore a comprehensive guide that provides insights and tips on how to start and advance your career in the hotel industry.
FAQs
What qualifications do I need to become a hotel manager?
To become a hotel manager, a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, hotel management, or a related field is typically required. Some employers may also consider candidates with significant work experience in the hospitality industry in lieu of a degree.
What skills are important for a successful hotel manager?
Successful hotel managers possess strong leadership and communication skills. They should also have excellent organizational abilities, customer service orientation, financial acumen, and a solid understanding of hotel operations.
How can I gain experience in the hotel industry?
To gain experience in the hotel industry, consider starting in entry-level positions such as front desk clerk, housekeeping, or food service roles. This allows you to learn various aspects of hotel operations and gain valuable hands-on experience.
Are there any certifications that can enhance my chances of becoming a hotel manager?
Certifications such as Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) or Certified Hospitality Supervisor (CHS) can enhance your credentials and demonstrate your expertise in hotel management. These certifications are offered by professional organizations in the hospitality industry.
How can networking help me in landing a hotel manager job?
Networking plays a crucial role in the hospitality industry. Attend industry events, join professional associations, and connect with professionals in the field to expand your network. Networking can lead to job opportunities, mentorship, and valuable industry insights.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.