From an international high profile hospitality recruiter:
On what you should consider before submitting your application.
Going back to the early 1980ties job hunting and the application process were very clear structured. You would identify a job of interest in a hospitality magazine or newspaper and would sent out our resume with cover letter to the company posting the open position. Eventually, 2 or 3 weeks later you would either get a mail back or a call and either be invited for an interview or informed that you had not been selected. In those days, there were maybe 15 – 30 other candidates and the selection process was quick, often performed by one decision maker.
Well. this was “Once upon a time. ” and sounds too good to be true from today´s perspective. The challenges back then were typewriting without any mistakes, the right paper, a good quality typewriter and the appropriate folder to combine the resume or CV with copies of certificates and letters of recommendations to give the whole package a professional and polished look and feel. The format of the resume or CV was clearly structured and typing it on a typewriter without mistake was probably a bigger challenge than content management and AST compatibility today.
Yet, despite technology having made resume and CV creation so much easier, it seems, that many young hoteliers are struggling with the process. Despite formatted templates, Cover Letter samples and even companies writing resumes and CVs the whole process and work related to it, is shrouded with intensional complexity and thousands of specialists online making good money out of it
In 2022 writing and creating a resume or CV including a well done cover letter can be a breeze if you have the right information and understand the requirements. Fancy CV formats are not only not necessary but counter productive. You have countless job boards, brimming with worldwide job opportunities for all positions on a global scale. You just need to configure your search criteria and the job opportunities will come straight into your inbox. If you are subscribed to hotel specific recruitment firms like Renard International, Executive Search International or HES you – not only- have access to their quality postings but are also informed via their social media .
Here the numbers of opportunities are not as big as in the portals but the quality of postings and the specifications which come with the respective positions far outweigh the quantity of job boards. Last not least you should also consider, that job boards in particular are focused to grow traffic to their site. Keep one last thing in mind. With regards to your data security you are well advised to carefully study the privacy policies of job boards. On the other site – a recruiter from one of the well known and well established hospitality search companies, I mentioned earlier, can turn out to be a real asset for you in the search. Important is however that you do have created a relationship with the company over the years, if not I have written in an earlier blog, how to do this.
Here are now the 10 TOP TIPS from an international high profile hospitality recruiter and “king maker” : What you should consider before submitting your application.
- Understand the job requirements ! If the job requires a certain nationality, language skills or specific educational requirements, make sure you fit the profile. If you are not reading the requirements your CV or resume might be discarded. If you are thousands of miles away from the country where the job is posted and locally alternate candidates are available, why should you apply. Analyze this carefully and consult with the search consultant, if you have one. If you have questions regarding an opportunity and you have questions find the answers to these questions first, before you apply.
- Use your proper name and have a professional email address. It is good to have your name correctly reflected in your email address. Many companies do look for these small nuances as an indicator of professionalism in the candidate. Some have low tolerance level for unprofessional email address or avatar even if the CV indicates a good fit for the position. Recommended is to have an email account you will use especially for your professional life. A combination of first and last name or vice versa with an underscore or dot in between are best suited.
- Over are the days of : To whom it may concern” or “Sir” or “Human Resources Department”. This will not go well. The recruiter will come to the conclusion that you have not put in the effort to find out who will be receiving your application. Everyone prefers personal correspondence and your chances to receive a reply are substantially improved if you are able to submit the application with the name of the person who will receive it. Do your homework.
- Always ask the receiver to acknowledge receipt of your application. It is then also a good time to ask for more information on the role, confirm your sincere interest or if you are eventually considered.
- Before submitting your application too quickly try to find out some further information, helpful data and references. Seek to improve your market value and image and as such your potential of being shortlisted. Make sure you are knowledgeable about the company, their history and the leadership team. Of course you should ideally analyze who your potential colleagues could be if hired. If you are applying for a senior management position your knowledge of the company should be deeper and involve some financial knowledge, the companies vision and mission and the overall culture.
- Make sure that your photo is professionally done and you are dressed in the appropriate business attire. A chef in a chef´s uniform will be appropriate, a manager in a suit and preferably with a tie is recommended. If you are not yet in management, pretend that you are and wear a suit anyway. It will pay off in a short while. Do not use photos in a private setting or with sunglasses. Try to have a professional taking your photo; ideally several and pick the one, which you feel, reflects you in the best possible way and who you are.
- Do not sent any additional photos or scans unless requested. Photos will make your file heavy and potentially your application will not make it thru the spam filter.
- You should write the resume and cover letter in the first party format. Avoid third party as it makes you look impersonal and somebody with a hands-off personality. Also you should pay attention and have a simple, yet professional format. Fancy formatting can be counterproductive and often not easy to read. Certain formats are not ATS supportive. (circles, boxes, colors). Serious job seekers send traditional resumes which highlight their career and are easy and quick to read.
- If the company you are applying with offers several openings you are qualified for send your details not for each opening but rather just one time. Mention in your cover letter, that you are flexible and qualified for the respective positions and matches your background and experience. It is likely, that the same person is receiving all applications and if you sent several ones you will make the impression that you are desperate.
- A professional and well experienced recruiter will first of all compare your LinkedIn profile with your resume or CV. Make sure, it is well aligned and has the fundamental keywords which matter. ”The recruiter will also look for your Facebook, Instagram and potentially Twitter activities. Make sure to go through all your profiles and remove any objectionable posts or photos. Recruiters want to know something about the person they are hiring and they feel that Facebook and other social media sites are good sources. Go over your profiles and consider removing anything objectionable. That means deleting posts or comments that might not reflect well on you or that do not represent your current maturity level.”
These were 10 top tips from a Top global hospitality recruiter. While some of them seem common sense, they are often overlooked.
In the digital age, the tools of the “Job-hunt” have completely changed, but one thing has not: “Companies hire attitude and character – and train skill”. Next time, I will share with you my own personal job strategies, which I applied successfully in my early career and how it changed my life. Until then I know you will do the best you can and I wish You a great week ahead.
Helmut H Meckelburg