Grand Hyatt New York (1995-Present)

• General Manager (1998-Present)

• Rooms Executive (1995-1998)

Park Hyatt Washington (1992-1995)

• Assistant Executive Manager

We have illustrated two important points: (1) Make sure to only list the parent company once, and (2) List job titles to the left and dates to the right. Remember, people are reading your resume like they read a story. Since, in general, people read from left to right, it is important that your resume flow much the same way. Additionally, peoples’ eyes are drawn to what stands alone. Many people mistakenly organize their resume with dates off the left, all alone, surrounded by a blank write page, and job titles and descriptions centered in the middle or off to the right. Not only are they emphasizing the dates of their employment (rather than title or accomplishments), but they are also limiting the writing space for each position. See the example below:

1995-Present Grand Hyatt New York

• General Manager (1998-Present)

• Rooms Executive (1995-1998)

1992-1995 Park Hyatt Washington

• Assistant Executive Manager

Notice how your eyes are drawn to the left side of the page. Can you see how the dates are the only thing emphasized in this example? Did you also notice how limited your description space will be? Also, please note that we only used the years of employment, rather than the month and year. Unless there are no unexplained breaks in your job history, you might be better served organizing it this way.

Now, we have mentioned "description space" several times already. What should be included? Understand that while you want to make the resume user-friendly, we don’t believe that it’s necessary to make it totally idiot-proof. In general, most people know the basics of what a Front Office Manager does or a General Manager. However, what should be included is anything that makes you stand out from other applicants. This is your space to brag. Don’t be arrogant… but feel free to highlight your accomplishments. For example, "Increased GOP by x%," or "Decreased Labor Costs by x%." Get as specific with your achievements as you can. Don’t be afraid to take credit where credit is due. Since some of your job descriptions might be quite lengthy, force people to read what you want them to read. It is completely acceptable to highlight certain words by underlining, italicizing, or using a bold font. We’ll bet that your eyes were drawn to those words! In terms of organizing the information, some people like to use bullet points, but we find that that wastes a lot of space. Paragraph formation, with an asterisk (*), is a much better use of space. This way, you are not obligated to write whole sentences, which are far too long and boring, but are able to continue your description on the same line. See the difference below:

We also suggest that you put reporting relationships in this section. Since every company has different titles for the same position, it might help to standardize things if you list to whom you reported. We recommend only listing about 10-15 years of job history. If you are senior manager or corporate executive now, no one cares that you worked as a bellhop in the local hotel when you were 16 years old. Besides, although it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of age, we don’t think that you should draw attention to how many years you have been working.

The next section of your resume is vital for survival. In fact, if you don’t have it… don’t bother submitting your credentials at all. We’ll bet that you’re all wondering what it is, huh? Computer skills! List all the programs and systems that you know. The more knowledgeable you are on systems, the more apt you are to be able to learn your future employers’ programs quickly.

Next, you should discuss your educational background. In today’s world, it is so easy to do extensive background checks on people. Do not lie about completing your college degree if you have not done so. On the other hand, if you have a formal degree, say so. There is a huge difference between, "XXX College- Hotel & Restaurant Management" and "XXX College – Bachelor of Science, Hotel & Restaurant Management." To the trained eye, the former means that no degree was achieved, while the latter illustrates the opposite. If you are comfortable, feel free to mark the year of graduation, as it will most likely be verified anyway.

If you have additional skills and abilities, such as knowledge of a foreign language, or exciting, yet unrelated work experience, you can list them separately. Furthermore, if you belong to any industry-related organizations, it might improve your odds of getting an interview if you mention it. Some people include a section for personal interests and/or hobbies. Remember that this type of information can hurt just as much as help you. Since we spend so much of our time at work, interviewers often factor in their own personal tastes when making a hiring decision. For example, if you are a proud member of The National Rifle Association, and enjoy hunting deer on the weekends, and are interviewing with someone who has an ethical problem with that, you are probably not going to get that job. Be careful about getting too personal on a resume, or an interview for that matter.

With the explosion of internet-based career sites, resumes standards are changing rapidly. Some sites ask you to post your resume in electronic format, such as Microsoft Word, but each site is different. Many sites, such as this one, use resume builders to standardize career information, while others offering a lot of blank space for the "creative" writer. Remember, most of these sites will not even allow you to post your resume without an email address (thus the purpose of our earlier comment about getting your own personal email account). Once you’ve reached the area to post your resume, you must think about how a future employer will view the site. Typically, they are searching for candidates by using a "key word" search. This means that they are asking the computer program to select candidates who specifically mention a skill that they are looking for. For example, Company X will not look for "computer skills," since those key words will create far too broad of a search. If, however, Company X uses Unix-based computer software, they will most likely search for candidates who have specifically mentioned knowledge of "UNIX." Take special care when deciding what marketable skills you would like to attach to your record. Remember, unless you identify these "hot" skills specifically, no one will ever find you.

As for accomplishments, you probably will not be able to use as much detail when describing your career successes. Again, try to imagine how someone will be conducting the search to find candidates, and label your achievements appropriately. Some web sites will allow an employer to search for candidates using key phrases, such as "cut costs by over 20%." If you only mentioned that you have successfully "significantly cut costs" at your last two jobs, your name will not come up on their recruiting lists.

Some sites are not industry-specific, so remember to describe your hotel(s) appropriately. For example, if an upscale hotel property is searching for a department head, they will most likely cut the data by asking for an equally-sized, similarly-ranked facility. Sometimes, just saying the name of your hotel isn’t enough. For example, although everyone knows the Waldorf=Astoria, if someone isn’t searching by facility name, your name will not appear as a candidate.

I know that it doesn’t need to be said, but I’m going to say it anyway. There is nothing more important than spell check… particularly when posting your credentials to a web site. If you spell your job title, email address, or any of your skills incorrectly, you will be lost in the resume abyss of unemployment. Please be diligent and review your work.

Finally, always offer references upon request. Do not list them on your resume, but be prepared to give names, titles, telephone numbers and relationship when asked. Understand that by providing this information does not mean that your references will be called upon to offer their opinion of you. More often than not, other people within the organization are contacted first. For example, if your future employer has a good friend of your former company, expect that s/he will be called upon long before your contact. That’s just the way of the world. We’re sure that you’ve heard the saying, "It’s a small world." Well, if the world is so small, imagine how small our industry is!

We hope that this information has been helpful for you. Now get to work on putting together the best resume that you can… free of charge!

Keith Kefgen and Dena Blum-Rothman are principals at HVS Executive Search, the nation’s leading executive search firm specializing in the hospitality industry. Both are experts in executive staffing and are frequently quoted on issues related to human resources management. Mr. Kefgen has monthly columns in Hotel Business and Casino Executive magazines and is the author of pay-for- performance measurements for senior executives and directors of public companies. Mr. Kefgen and Ms. Blum-Rothman can be reached at kkefgen@hvs.com and dblum@hvs.com .