You’ll see plenty of advice about using “action words” on your resume, but what terms are really important for getting that all-important interview?  Words like “manage” and “facilitate” are tired and over-used… you need to find the best keywords that are tailored specifically to the hospitality industry.

Recruiters and hiring managers are crazy busy and always looking for ways to streamline their hiring process. With tons of resumes and applications piling up, one way to wade through it and save time is to use technology. Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) can quickly scan resumes and search out specific keywords for each job, eliminating the ones that don’t contain those critical terms. But how do you know which terms they’re looking for?

First of all, take a look at the job listing. It contains the exact words that correspond to the job you want. The job title itself will often be a keyword, as well as the skills and experience listed.  Do they mention a certificate or degree that’s required?  What about the city or region where the job is available?  Review the job listing carefully and look for the words that relate specifically to this job.

Suggested Keywords

Below is a list of words that can boost the effectiveness of your resume and showcase the strength of your experience and education. Use these to round out your resume and demonstrate you have what it takes to stand out from the crowd.

According to StateUniversity.com, these are the top 20 Hotel and Food Service Keywords. Clearly, not all of these terms will apply to the job you’re currently seeking or reflect your recent experience, but it will give you a place to start when building your resume to get the best results:

Back-of-the-House Operations

Catering Services

Conference & Meeting Planning

Corporate Dining Room Operations

Customer Service Management

Food & Beverage Operations

Front-of-the-House Operations

Guest Service & Satisfaction

Hospitality Management

Housekeeping Operations

Inventory Planning & Control

Labor Cost Controls

Menu Planning & Pricing

Multi-Unit Operations

Occupancy Management

Portion Control

Property Development

Resort Management

Revenue Planning & Reporting

Special Events Planning

General terms you can use to describe your accomplishments:

Achieved
Capitalized
Enacted
Established
Exceeded
Generated
Maximized
Spearheaded
Steered
Stimulated
Supervised
Surpassed

Terms to use when listing duties or responsibilities:

Arranged
Accomplished
Created
Delivered
Developed
Executed
Expanded
Handled
Headed
Identified
Improved
Increased
Initiated
Implemented
Instituted
Optimized
Produced
Reduced
Simplified

Parting words of advice: Be sure to combine your “action words” with actual results. For example, “Capitalized on social media comments & guest feedback to institute changes in our check-in and check-out process, resulting in a 37% boost in customer satisfaction ratings.”

Use your keywords wisely, be sure you show results that are measurable, and don’t go overboard “stuffing” your resume with keywords and action verbs that don’t apply.