Two people, one looking at a laptop, the other browsing user profiles with pictures that are projected on the wall. The whole picture indicates two HR managers are screening job candidates' social media profiles or job applications. — Photo by Impress.AI

The unemployment rate is low. Our industry still faces an ongoing labor shortage challenge. Many restaurants and hotels struggle to fill vacant positions.

Then, will restaurants and hotels hire just anyone applying for the job? If that is the case, why some of us have never heard any follow-up calls?

Maybe we were unlucky by applying for a “ghost job” --- jobs employers do not want to fill. Alternatively, it was because we did not submit the “right” resume or failed to set up an appealing LinkedIn profile. It is time to review the resume-writing (this post) and LinkedIn (Part II, to be published on May 30) tips.

Make Sure Your Resume Passes AI Screening and the 6-second Test

Everyone wants to get a good job. A vacancy in most desirable companies will receive hundreds or even thousands of resumes.

To streamline the hiring process, many companies have already used AI to help their hiring managers screen resumes. Afterward, resumes piling up on a hiring manager’s desk (or folder) will only get 3 – 6 seconds of the manager’s attention before being moved to the “trash can” or another folder for further consideration. So, we must ensure our resumes stand out and get attention.

  1. Tailor our resume to the opening position: AI will check if our resumes have the indicative keywords that match the job descriptions of the vacant position. It is critical to describe our experience with the keywords found in the opening’s job descriptions. For a supervisory position, for example, we should demonstrate our leadership experience with keywords like “supervised,” “managed,” “led,” “coach,” “mentor,” “train,” etc.
  2. Highlight our achievements and quantifiable results: Every hiring manager in the hospitality industry knows what a Front Desk agent or a line cook typically does. Instead of listing typical job duties, we should emphasize our achievements and quantifiable results. For example, we may use “supervised 10 associates in a shift” and “exceeded the sales goal by 20% in Q1 2023.”
  3. Keep it short: One page is all we need to highlight our experience relevant to the job we are applying for, regardless of how many jobs and years we have worked.
  4. Pick a clear and concise format: Use bullet points, space, and bold/italic/underline functions effectively to make it easy to spot critical information.
  5. Use standard fonts and formatting: Avoid using fancy fonts that are difficult to read. Minimize the usage of ALL CAPS because hiring managers may find them difficult to read. Remember that plain texts work better for AI than tables, images, and graphics.
  6. Proofread the resume: Being free of spelling or grammatical errors is a “non-negotiable” item in many hiring managers’ minds.

Good luck with your job search. I hope you will get hired soon!

If you recently got a job offer, what advice would you give to job seekers?

Linchi Kwok
Professor at The Collins College of Hospitality Management, Cal Poly Pomona
CAL Poly Pomona

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