How to Create a CV for Hospitality Roles
Landing your next role in hospitality starts with a CV that gets you noticed. Whether you're an experienced chef, an aspiring bartender, or looking for your first position as a waiter, your resume needs to showcase your skills, experience, and reliability in a way that makes hiring managers want to meet you.
In the competitive hospitality industry, recruiters often spend just 30 seconds scanning each application. That means your resume needs to work hard from the very first line. Here's everything you need to know about creating a CV for hospitality that opens doors.
What to Include in a Hospitality Industry CV?
Every resume is unique and needs to match your personal work history. That said, here are some of the most pivotal elements to include in your curriculum vitae for the hospitality industry.
Personal Details
Keep this section clean and professional. Include your full name, mobile number, professional email address, and location (town or city only). Ensure your voicemail is set up professionally.
If you're an international candidate, make your right to work status clear. You don't need to include your date of birth, ethnic or marital status, or photograph unless specifically requested.
Top tip: Adding these previously mentioned details to your professional documents may lead to employers discriminating against you based on your age, gender, or race.
Career Summary
This is your 30-second pitch. In three to four sentences, sum up who you are professionally. For example:
For experienced candidates – "Experienced sous chef with seven years in high-volume kitchens, specialising in modern British cuisine. Level 3 Food Hygiene certified with proven ability to manage kitchen teams of 6+ staff. Passionate about seasonal ingredients and maintaining exceptional standards under pressure."
For those starting out – "Enthusiastic hospitality professional with 18 months' experience in customer-facing roles. Recently completed Level 2 Food Hygiene certification and seeking to develop skills in a fast-paced restaurant environment."
Skills Overview
Tailor this section to each role by reviewing the job description and mirroring the language used. Some of the essential skills for hospitality workers include:
Front of house skills: customer service excellence, table service, cash handling, POS systems, complaint resolution, and managing reservations.
Kitchen skills: food preparation, stock rotation, HACCP procedures, allergen knowledge, high-volume service, and plating techniques.
Soft skills: working under pressure, team collaboration, flexibility, time management, and attention to detail.
Certifications: List your Food Hygiene Certificate (specify level and expiry), Health & Safety training, allergen awareness, Personal Licence, and any DBS checks.
Work Experience
List experience in reverse chronological order. For each role, include job title, employer, location, dates, and 3-5 bullet points.
Use action verbs: "managed," "prepared," "served," "coordinated," "trained." Quantify achievements: "served up to 200 covers per shift" is stronger than "served customers."
Example: Commis Chef | The Riverside Restaurant, Bristol | March 2022 – Present
Prepare dishes for à la carte and set menus, serving 120+ covers nightly
Support sous chef in stock management, reducing waste by 15%
Maintain food hygiene standards, contributing to 5-star rating
Train new kitchen porters on food safety procedures
Agency work: Highlight this – agency experience shows adaptability. List it as: "Temporary Chef (via First Call Employment) | Various venues | January 2023 – Present" with bullet points highlighting your flexibility.
Educational History
List relevant academic achievements, including GCSEs (if recent or if you don't have extensive work experience), college or university qualifications, and vocational qualifications such as NVQs, BTECs, or City & Guilds diplomas.
Professional cookery qualifications and hospitality management training should be prominently featured. Include the institution name, qualification achieved, and dates attended.
What Makes a Good Hospitality CV: 4 Essential Tips
When writing about your career qualifications, there are quite a few things to consider. If you're applying for hospitality jobs, your professional documents will likely be screened by an Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). As such, the formatting, structure, and headings that you use are very important. Here are some essential tips to think about.
1. Choose the Right Hospitality CV Format for Your Role
Different positions need different approaches:
Chef – emphasise technical skills and cuisine specialities.
Waiter – showcase customer service and knowledge of service styles.
Bartender – highlight drink knowledge and personality.
Consider venue type too. Fine dining requires attention to detail and formal service knowledge, whilst busy pubs prioritise speed and consistency. Tailor accordingly.
2. Keep the Layout Straightforward
Use clear headings, professional fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman in 10-12pt), and plenty of white space. Bullet points are easier to scan than paragraphs.
Keep it to two pages maximum – one page if you have under five years' experience. Avoid fancy formatting or unusual fonts. Save as PDF and name professionally: "John_Smith_Hospitality_CV.pdf".
3. Include Relevant Industry Keywords
Many employers use ATS that scan for keywords. Include terms like: food hygiene and safety, customer service, team collaboration, fast-paced environment, HACCP compliance, allergen management, stock control, cash handling, and time management.
Use keywords naturally within your skills and experience – don't stuff them randomly.
4. Write for Both Humans and Robots
Balance ATS-friendly keywords with engaging content that showcases your personality and passion. Avoid spelling and grammar errors – even one typo can eliminate your application. Hospitality is detail-oriented work, and mistakes suggest carelessness.
Never badmouth previous employers. Keep everything positive and professional.
Curriculum Vitae for Hospitality Industry Positions Examples
When creating or editing a resume for your specific field, it's crucial to consider the context of your role. Below, you'll find some examples of what to include.
Waiter CV
Emphasise customer service, service styles (silver service, French service), POS system familiarity, and beverage knowledge. Quantify experience: "Managed section of 15 tables serving 60+ covers per service" demonstrates capability better than "waited tables."
Chef CV
Focus on technical skills, cuisine specialities, and kitchen experience. Specify your brigade position (commis, chef de partie, sous chef), types of cuisine, and volume: "Prepared 150+ covers daily in a Michelin-recommended kitchen" shows your level.
Bartender CV
Showcase drink knowledge, cocktail expertise, speed of service, and customer interaction skills. Highlight your Personal Licence, any signature cocktail creations, and experience managing stock or bar menus.
How to Format and Structure a Hospitality CV: A Final Checklist
Before you send your CV, run through this checklist to ensure everything is perfect:
✓ Contact details are correct and professional
✓ Career summary is tailored to the specific role you're applying for
✓ Skills section includes relevant keywords from the job description
✓ Work experience is listed in reverse chronological order
✓ You've quantified achievements with numbers where possible
✓ All certifications are listed with current expiry dates
✓ Spelling and grammar are perfect (check twice!)
✓ Formatting is clean, consistent, and professional throughout
✓ File is saved as PDF with a professional name
✓ Resume is no longer than two pages
✓ You've removed any irrelevant work experience from years ago
✓ References are available (state "References available upon request")
Remember, your resume's job is simply to get you an interview. That's where your personality, passion, and professionalism will truly shine through and win you the role.
Need Help Finding Your Next Hospitality Role?
At First Call Employment, we've been matching talented hospitality professionals with local employers for over 20 years. Whether you're seeking temporary work, shift cover, or a permanent position, we're here to help.
We can support you through giving guidance on adding qualifications and skills, providing personalised placements based on your preferences, and having easy access to your professional documents on Staffshift, once you've registered with us.
Get in touch:
Phone: 0330 123 1432 (7 days a week)
WhatsApp: 0740 133 5616
Ready to take the next step in your hospitality career? Your perfect role could be just one well-crafted CV away.
Looking for more career advice? Check out our guides on working as a barista in the UK and the top qualities of exceptional chefs.