5 Reasons a Resume Won't Land a Job

Every resume manager wants to be the candidate that stands out. Many of the rumored tricks are mostly hot air. Others, like attending an elite university, may make you an attractive candidate, but knowledge without experience can be an obstacle.

Here are some common missteps candidates make when applying to larger corporations in the hospitality industry.

Post High school Job Experience

Were you a waitress instead of an intern when you were 19? The path to landing your dream job shows your intent. Did you lift boxes to pay debts, and another candidate interned within the hospitality industry for an assistant manager. These not only reveal your interest, but it also makes you more interesting and 'stand out' from the other candidates.

Your Major

Did you major in liberal arts? You don't pick a major like that if you want to work for one of the big hospitality corporations. Your guidance councilor might have said that it doesn't matter what you major in as long as you are passionate. This may sound great in secondary education, but it doesn't look good on a resume. A psych, business, or leadership major will stand out. Also, why just one major? The best advice is to pick majors that are directly relevant to the hospitality industry, and working with people.

Community Service

Everyone volunteers today to improve their resume, but what you do says a lot about you. Did you serve soup in a soup kitchen? This may be great if you want to focus on the customer service, entry level of the hospitality industry. No HR manger will look at a resume and say 'how sweet, you fed Christmas dinner to homeless children.'
From a success or career coaching standpoint, start standing out when you start your career. Try hunting for sales or marketing positions with a charity. Look for team management positions.

Communication

The higher you aim, the better your communication skills. This is important in any career, in any industry. If you cannot 'say what you mean and mean what you say,' and if you cannot get your point across succinctly then there is no way you'll sell ideas to a board, or talk your team into working overtime, taking a benefit cut, or network in the business community.

Network

Did you get to know your professors? Did you go the extra mile to network in the business community, or when volunteering a charity? Everyone has heard a story where a professor, manager, colleague went to bat for someone when writing a letter of recommendation for a job application. Sometimes the name at the bottom of the resume is more powerful than the recommendation itself.

Specialize

The 'Jack of all trades' has never been in high demand. If you want to work with one of the top hospitality industries then you must be able to handle one aspect of the corporation. The best restaurant mangers have specific things in common. The best general managers share traits that are different than those shared by the best kitchen managers.

Associating with professionals, interning, and volunteering in the hospitality industry can help you find the niche where you belong, the career where you will excel.

Your GPA Doesn't Matter

There is little truth to the rumor that a low GPA can limit your future. In fact, companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft place GPA low on the list of prerequisites for their candidates. Top companies look for the top candidates, people with a track record of success, not successful students.

Don't Limit Yourself

Even if you have none of the aspects listed in this article, you may still be the restaurant manager some corporation is looking for. You really don't know what you have to offer a company until you start. You never know what skills you've acquired and how those skills can be used to excel in the hospitality industry.