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Hospitality and retail resume examples
Resumes for the people who serve customers and guests, from a first cashier job to the general manager of a full-service hotel. Each one shows how to turn shift work into results a hiring manager can see.
- CashierGrocery checkout with speed, drawer accuracy and loyalty sign-ups.Entry level
- Retail sales associateSpecialty store selling, with personal sales and units per transaction.Entry level
- BaristaSpecialty coffee bar: espresso skill, speed at the rush and regulars.Entry level
- Restaurant serverFull-service dining: covers, check average and wine sales.Entry level
- Hotel front desk agentCheck-ins, upsells and guest scores at a busy resort hotel.Entry level
- Customer service representativeContact center work with handle time, first-call resolution and CSAT.Entry level
- Sous chefRunning the line: food cost, covers, team and seasonal menus.Lead or staff
- Store managerRunning a big-box store: comp sales, shrink, payroll and people.Manager
- Restaurant managerRunning a full-service restaurant: sales, prime cost, team and guests.Manager
- Hotel general managerLeading a full-service hotel: RevPAR, profit, guests and team.Director
Shift work has numbers too
Most hospitality and retail jobs are measured, even if nobody showed you the report. Cashiers have items per minute and drawer accuracy; sales associates have sales per hour, units per transaction and loyalty sign-ups; servers have covers and check averages; front desk agents have upsells and guest scores; managers have sales, labor, shrink, food cost and turnover. Ask your manager for yours, or count something simple yourself, such as customers served in a shift.
A number makes an ordinary bullet believable. “Friendly customer service” could be anyone. “Kept a 96% mystery shopper score over 12 visits” is you.
Availability, permits and the basics
Hiring managers in these fields fill schedules, so make your availability easy to see: say in your summary if you can work weekends, evenings, early mornings or holidays. List the permits your state requires for the job, such as a food handler card or an alcohol server permit, with the year. For managers, ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification is often a legal requirement.
Moving up from the floor
Most managers in hotels, restaurants and stores started on the floor. If you want to move up, show the leadership you already do: training new hires, opening or closing, counting the safe, building the schedule, handling complaints. Those lines are what a district or general manager looks for when they promote.
Questions and answers
Do I need a resume for a cashier, barista or server job?
Many places take online applications, but a one-page resume helps you stand out, speeds up the application and is expected for full-time, hotel and fine dining jobs. It also gives you something to hand a manager when you walk in.
How do I write a resume for my first job?
Lead with a short summary and your availability, then any work at all (babysitting, yard work, a family business), school activities, volunteering and sports. Show reliability and how you treat people. See the high school student example for a model.
What certifications help in hospitality?
For food and drink jobs, a food handler card and your state’s alcohol server permit (or TIPS or ServSafe Alcohol) where required. For managers, ServSafe Food Protection Manager. In hotels, the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) offers credentials from front desk to general manager.
Should I include my tips or hourly wage?
No. Pay does not belong on a resume. Show the sales, check averages or upsells that earned those tips instead.