The hospitality CV that gets you an interview
A hospitality recruiter reads a CV in 30 seconds. Here's how to present your front-of-house, kitchen or reception experience to get a call back.
1 min read
In hospitality, recruiters receive many applications and have little time: a chef or manager often reads CVs between two services. Your CV needs to get straight to the point.
1. At the top: who you are and what you want
- First name, last name, phone, email, town.
- A clear headline: "Chef de rang – 6 years in brasseries and fine dining".
- Your availability: full time, weekends, evenings, seasonal, flexi-job, extra. It's often the first criterion.
2. Experience, with numbers
For each job: venue, city, dates, role, then 2 or 3 concrete lines.
- "Served 120 covers lunch and dinner in a team of 6"
- "Prep and pass on the cold station, 18-dish menu"
- "Handled check-ins for 80 rooms, Opera software"
The type of venue matters: brasserie, Michelin-starred, 4-star hotel, contract catering, event catering.
3. Languages
A real asset in Belgium: state your level in French, Dutch and English (and other languages). A bilingual waiter in Brussels is in high demand.
4. Training and useful skills
- Hotel school, Syntra, IFAPME/EFP, HACCP certificate.
- Knowledge of wine, cocktails, barista skills, latte art.
- POS or booking software.
Mistakes to avoid
- A CV longer than two pages.
- Unexplained gaps (a season abroad is worth mentioning).
- A holiday photo: choose a simple, friendly picture.
- A fanciful email address.
Save time with HorecaCareer
On HorecaCareer your profile is your CV: fill it in once, generate a clean PDF CV and apply in one click. Recruiters can also find you directly if your profile is visible. Create my profile
