Restaurant Hostess Resume Examples

Restaurant Hostess Resume Sample

Leah A. Connors

Address: 890 Green St., San Francisco, CA

Phone: (415)987-6543

Email: [email protected]

Current Job: Fine Dining Hostess; Ariza Club Restaurant, San Francisco, CA

Objective

A goal-oriented Restaurant Hostess with 9 years of work experience is very keen on joining your restaurant team at Marina Yacht Club. Aims to deliver top-notch customer service and hospitality skills to ensure memorable dining experiences for your patrons.

Strengths

• Communication Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Customer Service Skills
• Reservations Management
• Restaurant Etiquette
• Multitasking
• Team Player

Work Experience

Fine Dining Hostess; 2016 to Present

Ariza Club Restaurant; San Francisco, CA

Responsibilities:

• Plan seating arrangements and organize reservation schedules with the restaurant manager
• Welcome customers, confirm their reservations and seat them promptly
• Introduce customers to their server and provide them the menu
• Coordinate with dining room manager to prepare tables for guests without reservations within a reasonable time
• Update guests on waiting times and facilitate their advanced orders
• Schedule special events bookings and make necessary arrangements for reservations
• Attend to customers complaints amicably and coordinate with the restaurant manager on freebies when there are unforeseen delays
• Monitor dining area for the proper estimation of wait times
• Thank customers after dining and invite them to return
• Train junior restaurant host/hostess
• Initiated the use of an online reservations app which increased customer ratings satisfaction by 80%
• Recommended rewards programs for frequent diners which led to an 88% increase in patronage

Lead Restaurant Hostess, 2012 to 2016

Cámara; Los Angeles, CA

Responsibilities:

• Greeted guests, accommodated their dining needs, and escorted them to their seats
• Monitored dining area activity to determine seating flow and to estimate wait times
• Handled the seating chart and provide guests with accurate waiting times
• Managed the flow of guests with reservations and those waiting inline
• Informed the restaurant manager and kitchen department of the wait times for groups of eight or more
• Updated kitchen department on reservations of special events and large parties
• Showed guests the menu while waiting to be seated
• Maintained cleanliness and orderliness in the reception area
• Assisted other departments whenever necessary
• Studied menu items and promotional events
• Promoted to Lead Restaurant Hostess after 1 year of service

Certifications:

College

Associate of Science Degree

Hospitality Management

Mt San Antonio College

Los Angeles, CA

2008 to 2012

GPA 3.90

High School

San Diego High School

San Diego, CA

2004 to 2008

How To Write a Good Restaurant Hostess Resume

It only takes a few seconds to stir the recruiter’s interest. Under the trained eye of a recruiter, a quick scan is all it takes to determine if a resume is well-written or not.

To catch the recruiter’s attention, your resume should convey that you are qualified for the job.

When you are writing, imagine the recruiters being guests in your restaurant. Think of ways how you can provide a memorable dining experience from the moment they enter to the time they leave.

Here are a few tips that will help you create a resume that recruiters will read from beginning to end.

Read the Job Ad Carefully

Everything you need to include in your resume can be found in the Job Ad. Before you write your resume, take note of the following information listed by the employer.

• Job Overview
• Work Experience
• Required Skills
• Key Attributes
• List of Duties and Responsibilities

Align your content with the company’s requirements listed in the Job Ad. Including skills that are not relevant to the job is not necessary.

Many applicants make this mistake in their desire to impress. Keep in mind that recruiters only need to see what makes you qualified for the job.

Use the Right Format

Here are the 3 formats that you can use depending on your level of experience.

• Reverse-Chronological – This is the most common format used by job applicants but it’s most ideal for those with continuous work history. If you have a period of unemployment, the reverse-chronological can still be used if it did not exceed 4 months.
• Functional – If you don’t have enough years of experience under your belt, the functional format is for you. With the functional format, your relevant technical skills for the job are situated at the forefront of the resume. Applicants who are fresh out of college and have the requisite technical skills can also benefit from the functional format.
• Combination – Do you have an impressive work history and desire to apply for a higher position in the same industry? If so, use the Combination format that combines the key features of the reverse-chronological and the functional formats.

Go over our Restaurant Hostess Resume examples to familiarize yourself with the reverse-chronological format.

If you will use the Functional format, include the following:

• Contact Information
• Summary Objective
• Strengths/Skills
• Education
• Certifications/Licenses
• Work Experience

The structure of the Combination resume is similar to the Reverse-Chronological resume except that more space is allotted for the Work Experience section.

Your Objective Statement Should be Your Sales Pitch

Your role as a restaurant hostess is to give guests a warm welcome so that their dining experience will start on a good note.

If guests are greeted and treated properly in the receiving area, they will certainly look forward to dining in the restaurant even if they have to wait in line.

Your objective statement should have the same impact as your welcome greeting. It should create a great first impression to encourage the recruiter to read the rest of your resume.

Use it to promote yourself and build momentum.

How do you do this?

Here are 4 tips for writing an effective Objective Statement:

• Keep it short. Use 3 to 4 sentences only.
• Highlight relevant hard skills and qualifications. You can also opt to showcase your professional character or 3 of your soft skills.
• State your objective for applying for the position. What is your goal? Why do you want to join the company?
• Use a conversational tone. Imagine how it would be like if you introduced yourself to the recruiter.

Write an HR-Friendly Resume

The presentation of your resume is also important. Make sure to use an HR-Friendly format and layout to earn a good impression.

Well-written content will go to waste if your resume looks unprofessional or unreadable.

How should you present your resume?

• Use a professional font style – Arial, Avenir Next, Calibri, Cambria, Helvetica, Georgia, Garamond, or Times New Roman
• Use an easy-to-read font size. The font size should be uniform throughout the resume, except for your name which should have a slightly bigger font size
• List your key information in bullet points
• Your text should be left-aligned
• Keep your bullets in your job responsibilities clear and concise
• Use a professional email address – [email protected] not [email protected]

No Room for Mistakes

Recruiters can easily spot grammatical and spelling errors while skimming through your resume. Once they do, your resume will not make the cut.

These mistakes will give a negative impression to the recruiters. Errors indicate that you lack attention to detail or have poor communication skills.

Make sure to proofread your resume thrice and then let someone else proofread it again. You can also run it through a spelling and grammar checker.

Restaurant Hostess Skills List

What abilities and qualifications should be seen in your Restaurant Hostess skills list to impress the recruiter? Since this is job isn’t just about what you do but who you are, you have to include both hard and soft skills.

Let’s start with the hard skills – job-specific abilities that you acquired through education and training, or developed through hands-on experience.

• Education – Many restaurants do not require college degrees from applicants and are open to hiring high school graduates. However, you will certainly have an edge over other candidates if you earned an Associate Degree in Hospitality Management, Family and Consumer Science, or Business.
• IT Skills – You need to be knowledgeable in basic computer programs such as Word processors, spreadsheets, and cloud-based team applications. Restaurant hosts need to keep track of seating arrangements, online reservations, and wait times using the restaurant’s apps or programs. Restaurants have already computerized their systems in different departments to ensure quality service. Employers now require applicants to be equipped with basic computer skills.
• Certification in Relevant Job-Related Skills – To get ahead of the competition, you must arm yourself with skills that others don’t have. If you really want to build a career in the restaurant industry, invest in training courses that will certify you in relevant skills such as customer service, food safety and handling, restaurant inventory management, First-Aid, and workforce management.

Now, let us look at the soft skills that employers look for in applicants. When recruiters check your work experience, they will gauge your ability to handle different situations and personalities in a restaurant environment.

Here are the soft skills that recruiters will keep an eye on:

• Multitasking Skills – Your job is not confined to the receiving area. Restaurant Hosts are often called to cross departments to assist. Also, this skill is necessary for you to attend to the needs of different guests simultaneously without losing your focus.
• Communication Skills – Employers look for applicants with excellent communication skills. As the restaurant host, you are expected to converse well with guests when you receive them, attend to their requests, respond to their queries, and handle their complaints. In a fast-paced environment, you should also be able to communicate effectively with your peers to establish good working relations and maintain efficient workflow.
• Problem Solving Skills – You need to be able to come up with quick solutions when unexpected situations arise. For example, when a mistake in the reservations setup occurs, you must be able to correct it without getting frazzled.

Restaurant Hostess Duties and Responsibilities For The Work Experience Section

The work experience section is the heart of your resume. Your duties and responsibilities must be written in a manner that will give the recruiters a clear image of your contribution at work.

Here are a few tips on how to write a Restaurant Hostess resume that will convince recruiters that you can be a valuable asset to their company.

Include All The Key Responsibilities

You can find the key responsibilities in the Job Ad. Make sure to match the list and add other relevant tasks that you have covered in your current and previous jobs.

• Greeting guests; welcoming them inside the restaurant and escorting them to their tables.
• Confirming reservations and estimating wait times.
• Providing diners with menus and introducing their servers.
• Coordinating with the restaurant manager and dining staff on the estimation of wait times and planning of seating arrangements.
• Handling dining reservations via restaurant apps or online booking systems.
• Updating guests on wait times.
• Following up on table preparations for guests without reservations.
• Handling of customer complaints.
• Assisting in setting up special events reservations.
• Maintaining the cleanliness of the receiving and waiting areas.
• Engaging with diners; find out how the dining experience has been so far and solicit feedback.

Include Specific Incidents, Situations, or Events

Recruiters want to know how you utilized your soft skills at work. Give them a clear picture of how you interact with your peers or handle difficult situations at work.

Here are a few examples:

• Offer free servings of appetizers to guests whose table was inadvertently given away.
• Inform guests in advance about delays due to POS breakdowns so they can adjust their schedules accordingly.
• Provide chairs and reading materials to customers during long wait times.
• Assist the elderly, toddlers, and persons with disabilities in getting them seated or when moving around the restaurant.
• Lend timely assistance to dining crew who are handling large orders of food and drinks.
• Orient new employees about restaurant guidelines and procedures.

Tip: Go into detail when describing your duties and responsibilities BUT write them in a conversational manner.

Cite Accomplishments

Do not forget to include your positive contributions in your workplace. Mention the recommendations that you made that improved productivity, sales, or customer satisfaction.

Do not forget to use numbers to demonstrate the impact of your actions. Quantify any of the following results to impress recruiters:

• Increase in Sales revenue
• Cost savings
• Customer ratings
• Customer satisfaction
• Increase in reservations

Use Action Words

Using the right verbs in your resume strengthens its impact on recruiters. Action words allow the reader to clearly understand your performance at work.

Here is a list of action words that you can use in writing your duties and responsibilities:

• Assist
• Coordinate
• Collaborate
• Confirm
• Facilitate
• Greet
• Inform
• Manage
• Monitor
• Offer
• Organize
• Provide
• Review
• Resolve
• Schedule
• Train

When writing your duties and responsibilities for the work experience section of a Restaurant Hostess resume, make sure each employment period is unique. Don’t just copy and paste or change up words with synonyms to make them look original.

Include details that are specific to the company or restaurant that you worked for. Submitting a resume that reads as if not much effort was put behind it will leave a bad taste in the mouth of the recruiter.

Entry-Level Restaurant Hostess Resume

Many restaurants hire applicants without work experience. Make your entry-level resume stand out by following our simple tips:

1. Use the Functional Format – This format is skills-based and tailor-fit for applicants without work experience. If you are a career changer, your skills should precede work experience. For entry-level applicants, recruiters will focus more on entry-level skills and education.
2. Showcase your Accomplishments – Did you excel in school? Did you actively participate in organizations? Make sure to include two of your most impressive or unique accomplishments in your resume because this will certainly catch the recruiter’s attention. If you did some volunteer work, add it to your resume because this will show the recruiter how well-rounded you are. Write them under the heading “Volunteer Experience”.
3. Include OJT and Apprenticeship – If you underwent On-The-Job training in a restaurant, write it under the heading “Apprenticeship Programs”. If you accepted an apprenticeship position in Hospitality Management, write it under the heading, “On-The-Job Training”.

A well-written Restaurant Hostess resume will increase your chances of landing an interview and getting hired. Keep in mind that you are not the only one eyeing the position, so you need to present a resume that will stand out.