RESUME MISTAKES
Stop Hotel Manager Resume Mistakes From Holding You Back
Identify and correct the most common errors to showcase your leadership in hospitality.
How This Page Helps
This page helps hotel managers recognize frequent resume pitfalls and provides actionable fixes to improve hiring chances.
Spot formatting errors that confuse recruiters
Eliminate vague language that hides achievements
Optimize for hospitality ATS systems
Craft compelling summaries that highlight leadership
Ensure consistent dates and location details
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances
Each mistake includes why it hurts, how to fix it, and before/after examples
Generic Objective StatementMEDIUM
Why it hurts
- Doesn't convey specific value to hotels
- Often ignored by ATS
- Fails to differentiate you from other candidates
How to fix
- Replace with a concise professional summary
- Highlight years of experience and key hospitality metrics
- Include a tailored value proposition for the target hotel
❌ Before
Objective: Seeking a management position where I can utilize my skills.
✓ After
Professional Summary: Accomplished Hotel Manager with 8+ years overseeing 150-room properties, boosting guest satisfaction scores by 15% and increasing RevPAR by $12,000 annually.
ATS Tip
Start with a keyword-rich headline and summary; avoid the word 'objective'.
Detection Rules
Contains the word 'objective'
Length under 30 words
Lacks quantifiable results
Resumly Tip
Swap the objective for a summary that showcases measurable achievements.
Unclear Employment DatesHIGH
Why it hurts
- Creates gaps that raise questions
- ATS may misinterpret date formats
- Hiring managers can't gauge tenure
How to fix
- Use consistent month-year format (MMM YYYY)
- List full dates for each role
- If overlapping, clarify part-time vs full-time
❌ Before
Hotel Manager, XYZ Resort, 2018-2020
✓ After
Hotel Manager, XYZ Resort, Jan 2018 – Dec 2020
ATS Tip
Standardize dates to MMM YYYY for ATS parsing.
Detection Rules
Date range missing month
Uses only years
Inconsistent dash characters
Resumly Tip
Apply the uniform date format across all experience entries.
Missing Quantifiable AchievementsHIGH
Why it hurts
- Fails to demonstrate impact
- Reduces credibility
- ATS may miss performance keywords
How to fix
- Add numbers: occupancy rates, RevPAR, guest satisfaction
- Use action verbs and results
- Keep bullet length under 2 lines
❌ Before
Managed daily hotel operations.
✓ After
Managed daily operations for a 120-room hotel, increasing occupancy from 78% to 85% and improving guest satisfaction scores by 12%.
ATS Tip
Include industry-specific metrics like RevPAR, ADR, occupancy.
Detection Rules
Bullet points lack digits
No % or $ symbols
Verb only without outcome
Resumly Tip
Turn duties into results with numbers.
Overly Long ResumeLOW
Why it hurts
- Hiring managers lose interest
- ATS may truncate content
- Key info can be missed
How to fix
- Limit to 1-2 pages
- Prioritize recent 10 years
- Remove irrelevant early roles
❌ Before
Full 5-page resume covering 20 years of experience.
✓ After
Concise 2-page resume focusing on the last 10 years of hospitality leadership.
ATS Tip
Keep file under 2 MB and under 2 pages for optimal parsing.
Detection Rules
Page count >2
Word count >800
File size >2MB
Resumly Tip
Trim older roles and combine similar positions.
Lack of Relevant KeywordsMEDIUM
Why it hurts
- ATS filters out resume
- Recruiters think you lack required skills
- Reduces interview chances
How to fix
- Research job postings for common terms
- Incorporate keywords like 'Revenue Management', 'Guest Relations', 'Staff Training', 'Budgeting'
- Use them naturally in bullet points and summary
❌ Before
Responsible for staff scheduling.
✓ After
Led staff scheduling and training, reducing labor costs by 8% while maintaining service standards.
ATS Tip
Match at least 70% of the keywords from the job description.
Detection Rules
Keyword count <5
Missing core hospitality terms
No industry-specific verbs
Resumly Tip
Run a keyword match tool to ensure alignment.
Formatting Guidelines
File Types: PDF, DOCX
Sections: Contact Information, Professional Summary, Core Competencies, Professional Experience, Education, Certifications, Languages
Naming: FirstName_LastName_HotelManager_Resume
Consistency
Length: 1‑2 pages (max 800 words)
Date Format: MMM YYYY
Location Format: City, State, Country (optional)
Resume Quality Checklist
- Use a professional email address
- Include a headline with 'Hotel Manager'
- Add quantifiable results for each role
- Standardize dates to MMM YYYY
- Incorporate 5–7 industry keywords
- Keep resume to 1‑2 pages
- Save as PDF with proper file name
ATS Alignment Guide
Common ATS Systems: iCIMS, Workday, Oracle Taleo, Greenhouse, SAP SuccessFactors
Keyword Strategy: Revenue Management, Guest Satisfaction, RevPAR, Budget Control, Staff Training, SOP Development
Heading Format: Use standard headings like 'Professional Experience' and 'Core Competencies' to ensure ATS recognition.
Quick Fix Workshop
Paste your current Hotel Manager resume text
- Standardize date format
- Replace generic objective with summary
- Add quantifiable metrics
- Insert relevant hospitality keywords
- Trim to two pages
Ready to transform your Hotel Manager resume? Get expert feedback now!
Start My Free Review
