Host and Hostess Resume Examples and Templates (Downloadable)

  • Entry level
  • Midlevel
  • Senior level

When seeking a host or hostess position in the competitive hospitality industry, your resume should demonstrate stand-out customer service and organizational skills. It must also showcase accomplishments that demonstrate your warm and welcoming demeanor because you are likely the first point of contact for guests. Review our list of tips and examples to level up your resume.

Key takeaways:

  • Emphasize specializations: Quickly highlight your host/hostess specialties, such as reservation management, guest service, restaurant operations support, and knowledge of point-of-sale (POS) systems.
  • Detail quantifiable achievements: Use specific numbers and outcomes to illustrate your impact in previous host/hostess roles, such as providing restaurant operations support to reduce seating wait times by 20%.
  • Use keywords for ATS: Include relevant hospitality management skills and keywords from the job posting in your resume to ensure it passes through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and reaches hiring managers.

How To Write a Host and Hostess Resume Example

Using a resume template can help you write an effective host and hostess resume. Your resume should include these sections:

  • Contact information
  • Value Proposition
  • Key skills
  • Professional experience
  • Education and certifications

1. Share your contact information

Provide your full name, phone number, email address, location, and a link to your online professional profile. Ensure your contact information is current so potential employers can contact you for an interview.

Example

Jasmine Brown
(123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | New York, NY 12345 | LinkedIn | Portfolio

2. Create a compelling profile summarizing your host and hostess qualifications

In a few concise sentences, summarize your professional background, relevant skills, and experience as a host or hostess. Your profile should make a strong case for your success in the hospitality industry and value as a team member. Highlight strengths and integrate keywords from the job description to show you’re a good match for the position.

Senior-Level Profile Example

Attentive, organized hostess experienced in maintaining customer relationship management (CRM) databases, booking large party reservations, and training other hosts and hostesses. Experience as a head hostess in five-star hotel restaurants, delivering exceptional guest service to clientele with high standards.

Entry-Level Profile Example

Hospitable host with experience in independent chef-owned restaurants in the dynamic Miami dining scene. Known for delivering efficient and courteous customer service, operating reservation management systems, and thriving in a fast-paced work environment. Collaborates with team members across the restaurant environment to deliver five-star service.

3. Write a success-driven professional experience section

To create an effective professional experience section, clearly outline your career trajectory as a host or hostess. Start with your most recent position first and work backward, sharing skills such as facilitating guest turnover, CRM databases, and conflict resolution, along with credentials like ServSafe Food Handler Certification (SFHC). Include key details that align with the job you’re pursuing. When you can, use numbers to measure and give value to your duties and accomplishments.

Senior-Level Professional Experience Example

Head Hostess | April 2018 – present
The Garden Restaurant at The Four Seasons Hotel | New York, NY

  • Directs the daily efforts host and hostess team, training new members to meet Four Seasons standards, resulting in 5-star guest ratings
  • Manages reservations and large party bookings in a hospitable manner, driving repeat guest business
  • Incorporates expert-level knowledge of Four Seasons’ point of sale (POS) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems, training up to five new team members per month to quickly navigate complex systems
  • Provides restaurant operations support to waitstaff and runners, collaborating as a team lead recognized as VIP Four Seasons Staff Member three years in a row

Entry-Level Professional Experience Example

Host | June 2023 – present
JJ’s Bar and Grille | Miami, FL

  • Answer phones, welcome and seat guests, and present menus with a warm and welcoming demeanor
  • Support daily restaurant operations by offering friendly guest interactions, refilling waters frequently, rolling silverware, and monitoring inventory levels
  •  Reduce waiting times by up to 15% through expeditious guest seating and tracking numerous parties

Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience

Use numbers and metrics to show results you achieved in previous roles. Provide context to your work history and give recruiters a better understanding of your scope and impact. Demonstrate your value and potential as a host or hostess by detailing your guest service accomplishments and organizational skills.

Do
  • “Delivered warm, efficient guest service, increasing the store’s customer satisfaction rating from 3 to 4.5 stars on Yelp”
Don’t
  • “Delivered a positive guest service experience”

What if you don’t have experience?

Creating a host or hostess resume can be challenging if you don’t have real-world experience, but you may have valuable skills and experience from education and training. Highlight relevant coursework and projects that demonstrate your guest service and communication skills. Also consider volunteer roles, such as helping organize a charity pancake breakfast or serving on a cafeteria menu committee. By emphasizing these qualities, you can display your potential to be a valuable asset to any hospitality team.

4. Include relevant education and certifications

List relevant education and certifications to show you’re a well-qualified host or hostess who is committed to continuing education. Include the title of the degree or certificate earned, the institution’s name, and the completion date. Also, list continuing education courses or professional development programs you’ve completed.

Education

Template:

Degree | Graduation Date
School Name | City, State

Example:

Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Hospitality Management | August 2008 – May 2012
University of Syracuse | Syracuse, NY

Certifications

Template:

Certification | Completion Date
Awarding Organization

Example:

Certified Venue Executive (CVE) | June 2018
International Association of Venue Managers

5. List pertinent key skills

Most organizations rely on some form of ATS to identify qualified candidates for job openings, though the hospitality industry generally does not use automated resume filtering systems. To get your resume through the initial screening process and into the hiring manager’s hands, incorporate keywords from the job description directly into your profile, professional experience, and skills section. Below are key terms and skills that you may encounter while applying for host and hostess positions:

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Cash till reconciliation Conflict and complaint resolution
CRM databases Customer relations and satisfaction
Facilitating guest turnover POS systems
Rapid solution-finding Reservations management
Restaurant operations support Task prioritization
Team collaboration Time management
Wait staff support Wait time estimates
Waitlist management Work scheduling

Resume writer’s tip: Use common action verbs

Strategically select the words you incorporate into your host or hostess resume. Start each sentence of your professional experience section with an engaging action verb to demonstrate your job duties and accomplishments. Using descriptive words to demonstrate your success with various host or hostess responsibilities will grab the attention of hiring managers. Another tip: Avoid weak first-person statements such as, “I was responsible for…”

Action Verbs
Arranged Collaborated
Coordinated Enhanced
Generated Greeted
Listened Managed
Monitored Organized
Oversaw Prevented
Produced Ranked
Resolved Scheduled
Supervised Supported
Trained Welcomed

How To Pick the Best Host and Hostess Resume Template

When selecting your host or hostess resume template, prioritize structure and readability over visual appeal. Avoid loud graphics and overbearing colors; instead, focus on a clean design that showcases your content in an organized way. Keep in mind hiring managers will always be more interested in your achievements and qualifications than the style of your template.

Host and Hostess Text-Only Resume Examples and Templates

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  • Entry level
  • Midlevel
  • Senior level
right

Anthony Gentile
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
Miami, FL 12345
LinkedIn | Portfolio

Profile

Hospitable host with experience in independent chef-owned restaurants in the dynamic Miami dining scene. Track record for efficient and courteous customer service, operating reservation management systems, and thriving in a fast-paced work environment. Collaborates with team members across the restaurant environment to deliver five-star service.

Key Skills

  • Conflict and complaint resolution
  • Guest service
  • Reservation management
  • Restaurant operations support
  • POS and CRM systems

Professional Experience

Host, JJ’s Bar and Grille, Miami, FL
June 2023 – present

  • Courteously answer phones, welcome and seat guests, and present menus
  • Prepare seating arrangements and organize reservations to earn a guest satisfaction rating of 4.8 stars
  • Provide restaurant operations support
  • Expeditiously seat guests, reducing wait time by 15%

Host, Longhorn Steakhouse, Miami, FL 
May 2021 – May 2022

  • Greeted and escorted guests to their tables, expediting seating to reduce wait times by 25%
  • Managed online, phone-in, and in-person reservations to effectively book tables and maintain an average 80% filled capacity rate
  • Reconciled cash tills of up to $5,000, noting potential errors to avoid accounting mistakes
  • Completed various dining room tasks such as setting and bussing tables to assist waitstaff for an average of 25 tables per shift

Education

Graduate, Miami Northwestern Senior High, May 2021

Certifications

  • ServeSafe Food Handler Certification (SFHC), National Restaurant Association, 2023

Frequently Asked Questions: Host and Hostess Resume Examples and Advice

How do you align your resume with a host or hostess job description?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for food and beverage serving and related employees are expected to grow by 2% from 2022 to 2032, which is average compared to most occupations. The slight incline is driven by attrition and more people dining out or purchasing take-out meals from restaurants.

Because of these projections, you must align your resume with the job description to secure interviews for the most lucrative opportunities. The host and hostess field can be competitive, and tailoring your document to individual job postings will significantly increase your chances of landing your next job opportunity.

For example, suppose a restaurant is looking for a host or hostess who is adept at navigating CRM platforms. Highlight this skill in your profile. Or, if a restaurant is seeking a host or hostess who has experience booking large guest parties, note this in your resume summary.

What is the best host and hostess resume format?

Reverse chronological format is ideal for most resumes, including those for hosts and hostesses This approach ensures that your most recent and relevant experience is featured at the top of your document. Even at the entry level, avoid functional resume formats.

What skills should I put on my host and hostess resume?

Your host and hostess resume should demonstrate your skills in reservation management, restaurant operations support, and POS systems. Also, note communication and client service skills, and bring these soft skills to life with measurables such as earning a 4.9 star rating for customer satisfaction.

How do I make my host and hostess resume stand out?

Make your host and hostess resume shine by highlighting your expertise, such as training co-host and co-hostess staff, efficiently sitting guests and reducing wait times, and facilitating guest turnover to boost restaurant sales. Incorporate numbers and data along with keywords that align with the job description. Begin with a compelling profile summary, detail your accomplishments in the professional experience section, list relevant skills, and include your education and certifications.

Andrew Stoner

Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach

Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.

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