Hospitality and Tourism: Top 5 Skills To Add To Your Resume

Tourism was one of the hardest hit industries in Singapore during the COVID-19 epidemic. But as a vital cog in Singapore's economy, accounting for 4% of the gross domestic product, the industry is taking its next steps toward recovery. This is largely due to the government's launching of various support initiatives to revive the industry, as well as the upcoming World Economic Forum, which will bring international attention to Singapore as host country.

In fact, new tourism jobs in Singapore are being created and many companies are still hiring as of the moment.

Jobseekers can make the most out of these opportunities by identifying the skills needed for hospitality and tourism, especially in the new normal. Some of these skills you may already have. It's just a matter of presenting your work experience and accomplishments in a way that aligns with the industry's current needs.

Here are the top skills you must have in your resume if you want to be competitive in today's revitalised tourism market.

Interpersonal Skills

More and more companies in the tourism industry are relying on information technology and artificial intelligence to provide no-contact services or navigate through social distancing measures and capacity restrictions. However, this does not mean that old fashioned customer service and emotional intelligence are no longer in demand. After all, the business is still about people connecting with other people and establishing trust. Excellent interpersonal skills are still at the heart of tourism and hospitality regardless of technology or methods of delivering service.

Highlight your past work experience, particularly those that demonstrate a strong background in customer service. It also helps to list down all interpersonal skills relevant to the job.

Example:

- Cultural awareness and sensitivity (experience working in other countries or with people of different ethnicities or cultural backgrounds)

- Patience

- Excellent communication skills

Language Skills

Knowledge of two or more languages or dialects is certainly a plus in hospitality and tourism. Dealing with foreigners is a staple of many tourism jobs and nothing makes guests and customers feel more at home than being spoken to in their mother tongue.

If you happen to be multilingual, list your language skills in your resume in a way that accurately describes your fluency and proficiency. Cite notable language classes or courses you may have taken and indicate whether your handle of the particular language is at the "beginner" level, "mid-range", or "advanced". Better yet, you can show your level of proficiency through a simple visual guide. For example:

Multitasking

Customer satisfaction is the lifeblood of the hospitality and tourism industry. It is the foundation with which customer loyalty and brand prestige is built. While each staff member has his or her own role, it's important for them to have flexibility in times when customers have needs that demand immediate attention. Knowledge of other facets of the business and the ability to carry out an array of duties is highly valuable, especially in the new normal.

If you have a varied work experience, you can use this to your advantage. List down the added skills you have picked up through the years.

For example:

- Generated additional sales by upselling products, services, and upgraded packages

- Provided valuable travel consultations for clients, including itinerary changes, custom requirements, and travel conditions

- Experience in social media marketing and engagement

Management Skills (attention to detail, time management)

To work in hospitality and tourism, you need to be an effective manager. Even if you don't have a supervisory role, you are ultimately managing customer's needs, operational schedules, logistics, and other concerns. This means you need to have strong attention to detail, people skills, and organisational skills.

When listing accomplishments in your resume, make sure to use keywords such as "managed" "handled", "led", etc. This will allow employers to easily visualise you as a natural leader, or at the very least, someone who can be counted on when it comes to effective coordination.

For example:

- Managed various guest needs within the hotel and even travel arrangements through coordination with partner tours

- Initiated familiarisation tours with tour operators, partner hotels, and travel agencies for better synergy and a more wholistic service menu for clients

Problem Solving and Innovation

Companies in the hospitality and tourism industry constantly deal with problems that require quick solutions. When you are dealing with people from various backgrounds, different challenges arise. Working in this industry requires not just a stringent adherence to structure, but also a knack for creativity and innovation that can be counted upon in pressure situations. This pandemic has been one big challenge thrown at the entire industry and it's no surprise that it has responded with a great deal of resiliency and innovation.

What are the different issues you helped solve in your previous work? It helps to present these in the accomplishments section of your resume. By mentioning the solutions you provide, you give a clearer description of your work.

Example:

- Troubleshooted various travel concerns such as missed flights, irate customers, and overbooked hotels

As Singapore continues to weather the challenges of the pandemic, the tourism and hospitality industry is gradually getting back on its toes. With new job opportunities being created in the country, jobseekers can seize these opportunities by highlighting skills in their resume that employers value highly. You can also explore all the new opportunities available to you at the JobStreet Hospitality and Tourism eFair, from January 26 to February 22, 2021. No pre-registration required, simply click this link.

In preparation for the event, update your resume using our sample template below:

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