One specific CV challenge you might face as a front office manager is ensuring that your resume stands out to potential employers in the hospitality industry. Our guide provides tailored advice and industry-specific examples to help you craft a CV that highlights your customer service expertise and management skills, increasing your chances of securing your next role.
- Design and format your professional front office manager CV;
- Curate your key contact information, skills, and achievements throughout your CV sections;
- Ensure your profile stays competitive by studying other industry-leading front office manager CVs;
- Create a great CV even if you happen to have less professional experience, or switching fields.
When writing your front office manager CV, you may need plenty of insights from hiring managers. We have prepared industry-leading advice in the form of our relevant CV guides.
Structuring your front office manager CV layout: four factors to keep in mind
There are plenty of best practices out there for your CV layout and design. At the end of the day, a clear format and concise CV message should be your top priority. Use your CV design to enhance separate sections, bringing them to the forefront of recruiters' attention. At the same time, you can write content that:- Follows the reverse chronological order in the experience section by first listing your most recent jobs;
- Incorporates your contact information in the header, but do skip out on the CV photo for roles in the UK;
- Is spotlighted in the most important sections of your CV, e.g. the summary or objective, experience, education, etc. to show just how you meet the job requirements;
- Is no longer than two-pages. Often, the one-page format can be optimal for your front office manager CV.
Before submitting your CV, you may wonder whether to export it in Doc or PDF. With the PDF format, your information and layout stay intact. This is quite useful when your CV is assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS) . The ATS is a software that scans your profile for all relevant information and can easily understand latest study on the ATS , which looks at your CV columns, design, and so much more.
PRO TIP
Use font size and style strategically to create a visual hierarchy, drawing the reader's eye to the most important information first (like your name and most recent job title).
The top sections on a front office manager CV
- Career Summary showcases years of experience and leadership skills to manage the front office effectively.
- Professional Experience section lists specific roles and achievements as a front office manager.
- Key Competencies include skills such as customer service, team management, and conflict resolution.
- Educational Background reflects relevant hospitality or management qualifications.
- Industry Certifications highlight specialised training in hotel management or customer service excellence.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Emphasise your leadership and interpersonal skills to reflect your ability to manage both staff and guest relations efficiently.
- Highlight your experience with front office software systems and any relevant certifications to demonstrate your technical proficiency and ability to adapt to new technologies.
- Detail your experience in handling reservations, front desk operations, and guest services to underscore your comprehensive knowledge of front office duties.
- Include examples of problem-solving under pressure, showcasing how you've successfully managed guest complaints or emergencies with professionalism and poise.
- Quantify your achievements in guest satisfaction scores, staff turnover rates, or revenue management to provide concrete evidence of your success as a front office manager.
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Tips and tricks on writing a job-winning front office manager CV header
The CV header is the space which most recruiters would be referring most often to, in the beginning and end of your application. That is as the CV header includes your contact details, but also a headline and a professional photo. When writing your CV header:
- Double-check your contact details for spelling errors or if you've missed any digits. Also, ensure you've provided your personal details, and not your current work email or telephone number;
- Include your location in the form of the city and country you live in. If you want to be more detailed, you can list your full address to show proximity to your potential work place;
- Don't include your CV photo, if you're applying for roles in the UK or US, as this may bias initial recruiters' assessments;
- Write a professional headline that either integrates the job title, some relevant industry keywords, or your most noteworthy achievement.
In the next part of our guide, we'll provide you with professional CVs that showcase some of the best practices when it comes to writing your headline.
Examples of good CV headlines for front office manager:
- Front Office Manager | Guest Satisfaction Expert | Certified Hospitality Supervisor | 5+ Years in Leadership
- Experienced Front Desk Manager | Revenue Management | Advanced Communication Skills | NEBOSH Certified | 10 Years
- Senior Front Office Manager | Strategic Planning & Operations | Staff Training Enthusiast | 15+ Years’ Experience
- Lead Reception Manager | Customer Service Excellence | Fluent in French & Spanish | PMP Qualified | 7 Years
- Junior Front Office Supervisor | Evolving Leadership Talents | Tech-Savvy | IHK Hospitality Certification | 3 Years
- Hospitality Front Office Lead | Quality Assurance | Process Improvement Specialist | 8+ Years in Hotel Management
Catching recruiters' attention with your front office manager CV summary or objective
Located closer to the top of your CV, both the summary and objective are no more than five sentences long and serve as an introduction to your experience. What is more, you could use either to entice recruiters to read on. Select the:
- Summary, if you happen to have plenty of relevant experience. Feature your most impressive accomplishments and up to three skills that are relevant to the job you're applying for;
- Objective, if you're just starting your career off. Provide your career goals and answer how you see the role you are applying for will match your professional growth.
Judging which one you need to add to your front office manager CV may at times seem difficult. That’s why you need to check out how professionals, with similar to your experience, have written their summary or objective, in the examples below:
CV summaries for a front office manager job:
- Seasoned Front Office Manager with over 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry, skilled in enhancing guest experiences and streamlining operational processes. Holds a record of increasing customer satisfaction ratings by 20% at a prestigious London hotel through innovative service strategies.
- Professional with 8 years of managerial experience in retail, seeking to leverage extensive customer service and team leadership skills in a Front Office Manager capacity. Implemented a customer feedback system which improved service delivery and sales figures by 30% in previous role.
- Dedicated individual with a background in healthcare administration, aiming to transfer 6 years of patient coordination and team management expertise into the hospitality sector. Commended for implementing cost-saving scheduling solutions that improved patient flow by 25% in former position.
- Dynamic professional transitioning from a 7-year tenure in the event planning industry to Front Office Management. Recognised for orchestrating high-profile events with up to 500 guests, aiming to utilise exceptional organisational and problem-solving skills to enhance guest relations in a hotel environment.
- As a fresh graduate with a degree in Hospitality Management, I am eager to apply my academic knowledge and passion for customer service excellence to contribute positively to guest experiences and operational success as a Front Office Manager.
- Ambitious individual seeking an entry-level Front Office Manager position, bringing forth strong interpersonal skills, a detail-oriented mindset, and keenness to learn from industry professionals. Motivated to develop hands-on expertise and contribute to the hotel’s guest satisfaction goals.
The best formula for your front office manager CV experience section
The CV experience section is the space where many candidates go wrong by merely listing their work history and duties. Don't do that. Instead, use the job description to better understand what matters most for the role and integrate these keywords across your CV. Thus, you should focus on:
- showcasing your accomplishments to hint that you're results-oriented;
- highlighting your skill set by integrating job keywords, technologies, and transferrable skills in your experience bullets;
- listing your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with the latest and most senior, to hint at how you have grown your career;
- featuring metrics, in the form of percentage, numbers, etc. to make your success more tangible.
When writing each experience bullet, start with a strong, actionable verb, then follow it up with a skill, accomplishment, or metric. Use these professional examples to perfect your CV experience section:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Managed a team of 15+ receptionists, concierges, and support staff to ensure top-tier guest service and efficient front office operations, achieving an average guest satisfaction rate of 95%.
- Implemented a dynamic room pricing strategy that resulted in a 12% increase in room revenue year-on-year, whilst maintaining high occupancy rates.
- Coordinated with housekeeping and maintenance departments to reduce average room turnaround time by 30%, enhancing guest experiences and improving operational efficiency.
- Developed and delivered comprehensive training programmes for front office staff, which decreased employee turnover by 20% and improved team performance.
- Oversaw the installation of a new Property Management System, streamlining operations and resulting in a 25% reduction in guest check-in time.
- Negotiated with vendors for front office supplies, securing contracts that led to a 15% cost saving without compromising on quality or guest experiences.
- Handled guest relations and effectively resolved complaints, fostering a positive atmosphere and turning dissatisfied guests into repeat visitors.
- Consistently monitored front office performance against KPIs, identifying areas for improvement and implementing strategic changes to achieve targets.
- Maintained strong interdepartmental communication to ensure that VIP guests received personalized services, which increased guest loyalty and referrals.
- Oversaw the front office team of 15 staff at the prestigious Highview International Hotel, leading to a 25% increase in customer satisfaction scores.
- Implemented a new Property Management System that improved room assignment efficiency and reduced check-in wait times by 20%.
- Designed and executed an employee training program that decreased staff turnover by 30% and fostered a positive work environment.
- Collaborated with the marketing department to develop promotional packages that increased off-peak occupancy rates by 18%.
- Managed a multi-lingual front desk team at Cityscape Hotel & Resorts, enhancing guest experience for international visitors and securing repeat business.
- Led the transition to a cloud-based reservation system which streamlined booking processes and improved data accuracy.
- Initiated a guest feedback loop that directly informed service improvements, resolving 95% of complaints to the guests' satisfaction.
- Supervised daily operations of the front office staff at Marina Bay Luxury Resort, maintaining an operationally efficient front desk.
- Coordinated with housekeeping to improve room readiness for early check-ins, which grew customer satisfaction by 15%.
- Managed booking and billing for high-profile events, including a 500-guest international conference that generated $250,000 in revenue.
- Maintained a 97% occupancy rate throughout tenure as Front Office Department Head at Coastal Retreat Hotel through targeted marketing and exceptional customer service strategies.
- Developed a seamless VIP check-in protocol that reduced service time by 40%, enhancing the experience for premium guests.
- Negotiated with vendors to upgrade in-room technology, resulting in a 10% reduction in operational costs.
- Directed front office functions at Urban Getaway Inn, implementing a loyalty program that increased repeat guest visits by 35%.
- Reduced check-in process by an average of 3 minutes per guest through the introduction of a mobile app, enhancing guest arrival experience.
- Streamlined inter-departmental communication protocols, significantly reducing errors in guest billing and service delivery.
- Supervised front office operations at Boutique City Hotel, maintaining superior guest service in a 50-room boutique environment.
- Introduced an upselling initiative that resulted in an additional $50,000 revenue within the first year of implementation.
- Liaised with IT to develop a custom check-in kiosk, decreasing the average guest wait time by 25%.
- Led the front desk team at Grand Estates Resort, increasing guest satisfaction rate to 92% through enhanced service training programs.
- Orchestrated the logistics of high-volume check-ins and check-outs during peak seasons, maintaining a smooth operation flow.
- Worked in tandem with the revenue management team to optimize pricing strategy, contributing to a 12% year-over-year revenue growth.
- Championed the front office operations at Metropolitan Central Hotel, where I drove the initiative to improve the guest feedback system, leading to a 90% issue resolution rate.
- Interfaced with the maintenance department to ensure timely resolution of facility-related issues, reducing guest complaints by 40%.
- Developed a comprehensive shift scheduling system that maximized staff availability while maintaining high morale.
- Played a pivotal role in revamping the customer service protocol at Skyline Business Hotel, which led to a recognition award for 'Best Customer Service' in the regional hotel sector.
- Improved the reservation management system, which resulted in an increase in direct bookings by 20%.
- Cultivated cross-departmental collaboration which resulted in a more synchronized guest service workflow and reduced room turnover times.
- Managed front office team at Airport Gateway Hotel, ensuring rapid accommodation of transit guests and a 99% positive feedback rate for efficiency.
- Restructured the employee training program to include customer service best practices, improving overall service quality.
- Facilitated the procurement of a state-of-the-art telephony system that improved communication between departments and with guests.
Swapping your professional experience (when you have none) with skills and more
Never underestimate the importance of relevancе when it comes to your front office manager CV. Even if you don't happen to have much or any standard (full-time contract) professional experience, this doesn't mean you shouldn't apply for the role. Instead of a bespoke CV experience section:
- Showcase more prominently any internships, part-time roles, and volunteer experience that are applicable to the role and have taught you job-crucial skills;
- Feature a strengths or achievements section with your transferrable skills or talents you've obtained thanks to your work or life experience;
- Write an objective statement that clearly outlines your values as a candidate and defines your career ambitions;
- List your education or certificates that match the job profile closer to the top of your CV.
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PRO TIP
If you have experience in diverse fields, highlight how this has broadened your perspective and skill set, making you a more versatile candidate.
Describing your unique skill set using both hard skills and soft skills
Your front office manager CV provides you with the perfect opportunity to spotlight your talents, and at the same time - to pass any form of assessment. Focusing on your skill set across different CV sections is the way to go, as this would provide you with an opportunity to quantify your achievements and successes. There's one common, very simple mistake, which candidates tend to make at this stage. Short on time, they tend to hurry and mess up the spelling of some of the key technologies, skills, and keywords. Copy and paste the particular skill directly from the job requirement to your CV to pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment. Now, your CV skills are divided into:
- Technical or hard skills, describing your comfort level with technologies (software and hardware). List your aptitude by curating your certifications, on the work success in the experience section, and technical projects. Use the dedicated skills section to provide recruiters with up to twelve technologies, that match the job requirements, and you're capable of using.
- People or soft skills provide you with an excellent background to communicate, work within a team, solve problems. Don't just copy-paste that you're a "leader" or excel at "analysis". Instead, provide tangible metrics that define your success inusing the particular skill within the strengths, achievements, summary/ objective sections.
Top skills for your front office manager CV:
Revenue Management
Booking Systems
Front Desk Operations
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Scheduling
Report Preparation
Compliance Knowledge
Inventory Management
Hospitality Software
Financial Acumen
Leadership
Communication
Problem-Solving
Interpersonal Skills
Customer Service
Multitasking
Attention to Detail
Decision Making
Time Management
Conflict Resolution
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If you have received professional endorsements or recommendations for certain skills, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, mention these to add credibility.
Your university degree and certificates: an integral part of your front office manager CV
Let's take you back to your uni days and decide what information will be relevant for your front office manager CV. Once more, when discussing your higher education, select only information that is pertinent to the job (e.g. degrees and projects in the same industry, etc.). Ultimately, you should:
- List only your higher education degrees, alongside start and graduation dates, and the university name;
- Include that you obtained a first degree for diplomas that are relevant to the role, and you believe will impress recruiters;
- Showcase relevant coursework, projects, or publications, if you happen to have less experience or will need to fill in gaps in your professional history.
PRO TIP
Focus on describing skills in the context of the outcomes they’ve helped you achieve, linking them directly to tangible results or successes in your career.
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Key takeaways
What matters most in your front office manager CV-writing process is for you to create a personalised application. One that matches the role and also showcases your unique qualities and talents.
- Use the format to supplement the actual content, to stand out, and to ensure your CV experience is easy to comprehend and follows a logic;
- Invest time in building a succinct CV top one third. One that includes a header (with your contact details and headline), a summary or an objective statement (select the one that best fits your experience), and - potentially - a dedicated skills section or achievements (to fit both hard skills and soft skills requirements);
- Prioritise your most relevant (and senior) experience closer to the top of your CV. Always ensure you're following the "power verb, skill, and achievement" format for your bullets;
- Integrate both your technical and communication background across different sections of your CV to meet the job requirements;
- List your relevant education and certificates to fill in gaps in your CV history and prove to recrutiers you have relevant technical know-how.
