CV tips for waiters, hosts, and baristas aiming for premium venues

In luxury hospitality, first impressions matter—and in many cases, your CV is your first interaction with a potential employer. Whether you're applying to a high-end café in Bahrain, a cocktail bar in Dubai, or a fine-dining restaurant in Riyadh, your CV needs to reflect the standards of the venue you're hoping to join.

At Radiant Hospitality, we work closely with some of the region’s most prestigious restaurants and cafés. We’ve reviewed thousands of CVs and spoken with just as many chefs, GMs and HR managers. The good news? Most job seekers can improve their chances significantly with just a few smart adjustments.

Here’s how to build a CV that makes you stand out for the right reasons.

Understand the employer’s perspective

Hiring managers in the Gulf review hundreds of CVs a week. In premium venues they’re not just looking for experience; they’re looking for alignment with the brand. Can you represent their service standards? Will you carry the brand image confidently?

The average CV gets scanned in under a minute. You need to make an impact quickly and clearly.

Start strong with a professional summary

A short, focused summary at the top of your CV gives employers a snapshot of who you are. Include your current role, years of experience, the type of venues you’ve worked in and one or two standout strengths.

Example:

Experienced barista with four years in third-wave cafés across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Skilled in latte art, high-volume service and guest interaction. Fluent in English and Tagalog with a warm, professional manner.

Avoid vague claims like “hardworking” unless you back them up with achievements elsewhere in your CV.

Tailor your CV to the role

Not all FOH jobs are alike. A fine dining host needs different strengths to a brunch barista. Show that you understand the difference. Mirror the style of the venue, highlight the most relevant experiences first and work in key words from the job ad. This kind of tailoring proves you’ve thought about the role instead of sending out the same CV everywhere.

Make your experience easy to read

Layout matters. Each role should list your job title, venue name, location, dates and a handful of clear points that show responsibilities and achievements.

Example for a host: managed seating flow in a 250-cover restaurant, handled reservations through SevenRooms, supported event planning for private dining.

Example for a barista: prepared specialty coffee during peak 300+ cover weekends, maintained quality standards, trained junior baristas in calibration and latte art.

Keep it punchy. Employers should be able to scan and understand what you bring in seconds.

Include the right skills

Your skills section should be specific and backed up by your experience. Focus on guest service, product knowledge, FOH systems, soft skills and languages. Multilingual candidates are in demand, so list languages with proficiency levels. Skip the tired “team player” style lists unless they’re supported by evidence elsewhere.

Professional appearance and formatting

Your CV is part of your presentation. Use a clean, modern layout with simple headers. Keep it to two pages maximum, format dates consistently and save as a PDF with a clear file name. If formatting isn’t your strength, get a second set of eyes on it or work with a recruiter who’ll help you polish it.

Should you include a photo?

In the Middle East, especially for guest-facing roles, a photo is often expected. Use a recent, professional image. No selfies, no filters, no over-editing. If you don’t look like your photo in person, you’ll almost certainly be rejected. A clear, authentic image supports your application.

Optional extras that help

A short cover note, a line of guest feedback, a quick video intro or a clear note on your availability can all make your application stronger. These aren’t always required, but in a competitive market, they can give you an edge.

Common mistakes to avoid

Spelling errors in job titles, overcrowded text, unexplained job gaps, casual email addresses and badly named files still sink applications every week. Each one signals carelessness and suggests you’re not ready for a premium environment.

Our perspective

We see CVs every day, and the difference between a maybe and a yes often comes down to clarity and care. Be honest about your level, emphasize professionalism over clichés, keep guest service at the core and show you’re ready to work in high-end venues.

Your CV is your first guest interaction

Think of your CV as your first shift. You wouldn’t greet a guest without being ready, so don’t send out a CV that looks unfinished. A good CV reflects your history, but a great one reflects your standards.

At Radiant Hospitality, we work with candidates every day to present themselves at their best and get noticed by the right venues. If you want help getting yours ready, we’re here.