We’ve all done it. We’ve all taken the time to fill out an online profile, whether for a social site, dating site, or even another job site. And we’ve hated every…single…second of it! After all of that, you’d think that you’ve got the process down, but how often are you really noticed?

Filling out a profile on a job site and making it stand out can be daunting. Especially here in the service industry where an outgoing personality, charisma, and the ability to self-promote are a necessity. What’s more, most of us seem to freeze up when we’re put on the spot and actually given the chance to brag about ourselves. It seems easy to do it when the conversation is flowing, but when you actually have to think about it…well, that’s another story.

So how can you stand out from the crowd here on Sirvo? How about we give you a few tips?

We’ll give you the most important tip right away…

You’re probably not going to want to hear this, but the absolute best way to get noticed by employers is to actually go through and make sure you fill out your entire profile. Attaching a paper resume to your application while only filling out one or two fields in the Sirvo profile makes your application look sloppy, and who wants that?

Another reason for this is employers use keywords when searching for candidates. So if you haven’t taken the time to describe yourself and to give some telling details about who you are and what you can do, then don’t expect to get too many callbacks.

If you haven’t taken the time to describe yourself and to give some telling details about who you are and what you can do, then don’t expect to get too many callbacks.

We know that filling out profiles sucks so we’ve made the process as easy as possible for you. We only have five sections: Experience, Education, Certifications & Additional Training, Skills, and Interests. We don’t ask too many questions because we want to allow you to showcase you. We let you get as creative about your story as you want.

PS. If you’re a new Sirvo user and have most of this information already filled out on your Facebook Page then sign up using the Facebook option and we’ll automatically populate the majority of the information for you!

Let’s start at the top.

First things first, let people see who you are. Maybe we don’t want to admit it, but we all start to form an opinion of someone the moment we see them. Photos get as much (if not more) attention than your experience, education, and skills. Make sure you start off on the right foot by adding a photo that lets employers form the right mental image of you.

HINT: Make sure the picture looks like you, isn’t blurry, and won’t embarrass you.

Also, make sure you add your full name and spell it right. Just kidding, we know you can spell your name. But double check for typos, just in case.

The last thing before finishing out the headline section is…make sure you’re a headliner! Give employers 3-5 sentences describing yourself. And don’t just let them know what job you’re looking for or where you want to fit in. Include something personal like your favorite motto or a talent you’re known for. Maybe you’ve won an award or have a hobby you’re proud of. Let them know!

Accomplishments count.

When filling out the experience section, describe what you’ve accomplished and what you can do. Don’t just list the duties of each position you’ve held in the past. If you’ve been a cook or server or any other position, employers will already have an idea of what that entails. They want to know things beyond your just your duties, like what you’ll bring to the table.

When you were a cook, did you create a dish that was so good the manager or owner added it to the menu permanently? Tell them! When you were a bartender, did the bar have higher sales when you were there than when you weren’t? They’ll want to know that, too!

HINT: If you have hardcore numbers to prove your accomplishments, provide them!

If you can add the contact info of a reference who’ll back up your story, feel free to put that in the Experience>Description section.

Education is important in the service industry, too.

Frequently, employees in our industry think this is less necessary than the experience section. That’s not the case. Employers look to this for any number of reasons. Two being, it adds a bit more insight to who you are and potentially shows experience(s) outside of the service industry.

HINT: Add your education in reverse order.

If you’ve just finished a degree, add that first and work backward to high school or trade/technical schools. And remember, dates are important.

Make sure you have the proper certifications.

If you want to work in the front of the house you’ll want to make sure you’re certified to serve alcoholic beverages in your state. If you’ll be in the back of the house, you may want to get take the necessary safe food handling courses your state requires. Having these in advance speeds up the hiring process and gives you a leg up when employers are making hiring decisions.

Find out more information about training and certifications specifically for bartenders, check out our blog post.

Skills

The popular thought here is “the more, the better” but that’s not true. Add the skills you want potential employers to know about but make sure those skills are relevant to the job you’re seeking.

Adding too many skills or random skills sends the message that you don’t really know what you’re looking for. Resist the urge to pad the skills section. Highlight what you’re good at. Leave the rest off. Make sure you can actually do what you say you can do.

What interests you?

This is the section where you can let employers know about any and all work related subjects you’re focused on or would like to focus on. It’s also a great place to let them know you have a life outside of work.

Before you finish.

Head to the Settings page and make sure your name, email, city, and phone number are filled in correctly. You can also add your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram handles if you’d like. 

Filling out the entire Sirvo profile will be worth the time and effort. Not only will you pop up in searches more, but it forces you to add those intricate little details that set you apart from the crowd. Feel free to keep this open when filling out your profile to help speed up the process and remember to update your profile frequently!

Happy searching!

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