Your Resume Got You Here. This Is How You Win the Interview.

Last week I shared a post about how to build a resume that get you seen by ATS and uses your 7.5 seconds to capture the hiring manager's attention while reading your resume. In this post we will examine strategies to help you win the interview. Because once you’re in the room or on that Zoom call the requirements change. The question becomes: 

Can you help someone understand why you’re the right leader for their business? 

This is where a lot of strong hospitality leaders lose momentum, let's make sure you are gaining momentum. 

The Interview Isn’t About Repeating Your Resume 

Most candidates walk in thinking they need to walk through their experience. Which means they memorize their resume so they can:

• Recap their background 

• Hit the bullet points 

• Stay high level 

And it sounds fine, however it doesn’t move anything forward. Hiring leaders did not ask to meet you so you could re-read your resume.  They’re trying to answer something much more practical: 

“If I put you in this hotel… what happens next?” 

Numbers to back this up

This isn’t just perspective; according to independent market research company Worldmetrics research shows this is how hiring decisions actually get made: 

• 92% of hiring managers say poor communication is a primary reason candidates get rejected 

• Candidates who use clear, structured storytelling are significantly more likely to move forward 

• First impressions are often formed in the first few minutes of an interview 

• And most leaders will tell you this directly—they’re hiring how you think, not just what you’ve done 

So yes, your experience matters. Your ability to translate that experience in real time matters more.

Where Strong Candidates Start to Lose It 

I see this all the time, the resume is solid. But in the interview… 

1. They stay too general 

They say things like: 

• “We improved guest satisfaction” 

• “We grew revenue” 

• “We built a strong team” 

But they never explain how and without the “how,” it doesn’t stick. 

2. They answer questions not lead the conversation 

They wait for the next question. 

They respond politely. 

But they don’t take ownership of the narrative. 

Strong candidates don’t just answer they guide the conversation gently. They help the interviewer connect the dots.

3. They miss the context 

Their resume says: 

Increased RevPAR. Improved retention. 

But they never explain: 

• What they walked into 

• What wasn’t working 

• What decisions they made 

• What resistance they faced 

That context is everything and that’s where leadership stories come to life. 

What Winning Interviews Actually Look Like 

When someone does this well, it feels different immediately. It stops feeling like an interview. 

It starts feeling like a conversation about the business. 

What This Sounds Like in a Real Interview 

Let me give you a real example of how this comes together. This is where the shift happens for most candidates. 

Question: “Can you tell me about a time you improved performance at a struggling property?” 

Weak answer: “We focused on improving guest service and worked closely with the sales team to drive revenue. We were able to increase RevPAR and improve overall guest satisfaction.” 

Note-nothing in this answer is WRONG. The issue is it is too general, too safe and honestly, easy to forget. 

Stronger answer: “When I stepped into the property, we were trailing our comp set by about 11% in RevPAR, and the team was pretty disengaged. We also had a heavy reliance on OTAs, which was putting pressure on margins. 

The first thing I focused on was stabilizing the team. We had some turnover at the department head level, so I spent time getting the right leaders in place and resetting expectations around accountability and communication. 

On the revenue side, we shifted our strategy toward extended stay and local corporate accounts. The DOS and I worked closely on rebuilding relationships we had lost, and we got much more disciplined around rate integrity. 

It wasn’t overnight, but within about nine months we closed the gap with our comp set and finished the year up just over 7%. Guest scores improved along the way, but more importantly, the team became more consistent and engaged. 

For me, the biggest win wasn’t just the numbers—it was creating stability in a property that didn’t have it when I walked in.” 

This shows the situation, the thinking, the action, and the outcome. It also sounds like a leader who understands the business not someone repeating a bullet point from a resume. It is also conveyed in compelling story.

This Part Happens Fast 

Another reality people underestimate: first impressions are formed quickly; LinkedIn research shows that interviewers form an impression of a candidate in as little at 7 minutes. 

My mom used to say it's not just what you say it is how you say it, this is very true in interviews.

• How clear you are 

• How confident you sound 

• How you structure your thoughts 

This is presence and in interviews, presence matters. If you’re leading a hotel, you’re leading people and people follow those with presence.

One of the Biggest Missed Opportunities: The Follow-Up 

This one is simple and it matters. Remember to ALWAYS follow up and personalize it to the role and the conversation itself.  

A strong follow-up does three things: 

1. Reinforces your interest 

2. Reflects something specific from the conversation 

3. Shows professionalism and attention to detail 

That’s on-brand for a hospitality leader and it sticks. 

Let’s Put This in Perspective 

By the time you’re interviewing, you’re already in a small group. Most roles see: 

• Dozens—sometimes hundreds—of applicants 

• Only a handful get interviews 

So once you’re there: 

👉 This is not about being perfect

👉 This is about being clear 

Can the person across from you quickly understand: 

• What you’ve done 

• How you did it 

• Why it matters to them 

That’s the entire conversation. Last week's post was about your resume. 

👉 Your resume shows your results

👉 Your interview explains them 

If those two things don’t line up, something feels off. Interviewers do not have the time or bandwidth to try and fill in the blanks, so they move on to the next candidate. 

A Simple Way to Prepare 

Before your next interview, get honest with yourself: 

• Can I clearly explain the impact I had in each role? 

• Do I have 3–5 real examples that show how I lead? 

• Can I connect my experience directly to this asset, this brand, this situation? 

If not, it's time to get to work, you do not have to memorize answers, you do not need to be too polished, start with clarity and go from there. 

Final Thought 

A lot of people think interviews are about having the “right answers.”, and they put pressure on themselves to be perfect. Interviews are about helping someone see what it would feel like to trust you with their business. That is a different level of conversation and when done properly, it creates an impression.

If You Want Help Connecting the Dots 

This is exactly the work I do with hospitality leaders every day, helping good operators communicate their value more clearly and create better momentum in the search process. 

If you’re getting interviews but not offers, struggling to explain your impact, or simply want to show up stronger in the room, there is usually a gap in how the story is coming across. 

If that sounds familiar, visit Melton Hospitality Advisors to see how we help hospitality leaders sharpen their resume, tell their story, and move forward with more clarity and confidence.