If you are applying to a big organization for a housekeeping position, high chances are that you’ll be asked to go through a formal job application process. This means that you’ll need to prepare a resume and a cover letter.
The cover letter will be your first “introduction” to the potential employer. So you need to make it count! Below are some great tips to help you with that. In the end, we’ve included a very useful housekeeping cover letter sample. Let’s get started!
Focus on Your Contributions to The Organization
Your resume and cover letter should absolutely contain details about your skills. More on that in a moment. What’s even more important is that you write about your contributions to the companies you’ve worked for.
If it helps, don’t think of your daily tasks and duties. Instead, think about the results of your work. You don’t just wipe down counters and mop floors. You provide the people who live, work, stay, shop there, etc. with a pleasant, clean environment. Consider the different experiences you’ve had in clean places and the ones in places that were not. You help create healthy environments and positive experiences.
List Skills That Are The Best Fit
Now, the part about your skills. Housekeeping is a pretty broad term. You could work in housekeeping as someone who cleans offices, an independent business owner who cleans homes, the head housekeeper at a hotel, or a floor cleaning janitorial worker at a large company.
As you write your resume and cover letter consider your skills and experience. Then, focus on a few items that are most relevant to the job you are seeking. Here’s an example:
“In my current position, I regularly operate floor scrubbers, carpet extractors, and upholstery cleaning machines. I am also certified in the safe handling of industrial cleaning chemicals.”
Debi Douma-Herren
Senior Certified HR Professional & Career Coach
Use a Professional Template to Stand Out
Professional resume and cover letter templates are very useful tools. They provide you with a framework that you can use to format your job application. They’re also designed by professionals who know exactly what to include to ensure that your application documents draw attention. So be sure to grab one!
Emphasize Your Independence
Housekeeping work is often done independently. Most potential employers will want to hire people that can work without much supervision and can be trusted to get their work done well without constant double-checking by others.
In your resume and cover letter, be certain to note any experience that you have working without direct supervision. Of course, this is where positive references can help. If your current or previous employer will vouch for you here, that’s even better.
Mention if You Are Bilingual
As with most service industry jobs, speaking more than one language makes you significantly more valuable to many employers. It means that you will be able to communicate easily with any coworkers or customers who happen to speak that language.
You Don’t Have to Overstate Your Enthusiasm
Not everyone who goes into housekeeping plans to stay in that field for long, and that’s fine. Some housekeepers are students earning extra money. Others view it as temporary work until they find a career that interests them. Most hiring managers don’t expect you to commit to significantly long-term employment.
What this means is that you don’t have to write a flower objective or personal statement about pursuing your dream career in housekeeping. Doing that can work against you.
Cover Letter Sample for a Housekeeper Position in .docx Format
Here is a quick example of a cover letter for a housekeeping position at a hotel.
Download example (Word version)
Housekeeping Cover Letter Example – Text Format
Dear Ms. Wick,
I am writing in response to the ad you posted on Monster, looking for a lead housekeeper at Exeter Resorts in Orlando. At present, I am a housekeeping supervisor and trainer at Westpark Inn. I believe that I have all the skills, and experience you are seeking.
In my current position, I am in charge of ensuring that the lobby, entryways, hotels, and public restrooms are clean and attractive to visitors. In addition to this, I train new housekeepers and provide in-room inspections as part of the Westpark quality assurance process. My duties require that I work almost entirely independently and that I provide hotel management with accurate reports of the conditions of the hotel. I also work with maintenance to coordinate necessary repairs, and to relay information from guests.
I have completed OSHA training in the safe handling of cleaning chemicals in the workplace. In addition to this, I have received EPA certified training in the proper use and disposal of potentially harmful cleaning agents. As a result of this training, I spearheaded efforts to adopt more environmentally friendly cleaning processes.
I am very interested in this position. It will allow me to use skills that I currently possess, and the hours work well with my course schedule at Orlando Community College. I am available for an interview at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Karen Ninja
Final Tip: Think Green!
More and more companies are going green. If you have experience cleaning using chemicals that are environmentally safe or have adopted other ‘clean’ practices, add this pertinent info to your application documents. This can give you a major advantage over other job applicants!