Therefore, preparing a stand out resume for a sales associate is absolutely necessary. Submit one that’s exceptional enough to at least land you an interview. Once you get that interview, you will have an opportunity to impress your future employer even more.
What should you do to make your sales associate resume better than the rest? Aside from attaching a cover letter, find a way to creatively include all relevant skills and experience you have for the position you are applying for. Read on and find out some best practices and valuable tips that will help make your resume the one to beat!
How to Write an Awesome Sales Associate Resume?
An aesthetically pleasing retail sales associate resume is good. But if you want one that’s awesome, then you must pay attention to content, too.
Jobs in retail usually get tons of applications. Most hiring managers won’t spend more than a minute or two reading each CV that lands on their inbox or table. Make sure your resume is packed with details significant to the position you’re applying for. You should also make it easy on the eyes while highlighting all the best information about you.
Start Your Sales Associate Resume with a Clear Contact Information
One of the most important parts of your resume is your contact information. This is the best and only way for a company to reach you if they’re interested in interviewing you and eventually hiring you.
This is located on top of your resume. It can be right in the middle underneath your name or on the upper left- or right-hand corner. It has to be clear and very visible. You will see variations of how these are placed when viewing sales associate resume examples.
Also, make sure that the number or email addresses that you provide are updated. You must have access to these at any given time. The last thing you want to happen is missing a phone call or message for an interview.
How to Select the Best Sales Associate Resume Template
The best thing about using a resume builder is that you already have all the details you need. You simply need to fill it out and customize it with your personal details.
There are many ready-made templates you can use online. Choose wisely depending on the position you are applying for. Take into consideration the company you want to target.
Check out our resume templates that can help you get started. Choose one that matches the job you are applying for or choose a template that reflects your personality.
A sales associate resume template is ideal to ensure that you don’t miss out on any important detail. It will also help make your resume look more organized, clear, and aesthetically pleasing.
Choose Between Objective Statement and Professional Summary for Your Resume
If you are currently searching for the best sales associate resume sample, you will see that most include an objective statement or professional summary, or both.
These are not necessarily required, but they are ideal. If you choose to include them in your resume, make sure they look professional.
A clear objective or an impressive professional summary is ideal whether you’re an entry-level or experienced job seeker. Having these readily available on your resume gives you the opportunity to impress them right away.
Since the goal is to impress and make your resume stand out from the rest, this section must be well-written. Use this opportunity to customize your resume. Treat this part of your resume as a headline.
How do you do this? Read the job posting carefully. Research about the company. Be specific by mentioning skills, qualities, and experience related to their job post or their company’s mission and vision.
Sales Associate Resume Summary Example
If you will be adding a professional summary on your resume, make sure the details you include are relevant to the position you are applying for. You may label this section of your resume simply as Professional Summary or one of these other titles below:
- Summary of Qualifications
- Professional Qualifications
- Executive Summary
- Skills Summary
- Qualifications Summary
- Qualifications
- Resume Summary
You can also play around with words and make this section more creative. Try including specific experiences and key responsibilities based on your work history that’s applicable to your potential new job.
Mention how you have delivered exceptional service on the sales floor or how you have assisted customers, gained retail knowledge, hit sales targets, and have been assigned project management tasks. You may even include other tasks assigned to you and achievements in previous positions from something as simple as having operated the cash register or processed cash or credit payments to designing merchandise displays, and more.
Make it stand out by highlighting your track record. Here is a good example.
Professional Summary
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5+ years of experience as a sales associate in the retail industry
2+ years of experience as an e-commerce sales specialist
2+ years team leader of 30+ sales associates
Exceeded monthly sales quotas
Won Employee of the Month awards 12 times in the past 3 years
Created winning up-selling and cross-selling scripts for the sales team
Alternatively, you may write a summary statement on your retail resume instead. This section may include 1 to 3 sentences.
Sales Associate Resume Objective Statement Example
Some believe including an objective is an outdated style and doesn’t add value to a retail sales associate resume at all. But if you still have plenty of space on your resume, why not try to add an impressive objective instead?
Although you probably won’t see objectives in a standard sales associate resume template, treat this as another great opportunity to be creative. You can turn something that people would say is outdated into a strong statement that can make your resume shine.
Use relevant keywords that can eventually make your sales associate job resume easy to find especially when the employer tracks applications digitally. Your objective is ideally short. Try to squeeze in truly relevant details in 1 to 2 sentences.
Add your personal career goals on your objective. However, the main focus remains on how you can add value to the company.
Here is an example of an eye-catching career objective you can place on top of your resume.
I am aiming to utilize my extensive sales experience to help ABC Company exceed its monthly, quarterly, and annual quotas. It is my pleasure to learn more about the industry and put into practice my social skills and work ethics in a reputable company where I expect my career to grow.
How to Write an Eye-Catching Experience Section
Each sample resume for a sales associate you will find most likely includes a work experience section. Listing work history and track record is essential in every resume. Especially when you are applying for a sales associate position, it is best to identify all relevant experiences that can be useful for the job.
If you have a long list of work and internship experiences, you don’t have to include every single one of them. Yes, you may list companies you have worked for in the past including the years you have worked with them.
However, it is more important to highlight those work experiences that are relevant to the position. Whether it was a quick internship with a start-up company or several years of service for a large corporation, it matters more if the experiences related to the sales.
Examples of Work Experience Section for Retail Sales Associates
For every employment or internship experience, include a couple of sentences or a bulleted list of tasks and achievements you’ve had while on the job.
Here is an example of an experience section for your sales associate resume.
Sales Executive for ABC Company
New York City, NY
June 2017 to Present
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Mastered all product details and specifications
Proven up-selling and cross-selling skills
Maintained the inventory of the company’s three locations
Trained 10 junior sales associates
Spearheaded the company’s transition to an e-commerce platform
Sales Associate for XYZ Company
Orlando, FL
September 2015 to May 2017
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Maintained the inventory for the Orlando branch
Updated daily store records
Consistently reached and exceeded monthly sales quotas after 2 months of employment
Won 5 Employee of the Month awards
Education Section of the Sales Associate Resume
Training and technical skills are fundamental for sales associate jobs. Your soft skills might impress your interviewer, but your educational background can also take you places.
Include degrees, all schools, colleges, and universities you have attended along with its location and the years you’ve spent there.
If you are a fresh graduate without any work experience yet, you may utilize this section to include any relevant achievements and activities that can be related to a sales associate position.
You may also add your high school diploma, training, technical skills, and certifications you have in this section.
Tip: If you feel your education section is lacking and you need more training and certifications to make you qualified for the job, then get those certifications now. If there aren’t many training institutions in your area, you can always look for paid and free courses online that provide certificates.
Education Section Examples
An education section can be as simple as this.
EDUCATION
Associate’s Degree in Business Administration and Management
Hillsborough Community College – Plant City Campus
August 2013 to December 2015
Customer Service Mastery
Plant City Sales Institute
July 2017
Practical Selling Techniques
ABC Company In-House Training
November 2019
Associate’s Degree in Business Administration and Management
Customer Service Mastery
Practical Selling Techniques
Key Skills and Competencies for Sales Associate Resume
While education and training are highly important, your skills and competencies matter greatly when you’re applying for a sales position. This includes both hard skills and soft skills.
When you submit your resume to a company, they most likely know nothing about you yet. You are just giving them a piece of paper that includes all relevant information about you. By including your skills on your resume and your cover letter, you are giving them an overview of what you can do for the company and their customers, and what they can expect from you once you start working with them.
It would be best to include key skills that are relevant to the retail industry. Here are just a few examples:
- Customer service
- Inventory management
- POS system operation
- Territory sales experience
- Documentation and recordkeeping
- Merchandising knowledge
- Advertising
Hard skills, simply explained, are skills and abilities that can be learned and are measurable. These are core qualifications you learn from experience or training. Here are some examples of hard skills:
- Computer skills
- Mathematics skills
- Excellent customer service or customer satisfaction
- Retail skills
- Customer service skills
- Operation of cash registers
- Written and verbal communication
- Product knowledge
- Team leadership
Soft skills, on the other hand, are also important to include in your resume because these are the traits that would make you a good sales associate. Here are some examples:
- Interpersonal skills
- Rapport building
- Flexibility
- Multi-tasking
- Ability to engage with customers
- Adjusting to a fast paced retail environment
You may also include the above information in your cover letter that you will be attaching to your job application.
What is the Best Format and Length for a Sales Associate Resume?
A good sales associate resume example is typically one page only. However, this doesn’t mean you should eliminate a lot of good information that shows you are a certified professional sales person.
Aside from your personal data, it would be good to enumerate your sales skills, your retail sales associate work experience, and all other related accomplishments you’ve had over the years.
Customizing your retail sales associate resume according to the job description the company has specified can certainly help increase your chances of getting chosen as one of the new employees to hire.
Choosing the right template is key to come up with the perfect resume. Look for the best sales associate resume example, then let its format and layout serve as your guide. Check out our resume examples and pick the most suitable retail sales associate resume for you.
Main Takeaways for Retail Sales Associate Resume Building
Dealing with customers directly, having retail knowledge or product knowledge, and the proven ability to reach sales goals are only some of the best qualities a typical employer would be looking for from a sales representative.
Make sure that your contact details are clear and updated. Choose the most relevant experiences you have in your work history to include in your resume.
It is important to note, however, that retail environments vary greatly. Pay attention to the job title and the job description. Find out more about the company you’re applying for.
Include how you drove sales in previous positions or specific tasks that made you an experienced sales associate specializing in retail.
When creating your own resume, you may use a resume builder or choose a sales associate resume example that can help you highlight your proven ability to provide outstanding customer service.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to describe a sales associate on a resume?
A sales associate may be described as an individual who has experience working in the retail industry.
What are the best skills to put on a sales associate resume?
With or without work history, it is best to include hard and soft skills that will be useful in the job. This may include anything from operating a cash register to providing outstanding customer service to mastering product knowledge and more. Soft skills such as the ability to socialize with customers, rapport building with team members, and ability to work in a fast paced environment can also help improve your resume.
What are the responsibilities of a sales associate?
A sales associate typically works in retail environments and deals with customers directly. They may also operate cash registers, process credit card payments, organize merchandise display, help customers who are redeeming points from a rewards program, and so much more. Ultimately, a good sales representative must be able to drive sales and reach quotas.
How should I include keywords in my resume?
When you use a resume builder, you will find where to fill in information in your resume. These personal data may include some keywords that a hiring manager might be looking for. Check the job description and job title. Ensure that these are mentioned in your resume so that potential employers can easily search for your job application.
