Retail Sales Associate Resume Examples Of 2022
The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that jobs for retail sales associate representatives, also known as retail sales workers, are going to decline by 2% from 2018-2028. This will mean around 105,000 fewer jobs in the industry. Jobs in brick-and-mortar stores are being impacted by online sales. Retailers are emphasizing customer service to help differentiate them from online stores and are looking for staff who can help customers make buying decisions as well as operate cash registers and restock.
The decrease in jobs is likely to lead to greater competition for retail sales positions. A well-written resume that emphasizes the skills employers are looking for can help you stand out from other applicants. Below are downloadable resume examples for both experienced and entry-level applicants. There are also tips on how to write a better resume and align it to meet the requirements of a specific job description.
How To Become A Sales Associate
To become a sales associate, you need to obtain the right qualifications and actively seek out the position thats right for you. Heres three things to consider when striving to become a sales associate:
Include Relevant Additional Sections
If you still have some space on your sales associate resume, consider making use of some additional sections.
While they arent as important as your work experience or skills, additional sections can give you the edge you need over candidates with very similar resumes to yours.
Not to mention, these sections are especially useful if youre still in school/university or recently graduated.
As a sales associate, you can add one or more of these additional sections:
Heres an example of how these additional sections should look on your sales associate resume:
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Emphasize Your Retail And Sales Skills
Successful retail sales associates are valued not because of their educational background or work history, but because they have a well-developed set of sales skills.
When putting together an application for a retail sales job, be sure to include a detailed skills section on your resume that targets the exact abilities the employer is looking for.
If youre unsure what kind of skills you should highlight, start by reading the job ad for the position you want to fill and take note of the abilities listed in the Requirements section of the advertisement. Then, include as many of these skills on your resume as possible.
Heres an example of a highly detailed resume skills section featuring highly marketable sales associate skills:
- Customer Service: Able to gauge and meet the needs of the customer
- Product knowledge: SUp to date on the latest trends in the retail industry, and able to educate the customers about your brand
- Sales: Ability to increase sales by upselling customers using the information gathered while assisting them
- Merchandising: Possess a deep understanding of the best merchandising practices and inventory management
- Basic Math Skills: Able to calculate the total price after factoring in sales, discounts, and promotions
- Language Ability: Bilingual in Spanish or Chinese
What Does A Sales Associate Do
Sales associates are the backbone of the retail industry. They deal directly with customers, either in brick-and-mortar locations or through online communication. Some sales associates work part-time while the attend school or to make extra cash, while others work full-time and may aspire to a higher level retail position.
Sales associates focus on the front end of the sales cycle, helping to achieve sales goals by restocking products, organizing merchandise and facilitating transactions. They work directly with customers, carefully creating and nurturing a superior customer experience that will strengthen future product sales. A sales associate works to build customer relationships and increase volume of sales within a company.
The retail industry as a whole is not expected to see much growth in the next decade, which means the demand for sales associates will be mostly flat, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts. Sales associates work at or slightly above minimum wage, earning an average of $12 per hour, or $24,000 a year, Career Bliss reports.
Aiming for a stellar sales associate resume? Take a peek at our other related sales resume samples:
- The resume skills section
- The education section
Directly addressing the needs of the company will also help you get into the hands of a human being instead of entering the Applicant Tracking System never to be heard from again.
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Sales Associate Resume Template
Retail Sales Associate
555.555.5555 | ava.olsen@email.com | Fargo, SD | linkedin.com/ava.olsen
Trustworthy and reliable retail professional skilled in exceptional client experiences. Known to identify customer needs and safeguard the best quality service. Dedicated leader committed to driving brand loyalty and building strong customer relationships by leveraging interpersonal skills and product knowledge. Detail-orientated with a proven capacity to support peers and management and ensure revenue targets are met. Efficient communicator dedicated to accuracy and fostering safe operations that cultivate and deliver prosperous front-end operations.
Key Skills
Retail Sales & Merchandising | Excellent Customer Service | Stock & Inventory Support | Cash Handling
Loss Prevention | Warehouse Security | Warehouse Logistics | Receiving Support
Professional Experience
STORE ASSOCIATE | Company One / Fargo, SD / 20XX 20XX
Provided quality customer service to upwards of 150 guests per day. Ensured store was well-stocked, displayed, and clean. Known for time management and skilled in relationship building.
STORE ASSOCIATE | Company Two / Fargo, SD / 20XX 20XX
Operated in a fast-paced environment. Sorted, scanned, and stacked packages, assisted in preparing customer orders for delivery, and delivered projects on target.
STORE ASSOCIATE / LOSS PREVENTION | Company Three / Fargo, SD / 20XX 20XX
Education
Associate of Arts Degree in Business | College One | Fargo, SD
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 doesnt 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 youve 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.
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Skills Every Sales Associate Needs To Crush It
Ramp up your sales associates with this free training and onboarding template.
Transitioning to a sales career can happen in a variety of ways, and it can be difficult to ascertain which roles are right for you. However, few roles can set you up for a successful career in sales like a sales associate role can.
In a world where outbound sales tactics are less effective and inbound sales are on the rise, customer experience and service are paramount.
In this guide, were going to deep dive into what it really takes to be a successful sales associate. And if youre short on time, click on one of these headlines to jump to the section you need most.
Experience With Crm Or Pos Software
The ability to use aCRM is an essential skill for salespeople. Many sales professionals rely heavily on their CRM to manage contacts and deals.
Using a CRM is a more efficient way to maintain contact information than a spreadsheet or document because it allows for segmentation and automation. This means you reach the right people at the right time without searching for their information. If you dont have experience using a CRM, check out this ultimate guide to learn the basics.
For sales associates working in a retail environment, the use of a CRM may not be necessary. Working with a point of sale system , where customer transactions are processed and logged, is a more common practice for retail sales associates.
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Clothing Store Sales Associate Resume
Use this template
Why this resume works
- The more experience you gain in your career, the less you need to talk about your education on your resume. Education should take up very little space on your clothing store sales associate resume if you have several years of work experience.
- Your resume bullet points should typically open with action verbs like “created,” “promoted,” or “exceeded.” If you want to see how your resume is doing on this front, you can upload it to our resume checker.
- Your resume title should match the job title to which you’re applying. So if you’re seeking a position as a “clothing store sales associate,” that should be the title listed on your resume.
Related Resume Guides
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
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.
- 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
Alternatively, you may write a summary statement on your retail resume instead. This section may include 1 to 3 sentences.
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Example Sales Associate Job Description
XYZ, Inc., is a leading global clothing retail company that designs, manufactures, and sells clothing under five main brands: Bright Republic, Bonjour Amour, Common, 2 People and JAMES. We are looking for an experienced Sales Associate to join our team. The Sales Associate will demonstrate excellent communication skills and thrive in a fast-paced retail environment. They are responsible for demonstrating exceptional customer service by responding promptly and professionally to customer needs, providing in-depth product information and product recommendations, and closing the sale. The sales associate will also be responsible for a variety of operational duties as assigned by the store management team and for meeting monthly sales targets.
Responsibilities:
According to the job description, the ideal job applicant should have the following skills and/or experience:
- Communication skills
Summary Example: Your Professional Personality
Your resume is your sales pitch for yourself. Use it as an opportunity to show off your selling abilities. Your summary section is the best place to do that because it is free-form sentences instead of bullet points. It gives you a chance to give hiring managers a taste of your demeanor, experience, accomplishments and attributes. Especially if you are looking for your first job, you can beef up this section a bit to let employers know more about you and why you would be a great hire.
Remember to use as many powerful action verbs and job specific information as you can. Sales associates must be able to establish and nurture positive relationships with prospects and customers, so consider giving an example of a situation in which your people skills made a difference.
This formula can help you make the most of the 3-5 sentences in your resume summary section:
- Sentence 1: Introduce yourself and explain your philosophy of sales.
- Sentence 2: Give a little background on your career or explain why you want to work at the particular establishment.
- Sentence 3-4: Tout one or two of your greatest career or academic achievements in as much detail as possible.
- Sentence 5: Offer an idea of what you will bring to the job.
The resume text below is a great starting point for your own summary.
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Employment History Example: Experience That Counts
No matter what type of work you have done before, even if it was volunteer work, you have experience that counts. Consider the skills necessary to be a great sales associate and use examples from your career and and schooling to show off those skills even if you did not perform them in a retail setting.
Create 3-4 bullet points under each previous position to discuss your duties and accomplishments. Start each item with a strong action word. Jump right in to detailing your accomplishments. Leave out phrases that don’t add to your descriptions such as “in this job I have” as you have limited space and should keep your resume to one page.
The resume example text below will give you some ideas for your employment history section.
Ability To Learn Quickly And Accept Feedback
Former chairman and CEO of General Electric, Jack Welch, once said, Change before you have to.
Customer-facing roles can be unpredictable. You’ll often be expected to learn new selling techniques and product information, and the ability to quickly master new skills can help you succeed.
Solicit feedback from senior members of your team, and implement their feedback quickly. If you’re a hiring manager, learn more about creating a smooth onboarding process for sales professionals with the ultimate guide for training new salespeople.
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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 youre 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 companys mission and vision.
Writing A Retail Sales Associate Resume
As you prepare your resume, always keep in mind that it should always meet the requirements of the job post. Thus, it is important to review each sales associate job description to ensure your resume contains the relevant details for it to be reviewed by the hiring manager.
To help you get started, here are a list of skills for sales associates you should include on your resume:
- Problem Resolution and Decision Making
- Interpersonal Relationship
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Assistant Sales Associate Resume
Summary : 10+ years of experience as a Sales Associate. I am a quick learner, organized, good communication skills, efficient, and detailed oriented. I am self-motivated and multitasked. I work well with others or independently and enjoy working with the community. Willing to learn and exceed my knowledge in any position.
Skills : Fluent In Both English and Spanish, Inventory Merchandising, Data Entry, Finance Handling, Master Certified Sales, Customer Service, and Typing.
Description :
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How To Align Your Resume With The Job Description
Hiring managers often look at hundreds of candidates to find someone who fits their needs. An effective way to capture the attention of a hiring manager and prove youre a better match than other job seekers is by mirroring the details found in the job description.
Not sure what skills and experiences you should highlight in your resume? Typically, the most important requirements for the position are mentioned first or more than once in the job description. Compare your resume to the companys job description and make sure it describes the skills and qualifications the hiring manager is seeking. But never lie on a resume. Few applicants meet every qualification sought in a job description. Tailor your resume so that a hiring manager notices the skills you do have.
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Get Ready To Interview
When you get the opportunity to interview for a sales associate position, youll have to be prepared. Focus on conveying your communication skills and your previous work experience. If your work experience isnt directly sales-related tell the interviewer what transferable skills you gained then.
With HubSpots Global Sales Team, its not uncommon to come from a background outside of sales, as anyone can flourish if they are willing to learn. Listen to their stories in the video below.
When youve completed the interview, send a thank you email for their time, and we wish you the best of luck.