Retail Sales Associate Resume

Despite setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the retail industry is still growing at a reliable pace and is one of the biggest employers in the United States. This makes working as a retail sales associate a stable, rewarding job, whether you’re looking for a part-time position or a full-time job.

However, just because retail sales associate positions are traditionally entry-level doesn’t mean they’re always easy to get. Working in retail requires a well-developed set of skills and a positive attitude, especially at high-end stores. To get hired, you need a strong resume that convinces employers you’re the right person for the job.

Follow these four tips for writing a retail sales associate resume that sells your qualifications and lands your next retail gig:

1. Add hard numbers to your achievements

Unless you’re searching for your first job, chances are you already have experience that’s relevant to working as a retail sales associate.

The best way to make your experience stand out is by using hard numbers to highlight the accomplishments you made while at work. This is especially important in a business that measures success in dollar amounts like the retail industry.

By stating how much money you made for a store, the time you saved, or the people you trained, you can demonstrate the kind of impact you’d be able to make if hired to fill a new retail role. 

Here are two examples of how to include hard numbers on your retail sales associate resume:

• Stock, replenish, and organize inventory with accuracy and efficiency, completing these functions 10% faster than the average associate

• Assist an average of 40 customers per day in finding and selecting items, providing recommendations that generated $8K in additional revenue

2. 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 you’re 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.

Here’s 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

3. Highlight your education & coursework

While your skills as a salesperson are always top priority when it comes to getting a job in retail, having a strong education section on your resume also helps convince employers that you’re qualified for the role and could have management potential.

Degrees in Accounting, Business, Marketing & Management are all related to the retail industry, and show employers that you’re dedicated to a career in sales. Some particularly useful courses include (but aren’t limited to):

• Management Theory & Principles
• Macro/Micro Economics
• Retail Marketing & Advertising
• Financial Accounting
• Organizational Management
• Foreign Languages (*Spanish/Mandarin)
• Business Math
• Supervision and Management Principles
• Communications
• Public Speaking
• Human Relations
• Visual Merchandising

4. Use action verbs to highlight your sales skills

Success in retail is primarily measured by the actions you take, whether that’s a successful sale, assisting customers, or upselling products. 

To show employers that you’d make a great retail associate, use a variety of action verbs in your resume experience section to highlight the impact you had at a former company and show that you can take initiative.

Including strong resume words helps show employers what you’re capable of and frames your experience in terms of what you’ve done rather than what you’ve been responsible for.

Here’s a list of some key action verbs to start off the bullet points in your retail sales associate resume: