Sales Associate Resume
"The best way to sell yourself to others is first to sell others to yourself"
Sales Associate Resume – Samples & How-To Guide
Sales associates play a critical part in almost every large organization. They play a key role in drawing potential customers in by educating them about the products and services being offered and helping these customers make informed decisions about whether or not to buy from the company.
Jobs for sales associates are projected to increase by 5% (or 94,100 jobs) from 2016 through 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These jobs will be focused in California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois, with high levels of jobs in the following cities: Atlantic, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York. As a sales associate, you can expect to earn a wage of $29.00/hour, annualized to $60,000/year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Here’s a typical sales associate resume example:
How to make your retail sales associate resume stand out?
There are a ton of people out there who can work as a sales associate and get by. However, what separates a mediocre sales associate from a truly exceptional one is the sales associate’s abilities to communicate effectively with customers, inform them of the company’s products and services, and persuade customers to actually make a purchase. So with this in mind, you’ll want to emphasize on your sales associate resume the traits you possess that allow you to excel in ways only exceptional sales associates can manage to pull off.
Highlight your industry specific experience: Every company works in a specific industry and sells a certain line of products. In order to really stand out from other jobseekers and even those who have retail sales associates experience, you’ll want to mention any skills or work experience related to the industry the company is in. For example, if you’re applying as a sales associates at Best Buy, you’ll want to showcase your expertise in electronics and technology, as well as any prior work experience in this area.
Showcase your communication skills: Hiring managers looking to fill a retail sales associate position are after someone who’s a strong communicator and persuader. After all, that’s the job of the sales associate – to talk with customers and offer unparalleled customer service that will ultimately lead to a sale. That being said, it’s incredibly important to prove on your sales associate resume that you’re someone who’s upbeat and personable. Show that you’re someone who understand what customers want and what their needs are.
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How should your sales associate resume be structured?
With regards to formatting your resume, it’s best to play things safe by using a traditional resume template that includes the standard sections you’ll find on just about any resume: work history, education, skills, certifications, and intro summary. A huge reason why it’s better to stick with a more standard resume format in this particular job role is because sales associate jobs are very common and often offered by large corporations. The larger the company, the more likely the company is to use applicant tracking systems to scan and grade your sales associate resume. In order for your resume to perform well against applicant tracking systems, it’s best to use an easily readable resume format that doesn’t involve using fancy programs or formatting techniques.
What should you emphasize in the professional summary of your resume?
It’s typical to start off by listing the total number of years you’ve worked followed by mentioning your most impressive traits and achievements. If you have any prior experience or relevant certifications as a sales associate be sure to mention it. Typically, this section on your sales associate resume is no more than three to four sentences long, so be sure to make every word count. The idea here is short and sweet. Your initial interview can be in person or on the phone. If you are asked to interview over the phone, make sure to come across as uplifting, energetic, and personable. As mentioned earlier, what often times separates a mediocre sales associate from a great one is their personality and uplifting aura.
During your interviews is where you’re now given the chance to actually prove you process these skills. If you are asked to interview in person, dress professionally and ensure that you are well-groomed. Presentation really matters here, seeing how working as a sales associates is a front-end job that deals with customers. This makes the way you present and conduct yourself during the job interview all the more important. For both an in person and phone interview, prepare common interview questions in advance. Try to ask questions that show your enthusiasm for the business. If you’re actually a regular customer at the place you’re applying to, then make an effort to point this out. Any sort of prior interaction with the business is a good thing that recruiters value.
Some common questions thay may be asked include: What are some examples of times you’ve collaborated with others? How have you helped others solve a problem? How have you dealt with difficult personalities? How do you deal with stressful situations?
Throughout the interview process it’s up to you to sell yourself and your qualifications. After all, that is what’s expected of a sales associate – to be persuasive and sell stuff.
Retail Sales Associates Skills
Your skills are key ingredients on your resume that are needed to demonstrate to hiring managers that you’ll thrive in the sales associates role. Here are some of the most important Sales Associate skills out there that you should consider including on your resume:
Money-Handling Skills
- Basic Arithmetic
- Cash Register Operations
- Cashier
- Credit Cards
- Monetary Transactions
- Point of Sale Systems
Customer Service Skills
- Brand Awareness
- Brand Strategy
- Communication
- Customer Assistance
- Customer Relations
- Customer Service
- Greeting Customers
- Product knowledge
- Voice Communication Software
General Sales Associates Skills
- Articulate
- Bilingual
- Cold Contact Experience
- Communication
- Detail-oriented
- Energetic
- Enthusiastic
- Flexibility
- Human Resources Training
- Marketing Knowledge
- Merchandise
- Microsoft Office
- Multitask
- Negotiation
- Organization
- Outgoing
- Patient
- Persuasive
- Point of Sale systems
- Pricing
- Problem-solving
- Punctual
- Stock Management
- Teamwork
- Time management
- Vendor Relationship
- Written and verbal skills
Here’s the text version of the sample resume:
123 Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90001
Home: (123) 456-7890 | Cell: (123) 456-7890
- Fluent in English and Spanish
- Microsoft Office
- Point of Sale Systems
- Time Management
- Teamwork
- Customer Service
- Problem Solving
- Assist an average of 45 customers per day in selecting items and providing recommendations – have generated $20K in incremental revenue
- Consistently exceed monthly sales quota through a combination of upselling and cross-selling
- Awarded Employee of the Month for two consecutive months in 2019
- Resolve customer complaints and negotiated solutions while offering unparalleled customer support
- Stock and replenish inventory with efficiency and accuracy; complete task 15% faster than other sales associates
- Train new sales associates on new products and point-of-sale technology
- Demonstrated product knowledge and friendly service according to shopper experience surveys – achieved average score of A
- Aided customers in selecting children’s gift choices during key retail moments such as holiday seasons
- Selected as store decorator during the holiday season in 2015 – improved store signage and increased holiday sales by 10% compared to previous year
- Received perfect attendance record for 19 months at Kohls
- Restocked shelves and maintained organization of 2,000 square-foot retail space
- Effectively trained new sales associates on day-to-day operations and how-to cashier
- Ranked in the top 10 percentile of cashiers who registered the most customers for Kohl’s Rewards Program
You may be good at selling stuff to customers, but what about selling yourself to the hiring managers reading your resume? If writing isn’t your strong suit, it’s worth considering going with a resume writing service. like ours. Our team of human resources and hiring professionals will work with you to guarantee that by the time your applying to job openings, you’ll be doing so with the best possible resume you can possibly write for yourself.