Retail work involves several different job positions with one common goal: to sell products to consumers. Any company that engages in direct product sales with the public is a retail business.
You can literally find hundreds or even thousands of retail businesses in every town and city. Because of this, there are endless job opportunities in the retail industry for lower, middle, and upper-level positions in small to large-sized retail businesses.
Some of the most common retail jobs include:
- Cashier
- Sales Associate
- Inventory Associate
- Customer Service Representative
- Visual Merchandiser
- Inventory Control Specialist
- Assistant Store Manager
- Department Manager
- General Store Manager
It is easy to find retail jobs like these almost anywhere. However, the challenge is getting hired for these jobs because of the high level of competition for them from other job seekers. The only way you can outshine the competition and land one of these jobs is to have a superb retail resume to present to prospective retail employers.
The Importance of Action Verbs
Retail hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes every week. They don’t stop and read through every single retail resume they receive because they don’t have the time or energy to do it.
For this reason, you need to write a retail resume that captures their attention and makes hiring managers want to read through the entire thing from beginning to end. One of the strategies for doing that is to use action verbs for retail resume writing rather than the typical business jargon.
Retail action verbs are descriptive words of specific actions that you took in the past or plan to take in the future that highlight your retail experience, knowledge, accomplishments, and skillsets. These words stand out to hiring managers more than the boring passive words often seen in retail resumes.
Some effective action verbs you might see in retail resume examples include:
- Achieved
- Chaired
- Attained
- Amplified
- Established
- Founded
- Supervised
- Advised
- Consulted
- Trained
- Constructed
- Delivered
- Ensured
- Operated
- Secured
- Created
These kinds of action verbs for retail resume writing either highlight your accomplishments, responsibilities, or communication skills in the retail industry. There are endless other action-verb retail resume examples you could use, but these should give you an idea of what they are.
The Top 7 Steps to Writing Retail Resumes
Now, you know a little bit about the kinds of verbs to use in your retail resume. Below, we will discuss the top 7 steps to writing retail resumes so that you showcase all your education, skills, job experience, accomplishments, and career objectives to retail hiring managers.
1) Identify the Retail Job You Wish to Pursue
The retail industry is huge, which means there are many different types of retail jobs that you could pursue, such as sales associate, retail assistant manager, and retail manager. You should get a clear idea of which type of retail job you want before you begin writing your retail resume. That way, you can appropriately structure your entire resume to look like a more attractive candidate for that job.
Of course, you need to consider your current level of retail experience and general education before pursuing a particular retail job. You obviously shouldn’t try to seek a retail management position if you don’t have any retail experience or at least some experience as an assistant manager. So, keep that in mind.
2) Add Your Contact Information to the Uppermost Section
Retail hiring managers need to know who you are and how they can contact you. For this reason, you need to put your general contact information in the uppermost section of the resume (at the top of it).
Your contact information must include your first name, last name, mailing address (preferably street address), phone number, and email address. It is best to make your name in large font so that it stands out the most. Also, if you have any retail work experience, you should add your last professional title in italics underneath your full name.
Here is an example of what this might look like:
Betty Taylor
(Retail Assistant Manager)
3456 Columbus Blvd
Pinewood, CA, 99222
Phone: 555-555-5555
Email: betty@taylor.com
Retail hiring managers will see this information before anything else on your resume. Adding the professional title under your name will immediately showcase your previous experience to hiring managers. Since they scan through hundreds of resumes every week, hiring managers need to see who meets the qualifications they desire quickly. If your professional title matches what they want, they are more likely to look over the rest of your retail resume.
3) Write a Mission Statement Regarding Your Retail Career Goals
A mission statement is the next thing that hiring managers want to see on a retail resume. Most hiring managers won’t even read past the mission statement section if it is not encouraging and impressive. If you neglect to include a mission statement, some hiring managers won’t even bother reading your resume at all. Therefore, it is crucial to include a mission statement.
The best way to define a mission statement is a description of your career objectives and goals. It should also highlight your previous experience, expertise, or skillset so hiring managers know what you can bring to the job position that you want to fill.
Here is one example:
Enthusiastic and motivated customer-oriented retail professional with over 5 years of experience in various fast-moving retail environments, including home improvement stores and computer stores. Highly skilled in inventory management and building strong customer relationships. Hoping to utilize my experience to boost sales and customer satisfaction at ABC Company.
A mission statement can be 1 to 3 sentences. Just make sure it is clear and concise about who you are as a professional and what you hope to accomplish at the job you want to obtain.
4) List Your Educational Background
The retail industry doesn’t have too many strict educational requirements beyond a high school diploma. So, if you at least graduated from high school, you should be able to build a career for yourself in the retail industry.
On the other hand, if you wish to seek upper-level retail management positions, it could certainly help to have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business or management. Here are some examples of college majors that align with most retail job positions:
- Business Administration
- Retail Management
- Marketing
- Business Management
- Supply Chain Management
- Organizational Leadership
Accredited degrees in any of these fields can help you advance your retail career if you obtain enough retail work experience.
5) List Your Work Experience
The work experience section of your retail resume is deeply important. If hiring managers have made it this far in your resume, they will want to learn about the duties and responsibilities that you had at previous retail jobs. It will help them determine if these duties align with the job you wish to fill.
The work experience section is where action verbs for retail resume writing come in handy. Be sure to include plenty of action verbs in the descriptions of your job duties and responsibilities.
Here is an example of what your work experience description might look like:
Retail Sales Associate – Bob’s Electronics, Miami, Florida
(March 2017 – October 2023)
- Provided extraordinary service to over 45 retail customers daily
- Achieved a 99% average customer satisfaction rating
- Trained over 50 employees on sales strategies, product inventory, and company policies
- Managed inventory to track and reorder high-demand products
- Filled in for cashiers to work the cash registers to check out customers
Notice how all the task descriptions start with an action verb? That is how you should list the task descriptions on your retail resume.
6) List Your Skills
Try to fit in a skills section on your retail resume if you have enough space available on the first page. Retail jobs may not require an extensive education, but they still require you to possess certain skills to ensure your success at them. These are usually skills you obtain from working other customer-oriented jobs in the retail or service industries.
Here are the most common retail skills for resume writing:
- Customer Service
- Critical Thinking
- Inventory Management
- Point-of-Sale Systems
- Problem-Solving
- Team Communication
- Working Under Pressure
You may have other specific skills listed on your resume based on your previous education and experience. If the skills are relevant to the job you want, then it is okay to list other types of skills, such as computer skills or creative skills. It all depends on the type of retail business you will want if you get hired.
7) Awards and Certifications
You don’t need an awards or certifications section on your retail resume because most retail jobs don’t require you to possess any unique accomplishments or certifications. However, if you have any certifications associated with the retail industry, you might as well list them on your resume.
Here are some potential retail-related certifications:
- Retail Management Certificate
- Sales Operation Certificate
- Sales Leadership Professional Certificate
- Retail Sales Manager Certificate
Make sure an accredited or recognized institution awards the certificates. Some online institutions award certificates like these, including Coursera and Teal.
Final Tips
Retail jobs are everywhere, but so is the competition. Hiring managers want to see resumes that stand out from the rest before giving them any consideration. If you use the information above for guidance, you will have a better chance of writing an effective retail resume.
Would you like to see some retail resume examples? We have included two retail resume templates to showcase what a basic retail resume might look like. Hopefully, they will inspire you when you go to write your retail resume.
Read More :- “How to write sales Manager Resume“
Assistant Store Manager Resume Example #1
Debra Jennings
Assistant Store Manager
Contact:
888 Oak Way
Atlanta, Georgia, 12345
Phone: 555-555-5555
Email: debra@jennings.com
Mission Statement:
Motivated assistant store manager with over 9 years of experience working in an electronics store environment. Looking to leverage my vast knowledge of electronics and technology retailing to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for customers looking to make critical electronics purchasing decisions.
Education:
Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration – Western Connecticut State University
July 2015 to August 2019 – Danbury, Connecticut
Work Experience:
Assistant Store Manager
Best Buy – Atlanta, Georgia
(Summer 2022 – Fall 2024)
- Conducted and managed over 60 customer interactions per day by answering questions and recommending electronic items that fit the customers’ needs
- Trained and guided over 20 new retail employees on the basics of computers and electronics products and how to improve team performance
- Produced a 10% increase in computer sales by implementing effective marketing strategies and special deals
Key Skills:
- Team leadership
- Computer knowledge
- Technology troubleshooting
- Merchandising
- Customer engagement
Retail Sales Associate Resume Example #2
Barbara Glover
Retail Associate
Contact:
2233 America Blvd
New York, NY, 11220
Phone: 555-222-2222
Email: Barbara@glover.com
Mission Statement:
Retail associate with experience in customer service, sales, problem-solving, team collaboration, and product marketing. Possess a track record of increasing product sales and building strong customer loyalty with retail stores.
Education:
High School Diploma – Chester A. Arthur High School
Fall 2018– Summer 2022, New York, New York
Work Experience:
Retail Sales Associate
Home Depot – New York, New York
(Fall 2023 to Fall 2024)
- Collaborated with store manager and fellow associates to find ways to boost product sales and better assist customers
- Engaged over 40 customers per day to answer their questions, recommend products, and do everything possible to ensure they have a positive shopping experience
- Assessed product inventory to distinguish the best-selling items from the ones not selling, then created new marketing strategies to sell the excess inventory items
- Worked the cash register when the store was busy to assist the regular cashiers
Key Skills:
- Communication
- Sales
- Customer Service
- Product Marketing
- Teamwork
- Critical Thinking