My account

You control your data

We use cookies to tailor the experience of creating resumes and cover letters. For these reasons, we may share your usage data with third parties. You can find more information about how we use cookies on our Cookies Policy. If you would like to set your cookies preferences, click the Settings button below. To accept all cookies, click Accept.

Settings Accept

Cookie settings

Click on the types of cookies below to learn more about them and customize your experience on our Site. You may freely give, refuse or withdraw your consent. Keep in mind that disabling cookies may affect your experience on the Site. For more information, please visit our Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

Choose type of cookies to accept

Analytics

These cookies allow us to analyze our performance to offer you a better experience of creating resumes and cover letters. Analytics related cookies used on our Site are not used by Us for the purpose of identifying who you are or to send you targeted advertising. For example, we may use cookies/tracking technologies for analytics related purposes to determine the number of visitors to our Site, identify how visitors move around the Site and, in particular, which pages they visit. This allows us to improve our Site and our services.

Performance and Personalisation

These cookies give you access to a customized experience of our products. Personalization cookies are also used to deliver content, including ads, relevant to your interests on our Site and third-party sites based on how you interact with our advertisements or content as well as track the content you access (including video viewing). We may also collect password information from you when you log in, as well as computer and/or connection information. During some visits, we may use software tools to measure and collect session information, including page response times, download errors, time spent on certain pages and page interaction information.

Advertising

These cookies are placed by third-party companies to deliver targeted content based on relevant topics that are of interest to you. And allow you to better interact with social media platforms such as Facebook.

Necessary

These cookies are essential for the Site’s performance and for you to be able to use its features. For example, essential cookies include: cookies dropped to provide the service, maintain your account, provide builder access, payment pages, create IDs for your documents and store your consents.

To see a detailed list of cookies, click here.

Save preferences

Purchasing Agent Resume—Sample and 25+ Writing Tips

You work to make sure your employer has all the supplies they need, on time and at the lowest cost. Use your purchasing agent resume to show hiring managers you can get results.

Dominika Kowalska, CPRW
Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Expert
Purchasing Agent Resume—Sample and 25+ Writing Tips

There’s so much that goes into procurement and supply chain management—

 

It becomes tempting to make long, detailed lists of duties in your resume.

 

But that’s not how you convince hiring managers to ask you in for an interview.

 

Instead—

 

Use your purchasing agent resume to show them the results you’ve achieved—

 

And they’ll figure out the rest.

 

In this guide:

 

  • A purchasing agent resume sample better than most.
  • How to create the perfect purchasing agent job description for resumes.
  • How to write a resume for purchasing agent jobs that stands out.
  • Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing a purchasing agent job.

  

Save hours of work and get a job-winning resume like this. Try our resume builder for free. Start by choosing a resume template.

 

Create your resume now

 

CREATE YOUR RESUME NOWpurchasing agent resume example

What users say about ResumeLab:

I had an interview yesterday and the first thing they said on the phone was: “Wow! I love your resume.”
Patrick

I love the variety of templates. Good job guys, keep up the good work!
Dylan 

My previous resume was really weak and I used to spend hours adjusting it in Word. Now, I can introduce any changes within minutes. Absolutely wonderful!
George

Create your resume now

 

Looking to put your customer service and procurement skills to use in another role? Check out our guides:

 

 

Purchasing Agent Resume Sample

 

Sue Calabro

Purchasing Agent

 

Personal Info

Phone: 812-642-2342

E-mail: sue.m.calabro@reslab.com

linkedin.com/in/suemcalabro

 

Summary

 

Dynamic purchasing agent with 5+ years’ experience, skilled in developing procurement processes. Seeking to help Company ABC lower procurement and inventory control costs. At DH Morton, maintained a 95% vendor retention rate by improving vendor relations and lowered costs by over 15% by negotiating terms with material suppliers and vendors.

 

Experience 

 

Purchasing Agent

DH Morton

June 2019–present 

  • Prepared purchase requisitions, RFQs, and purchase orders, achieving 96% correct delivery.
  • Negotiated prices and terms with material suppliers and vendors to lower costs by over 15%.
  • Trained and evaluated 11 workers in Accounts Payable.
  • Improved vendor relations through plant visits, in-house meetings, and follow-up phone calls, maintaining a 95% vendor retention rate.

 

Purchasing Agent

City of Richmond

January 2016–May 2019

  • Initiated competitive bid on key components reducing material costs by 9–11% p.a.
  • Maintained a minimum 90% in-stock rate for 24+ consecutive months.
  • Sourced and administrated pricing for 1,000+ products, with annual purchases valued at over $10 million.
  • Managed a $6+ million inventory for the Southwest Division, including seven branch locations and two hubs.

 

Education 

 

BS in Supply Chain, Logistics and Maritime Port Management

New Jersey City University, Aberdeen, NJ

2015

  • Pursued a passion for business statistics coursework.
  • Maintained a 3.89 GPA.

 

Certification

 

  • Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP)

 

Languages

 

  • English – native proficiency
  • Spanish – advanced
  • Italian – communicative

 

Key Skills 

 

  • Procurement
  • Project management
  • Business administration
  • Supply chain management
  • ERP systems
  • Customer service
  • Interpersonal skills

 

Now here’s how to write a purchasing agent resume they’ll love:

 

1. Choose the Right Purchasing Agent Resume Format

 

Purchase orders written on the backs of napkins.

 

Trade shows without a floor plan.

 

Guesstimated inventory levels.

 

No?

 

Then make sure your resume formatting is as clean and clear and you’d like any of the above to be.

 

Here’s how:

 

Purchasing Agent Resume Format

 

 

Does the job ad include a file-format preference?

 

If not, then save your resume in PDF before sending it through.

 

However, always go with whatever is required by the job ad:

 

Some ATSs (Applicant Tracking Systems) can’t handle resume PDFs. In that case, the job ad will specifically ask applicants to send their resumes as Word files. Remember that the machine-readability of an ATS resume is more important than preserving its formatting, so if a company's ATS can't read PDF files, don't send them PDF files.

 

2. Start With an Attention-Grabbing Purchasing Agent Resume Objective or Summary

 

The best way to make your purchasing agent resume stand out?

 

Start strong, be confident, and get straight to the point.

 

Your resume profile is basically your job application in a nutshell.

 

Been working as a purchasing agent for a year or more?

 

Make your profile a resume summary statement. It’s your ticket to making full use of all that experience.

 

Use:

 

  1. One adjective (efficient, dedicated, dynamic)
  2. Job title (Purchasing Agent)
  3. Years of experience (4+, 6+)
  4. How you’ll help (provide excellent procurement and supply chain management support)
  5. Two or three of your most relevant achievements (trained and evaluated 11 workers in Accounts Payable, improved vendor relations through plant visits, in-house meetings, and follow-up phone calls, maintaining a 95% vendor retention rate)

 

These purchasing agent resume examples show how:

 

Purchasing Agent Resume Samples—Resume Summary

Good Example
Dynamic purchasing agent with 5+ years’ experience, skilled in developing procurement processes. Seeking to help Company ABC lower procurement and inventory control costs. At DH Morton, maintained a 95% vendor retention rate by improving vendor relations and lowered costs by over 15% by negotiating terms with material suppliers and vendors.
Bad Example
Purchasing agent with 5 years’ experience. Seeking to join a company with good promotion pathways. At DH Morton, improved vendor relations through plant visits, in-house meetings, and follow-up phone calls and negotiated prices and terms with material suppliers and vendors.

Who would you choose?

 

The first of these purchasing agent resume examples does two things that really set it apart:

 

It’s all about what the candidate can do for the company, not the other way around and—

 

It manages to put numbers to duties, supercharging them into achievements.

 

Only just starting out as a purchasing agent, with little or no experience?

 

Make your resume profile a resume objective statement instead. Talk up relevant achievements from non-purchasing agent jobs.

 

Purchasing Agent Resume Objective—Samples

Good Example
Dedicated purchasing agent with 10+ months’ experience, skilled in ERP systems. Seeking to help Company ABC lower procurement and inventory control costs. At the City of Richmond, initiated competitive bid on key components reducing material costs by 9–11% p.a. and maintained a minimum 90% in-stock rate for 24+ consecutive months.
Bad Example
Not much experience working as a purchasing agent or buyer, but liking what I’ve seen so far. Looking to join a company with decent prospects. Can work a maximum of 34 hours per week.

Once again:

 

Focus on quantifying the value you brought to previous employers and on what you can do for this employer—

 

And you can hardly go wrong.

 

Struggling?

 

That’s understandable, luckily there’s an easy fix:

 

Write your purchasing agent resume objective or summary last of all.

 

3. Create the Perfect Purchasing Agent Job Description and Skills Sections

 

The best way to make them call you?

 

Show them you have a track record of handling the ins and outs of operations like theirs.

 

Turn your resume job description section into a showcase of achievements.

 

How to write a job description for purchasing agents:

 

  1. Read over the job ad again.
  2. Spot the purchasing agent skills and duties in it.
  3. Think of times you’ve wowed employers using those skills and performing similar duties.
  4. Write resume bullet points that put numbers to those success stories.

 

These purchasing agent resume examples show how:

 

Purchasing Agent Job Description for a Resume

Good Example

Purchasing Agent

DH Morton

December 2019–present

  • Prepared purchase requisitions, RFQs, and purchase orders, achieving 96% correct delivery.
  • Negotiated prices and terms with material suppliers and vendors to lower costs by over 15%.
  • Trained and evaluated 11 workers in Accounts Payable.
  • Improved vendor relations through plant visits, in-house meetings, and follow-up phone calls, maintaining a 95% vendor retention rate.
Bad Example

Purchasing Agent

DH Morton

2019–present

  • Prepared purchase requisitions, RFQs, and purchase orders.
  • Negotiated prices and terms with material suppliers and vendors.
  • Trained and evaluated workers in Accounts Payable.
  • Improved vendor relations through plant visits, in-house meetings, and follow-up phone calls.

Big difference.

 

It’s OK to estimate some of these numbers—

 

Just keep it realistic and be ready to justify your calculations if asked.

 

Don’t have enough work experience to pull this off?

 

Use accomplishments from non-purchasing agent jobs.

 

One more thing:

 

You need a section with skills for resume.

 

But—

 

Cargo space is limited, less is more.

 

Aim to cover what the job ad requires with hardly any margin of safety besides.

 

This breakdown of hard and soft skills will help you maintain a good mix of the two:

 

Skills for a Purchasing Agent Resume

 

Hard skills

 

  • Procurement
  • Project management
  • Business administration
  • Supply chain management
  • ERP systems
  • Relationship management
  • Inventory control
  • Vendor management
  • Purchasing
  • Preparing purchase orders

 

Soft skills

 

 

The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now.

 

CREATE YOUR RESUME NOW

 

CREATE YOUR RESUME NOWcreate your resume now

Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, and highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You're the perfect candidate, and we'll prove it. Use our resume builder now.

 

4. Turn Meh Education Into a Reason to Hire You

 

Being a purchasing agent is not something you just fall into—

 

It takes preparation and a plan.

 

There’s a range of education options to becoming a purchasing agent

 

So your resume education section can either set you apart or leave you overlooked.

 

First:

 

List degrees (with majors), schools, and graduation years.

 

Then:

 

Add supplementary bullet points that speak to key skills.

 

This purchasing agent resume example shows how:

 

Purchasing Agent Resume Sample—Education Section

Good Example

BS in Supply Chain, Logistics and Maritime Port Management

New Jersey City University, Aberdeen, NJ

2015

  • Pursued a passion for business statistics coursework.
  • Maintained a 3.89 GPA.

Short on purchasing agent experience? 

 

Include projects, classes, and accomplishments that show purchasing agent skills like negotiation or project management.

 

5. Stock Your Purchasing Agent Resume With Added Sections

 

Here’s an expert tip:

 

Most resumes for purchasing agent jobs stop with experience, education, and skills sections.

 

So—

 

Doing so is a great way to end up looking like most other candidates.

 

Add one or two extra resume sections:

 

 

These two purchasing agent resume examples show yes vs no:

 

Purchasing Agent Resume Samples—Extra Sections

Good Example

Certification

 

  • Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP)

 

Languages

 

  • English – native proficiency
  • Spanish – advanced
  • Italian – communicative
Bad Example

Hobbies and Interests

 

  • Collecting wine bottles
  • Collecting corks
  • Cultivating hydroponic grapevines

 

Languages

 

  • English, Spanish, Italian

Night, meet day.

 

There’s nothing wrong with including a list of hobbies and interests on a resume

 

They’re on the list of suggested sections, after all.

 

But everything you add to your purchasing agent resume has to be relevant to the job ad.

 

Nearly there—

 

One last thing:

 

You need a cover letter to go with your purchasing agent resume.

 

The only way around this is having been explicitly told not to include one.

 

Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.

 

CREATE YOUR COVER LETTER NOW

 

CREATE YOUR COVER LETTER NOWcreate your cover letter now

Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

 

Key Points

 

For a purchasing agent resume that gets interviews:

 

  • Use the purchasing agent resume template up top. It checks all the right boxes while being as clean and clear as possible.
  • Put purchasing agent achievementsin your resume profile, work experience, and education sections to show what you’ve handled before.
  • Include only the right purchasing agent skills. A careful reading of the job ad will tell what skills those are.
  • Write a purchasing agent cover letter. Take the opportunity to put your passion on display as you showcase your achievements.

 

Have some questions about our purchasing agent resume examples? Got any advice to share with up-and-coming purchasing agents? Drop us a line down below.

Rate my article: purchasing agent
Thank you for voting
Average: 5 (1 votes)
Dominika Kowalska, CPRW
Dominika is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and job expert with a focus on career development and onboarding processes. She writes guides helping readers create winning resumes and manage various difficulties of the job hunt.

Was it interesting? Here are similar articles

Retail Resume Examples with Skills & Job Description

Retail Resume Examples with Skills & Job Description

Working in retail is challenging. You need to have sales skills, as well as people skills. Learn how to show both in your retail resume with our step-by-step guide.

Maciej Duszyński, CPRW
Maciej Duszyński, CPRW
Career Expert