
How to Write a Resume According to Science in 2023
How do you write a resume? With so many conflicting opinions out there, we’ve set out to find the ultimate answer to this question.
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.
Careers in retail are not for the faint of heart.
But you don’t lack courage.
You lack a job-winning retail resume.
And that’s OK—
Because you’re about to learn how to make a resume for any retail career level.
From an inexperienced retail newbie to a retail master.
This guide will show you:
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Looking for other jobs in retail or sales? Check these guides:
Considering other positions? See our dedicated resume guides:
Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Professional Resume Examples.
Glen Gary Ross
Senior Store Manager
Phone: +1-288-546-7999
Email: g.g.ross@gmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ggross
Twitter: twitter.com/ggross
Summary
Customer- and goal-oriented retail manager with 7+ years of experience. Eager to join the Samsung Store team to lead the staff and operations, and seek solutions to create a high-performing work environment. In previous roles elevated a store to #1 statewide in staff and customer satisfaction surveys, brought an extra $250K profit in a single quarter, and reduced training time by 30%.
Experience
2015–2018
Apple Store
Store Manager
Key achievements:
2012–2015
Banana Republic
Assistant Manager
Key achievements:
2011–2012
Banana Republic
Sales Associate
Key achievements:
Education
2013
UCLA, Anderson School of Management, LA
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Marketing
Certifications
Interests
Key Skills
Languages
Some behaviors are highly predictable:
90% of people turn right when they enter a store.
So, stores are laid out accordingly.
Hiring managers also act in a predictable way—
They spend only 6 seconds scanning resume headings.
So, you must format your resume to achieve maximum impact:
Expert Hint Want to be sure your retail resume looks just as good on the hiring manager’s device as on yours? Save it as a PDF file—its formatting will stay intact, and it will remain machine-readable.
A professional retail resume summary (or objective) is a short paragraph about your retail experience, achievements, and skills. A retail resume summary should include actual numbers and figures you achieved for the highest impact.
So—
Put your best foot forward and show off what you have to offer right from the start.
Here’s how to write an effective intro that commands the recruiter’s attention:
The good example is more than a simple attention grabber. It shows what the candidate has to offer. And proves this with numbers.
Now, take another look at the bad example. It’s clear what the candidate wants.
But—
What do they have to offer?
Listen:
If you’re looking for your very first retail job, a simple conversation with the store manager might turn out to be enough.
It doesn’t mean you can simply ignore writing your retail resume, though.
No.
Your retail sales associate resume for an entry-level position must deliver right off the bat, regardless.
Here’s how to get it right—
Start with a resume objective for retail. Not a summary.
What’s the difference between the two?
Retail resume objectives bring forward your skills and relevant achievements, rather than your professional experience. You’re free to mention your educational wins, volunteer experience, and the like.
Take a look at the examples of retail resume objectives below:
Remember:
Focus on what you can give, not what you want in return.
Such an attitude will take you much further.
Expert Hint: Write your retail resume objective or summary last. The idea behind the resume intro is to summarize everything that follows and bring out the best bits. Without the actual resume ready, it may be hard to summarize anything.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned retail pro or a newbie.
If your retail resume job description underdelivers—
You stand no chance.
So, follow this three-step formula to nail it every time:
Here’s the thing:
If you’re applying to a large company, your retail resume is likely to have a hurdle to clear before a hiring manager has a chance to read it.
The ATS.
The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) helps recruiters sift through the deluge of retail resumes they receive. In fact, about 75% of recruiters rely on such systems.
In short—
ATSs look for retail resume keywords to divide the candidates into the qualified and unqualified ones.
If the relevant keywords are absent from your retail resume, well, guess what the ATS will think of your application.
This is why your retail resume must answer a specific job ad, and use the phrases from the ad.
Simple.
Or is it?
Nope. If it was that easy, mindless copy-pasting would land you any retail job in the world.
The next step for your retail resume is to impress the recruiter.
Here’s how—
First off, use strong action words.
Strong verbs, such as guided, inspired, monitored, collaborated, created, fostered, or reduced not onlytell the recruiter what you did but also reflect your retail skills.
In contrast, if your retail resume job description falls back on the “responsible for” cliché, well, you can’t be expecting much.
Second of all, quantify your retail duties. Numbers speak louder than words and show how well you performed your responsibilities.
Mind you, though—
You don’t need need to quantify every single resume bullet.
Focus on up to 2-3 achievements that you’re proud of and put them in a key achievements subsection.
Key achievements:
Key achievements:
Remember:
Responsibilities + Numbers = Achievements
And one more thing.
Put your retail skills for a resume in a separate section to give them the visibility they deserve.
A word of caution:
Make sure the skills you put on a resume for retail are the right ones. So, revisit the job listing to see what retail skills are mentioned.
Have those skills?
Put them on your retail resume.
Soft Skills
Hard Skills
Expert Hint: Don’t put too many skills on your retail resume. Limit yourself to up to ten, and stick to the ones you’re really good at. This way you’ll avoid the so-called presenter’s paradox.
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Education matters.
Especially on an entry-level retail resume whose experience section looks like it’s awaiting a major delivery.
So—
Make sure your resume education section lists the relevant coursework, extracurricular activities, and show off your GPA if it’s higher than 3.5.
2017—present
DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Organizational Communication, Student
GPA: 3.9
Relevant coursework:
Expert Hint: As your career progresses, the recruiter’s attention will naturally turn to your professional experience. If you’re making a retail manager resume, limit the education section to the graduation date, school name, and degree.
BOGOF is the way to go.
So—
Throw in a couple of extras to your retail resume.
But don’t just add anything.
Pick out the relevant things that show you’re a well-rounded candidate, and a cool person to hang around.
Consider the following sections:
Expert Hint: Make your application twice as effective with a retail cover letter. Less than 50% of the candidates write retail resume cover letters. Yet, more than 50% of the hiring managers would like to read one. So your best bet is to learn how to write a good cover letter.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
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.
To write a retail resume that lands you an interview, make sure to:
Questions on how to write the best retail resume? Want to share advice on how to prepare a resume for retail jobs (store clerk resume or sales associate resume)? We’d love to hear from you. Leave your comment below.
How do you write a resume? With so many conflicting opinions out there, we’ve set out to find the ultimate answer to this question.
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