Professional Resume Format Examples for 2021
Choose the right resume format and make sure your resume looks professional. Check actionable resume formatting tips and resume formats examples & templates.
You know selling is all about getting to know your clients and their needs. Convince the hiring manager you’ve got the skills with this professional sales resume template.
Why don’t most sales resumes close the sale?
It’s simple.
They say a lot of what they’ve done.
But they don’t prove sales skills.
But—
You can do it if you brainstorm the right sales achievements first.
In this guide:
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Maura Lazard
Sales Representative
Personal Info
Phone: 915-401-1456
E-mail: maurazlazard@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/maurazlazard
twitter.com/maurazlazard
Summary:
High-performing sales rep with 5+ years of experience. Seeking to raise Merck's sales revenue with solid relationship-building and customer education skills. At Rozer, fostered relationships with 120+ physicians, beating all sales targets by 15% and closing 22% more sales in each period.
Experience
Outside Sales Representative
Rozer Pharmaceuticals
2016–2019
Inside Sales Representative
Strykestream Trailers
2014–2016
Sales Representative Experience
Various
2015–2015
Education
BS in Chemistry, Texas State University
2009–2013
Sales Certification
Additional Activities
Publications
2019 Hubspot, "Building Deep Customer Relationships"
2018 Fast Company, "How I Closed 10% More Sales with 10% Less Effort"
Conferences
2018 Clinical Trials Conference, led session on Alzheimer's drug testing
2017 Regulatory Affairs Conference
Hard Skills: Relationship building, closing sales, customer needs analysis, product knowledge
Soft Skills: Interpersonal skills, listening, communication, time management, collaboration, goal-oriented
Now here’s how to write a sales resume they’ll love:
Salespeople sell goods and services for companies. They must develop strong relationships with customers, see to client needs, and possess in-depth product knowledge. That’s why a sales resume has to show evidence you’ve used those skills in the everyday business world.
But a poorly-formatted resume for sales is no sale at all.
So—
Stay presentable with these tips:
Expert Hint: Save your resume as a PDF. They keep clean formatting on all devices. But check the job posting to see if PDFs are a no-no.
I’ve got some bad news.
The hiring manager’s desk overflows with applications.
Many are quite good.
How can you make sure she reads yours carefully?
With a well-written sales resume objective or resume summary.
Include:
These outside sales resume examples show how:
North, meet South.
The first of those resume samples is a modern-day Billy Mays. It shows you know the art of selling.
The second sounds like empty bragging. (Hint: it’s the numbers—or their lack!)
Writing an entry-level resume for sales jobs?
It’s not hard.
Just use sales-accomplishments from non sales jobs, like this:
Okay, you’re no Don Draper. But that first entry-level sales example does the job.
Expert Hint: Use the company name in your sales skills resume summary or objective. That gives a hint that you’re not just applying to every job you see with blinders on.
A career in sales is massive.
How do you fit that big career onto a single sheet of paper?
Well—
You don’t. You just put the parts they really care about.
How to write a sales job description:
These outside sales resume examples show how:
Job ad wants these sales skills: (1) relationship building (2) closing (3) product knowledge.
Outside Sales Representative
Rozer Pharmaceuticals
2016–2019
No contest.
The first of those sales resume examples can’t be oversold. It shows specific skills the hiring team is searching for, with detailed numbers.
Writing an entry-level sales skills resume? See this:
Job ad wants these sales skills: (1) relationship building (2) collaboration (3) closing sales (4) product knowledge.
Sales Representative Experience
Various
2019–2014
Bookkeeper
2013–2014
Telemarketer
2009–2013
Be careful.
The second inside sales resume example shows you didn’t have a resume gap. But it also doesn’t show you built sales skills during those non-sales jobs.
Make sure to put the right hard and soft skills on your resume for the right resume keywords mix.
Soft Skills | Hard Skills |
Interpersonal Skills | Product Knowledge |
Listening | Rapport Building |
Communication | Relationship Building |
Time Management | Prospecting |
Collaboration | Objection Handling |
Problem Solving | Customer Needs Analysis |
Self-Motivated | Product Demo |
Responsible | Relationship Management |
Adaptable | Closing Sales |
Goal-Oriented | Research |
Expert Tip: Always pick your skills directly from the job ad. The sales skills above are a nice start, but if the posting doesn’t mention them, consider skipping them.
A resume for sales jobs doesn’t need a PhD.
But don’t blow it.
If you don’t use your schooling to prove key skills, you’re throwing away leverage.
Use your resume’s education section to add more proof-of-skills.
These medical inside sales resume examples show how:
Education
BS in Chemistry, Texas State University
2009–2013
See that?
You were building sales and leadership skills, way back in school.
Expert Hint: If you did special projects in school or had some publications, show it in your sales resume. If you graduated a long time ago, make your education section short.
You’re not done.
A sales resume has to show you’ve got “it.”
Do that with other sections in your resume:
These two pharmaceutical sales resume examples show how:
Sales Certification
Additional Activities
Publications
2019 Hubspot, "Building Deep Customer Relationships"
2018 Fast Company, "How I Closed 10% More Sales with 10% Less Effort"
Conferences
2018 Clinical Trials Conference, led session on Alzheimer's drug testing
2017 Regulatory Affairs Conference
Additional
That’s obvious.
The first of those medical sales resume samples could get you in at Pfizer.
It works because it uses “other” sections to demonstrate more sales skills.
Expert Hint: Write a cover letter. Nearly half the sales hiring teams out there won’t read your resume without a sales cover letter attached. Make it passionate and show you’ll fit the job.
For a sales resume that gets jobs:
Got questions on how to write a great resume for sales jobs? Not sure how to show sales on a resume? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!
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