Sales Associate Resume Examples [+Job Description & Skills]

You could sell a fridge to a penguin. You could sell this pen to literally anyone.

But can you sell yourself with a professional sales associate resume?

Are you sure you’re getting all those interviews you deserve?

Even if not, we’re about to fix that.

This guide will show you:

• Sales associate resume examples better than most.
• How to ace that sales associate job description on a resume.
• How to write a resume for sales associate jobs that gets the interview.
• What are the best resume skills for sales associate. 

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Want to see more salesperson resume examples for other professions in sales and retail? See one of our dedicated guides:

• Customer Service Resume Examples
• Customer Service Manager Resume Examples
• Loan Officer Resume Examples
• McDonald's Resume Examples
• Pharmaceutical Sales Resume Examples
• Real Estate Resume Examples
• Receptionist Resume Examples
• Retail Manager Resume Examples
• Retail Resume Examples
• Sales Manager Resume Examples
• Sales Representative Resume Examples
• Sales Resume Examples

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Examples for Over 280 Jobs.

Now, check out this professional sales associate resume sample. Read on for a breakdown of what makes it so great.

Sales Associate Resume Example You Can Copy, Adjust, & Use

Now, it's your turn. Here's how to write a great sales associate resume: 

1. Use a Professional Sales Associate Resume Template

The first impression starts here—

No one will read your sales associate resume if it’s not properly formatted. Start by dividing your resume into separate sections. Make it easy for recruiters to spot what interests them.

Sales Associate Resume Template

1. Contact Information
2. Summary or Objective
3. Experience
4. Education
5. Skills
6. Additional Sections

Remember to keep your resume formatting neat and elegant:

• Use the reverse-chronological resume format, this way your most recent position gets the most attention.
• Use professional resume fonts: 11–12pt for the main body and 14–16pt for section headings.
• Set 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Be generous with white space.
• Make your resume one-page long. No more, no less.

Expert Hint: Once done, save your sales resume in PDF. But double check with the job ad—some employers still expect Word resumes.

2. Write a Mouth-Watering Sales Resume Objective or Summary

A resume profile is a short, snappy paragraph at the top of your resume. It works like a sales pitch for your whole job application. It can take the form of a resume summary, resume objective, or summary of qualifications. Here’s which one to choose:

Experienced in sales? Write a sales associate resume summary. Make an outline of your career and highlight some of your proudest wins (e.g, exceeded targets).

Barely starting out as a sales associate? Pick a resume objective. Discuss what sales skills you’ve learned so far and how well you’d fit in.

Whichever one is right for you, keep two things in mind:

One, always make an offer in your summary statement. Think about this—

According to a HubSpot study, almost 70% of buyers rank “listening to their needs” as their #1 priority. In you sales associate resume summary or objective, address the needs of your employer.

Two, mention the name of the company to which you’re applying. True, that means you cannot just spam one general sales resume around. And that’s precisely the point. Personalization works wonders (and, as a salesperson, you surely know it!).

See these examples of sales associate resumes for reference.

Sales Associate Resume Summary Examples

Sample Sales Associate Resume Objectives

Expert Hint: While this section comes at the top of your resume, write it last. First, write the experience, education, and skills sections. Next, choose the best, most relevant bits and put them together in your sales associate resume objective or summary.

3. Write a Sales Associate Job Description for a Resume

As Peter Thiel wrote in Zero to One, “Like acting, sales works best when hidden.”

The one thing about sales that should not be hidden?

Achievements in your sales associate resume job descriptions.

Here’s how to make sure they shine like diamonds in Harry Winston's Fifth Avenue Vault.

How to Describe Your Sales Associate Job Responsibilities:

• Start with your current or most recent sales associate job.
• Follow it with the one before it, and so on.
• List your job title, the company name, and the dates worked.
• Under each position, add up to 6 bullet points. The more recent the job, the more bullet points in the job description. Cut the number of bullets as you go back in time.
• In your sales associate job descriptions, don’t just list sales associate responsibilities and tasks. Focus on quantified accomplishments.
• Use resume action words: “maintained product knowledge,” or “developed customer loyalty,” instead of “responsible for maintaining product knowledge and developing customer loyalty.”
• Below your bullet points, add a “key achievement” subsection. Describe your most important professional win.
• Pay close attention to the sales associate job description. Highlight keywords related to responsibilities that will be expected of you and use those words on your resume. Always target your resume for the job you’re trying to land.

Like the candidate from our sales associate resume example did:

Sales Associate Job Description on a Resume Example

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Best Sales Associate Resume Skills

Do yourself a favor: never copy-paste generic skills list to your sales resume.

Instead:

• Go through the job description and identify skills-related keywords.
• Then, sprinkle some of these skills into your sales associate job descriptions.
• Add a few others to your resume summary or objective.
• Finally, find relevant skills to put on a resume and list them on your resume in bullet points.

Have I just told you not to use a generic sales skills list?

That’s right. Just for reference, have a look at the table below:

26 Sales Associate Skills to Put on a Resume:

• Product knowledge
• Inventory management
• Cashier experience
• Sales
• CRM platforms
• Merchandising
• POS (Shopify POS, Square, unicenta, Quickbook POS etc.)
• Math
• Tech-savvy
• Policy knowledge
• Contract negotiation
• Customer needs analysis
• Objection handling
• Customer service
• Communication
• Conflict resolution
• Problem solving
• Time management
• Teamwork
• Interpersonal skills
• Detail-oriented
• Adaptability
• Ability to work under pressure
• Decision-making
• Creativity
• Ability to build relationships

Expert Hint: Looking for more keyword ideas for your sales associate resume? According to Harvard Business Review’s report, “curiosity,” “intelligence,” and an “agile mind” are the most important predictors of sales success.

4. Turn Boring Education into a Reason for Hiring You

The great thing about sales jobs? No one cares about your education, so long as your performance is top-notch.

That’s only true if you have years of relevant work experience.

In such case, limit your education to the following information:

Education on a Sales Associate Resume

• School name
• Graduation year
• Degree

Little to no experience?

That’s when your resume's education section proves handy. Add extra details such as:

• Relevant coursework
• Favorite fields of study
• Extracurricular activities and achievements

Sales Associate Resume Sample: Education Section

5. Enhance Your Resume for Sales Associate With Extra Sections

How much do you want the job?

This much?!

Good!

So don’t submit a subpar, basic sales associate resume. Prove you have that extra gear.

Add sales associate resume details that put you up with Joe Girard and Mary Kay Ash.

Sample Sales Associate Resume Extra Sections

• Certifications
• Additional Activities
• Industry Awards
• Volunteer Work
• Extra Training
• Hobbies and Interests

Expert Hint: To boost your interview chances by as much as 50%, learn how to write a good cover letter, and create one asap. Almost half of all employers still expect them. To speed things up, feel free to use our sales associate cover letter sample.

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

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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 sales associate resume that gets you the job, follow these steps:

• Use a proper sales associate resume template, legibly divided into sections.
• At the top, just below your contact info, put a short and sweet resume summary or a career objective.
• Tailor your sales job descriptions and skills to the job ad.
• Focus on your achievements, not just sales duties and responsibilities.
• Add extra sections such as certifications, additional training, or even hobbies and interests.
• Do write a sales cover letter!

Need more information? Still unsure how to showcase your accomplishments? Give us a shout in the comments. Let’s chat!