Buyer Resume Examples to Help You Build Yours

Buyer resumes should highlight not just your sales skills but also your interpersonal skills and attention to detail. A great buyer doesn’t just need sales skills. They also need to maintain supplier relationships, which is a significant part of the buying process. No matter what buyer job you’re pursuing, a winning resume needs to show that you’re good at all of these skills.

Your resume structure will depend on the resume format you choose. Whether you decide on the chronological resume format, which emphasizes work experience, the functional resume format, which emphasizes skills, or the combination resume format, which emphasizes both, your resume organization might change a bit, but it will include these sections.

 

The first resume section is the header with your contact information. This is technically part of the resume design on most professional resumes. It includes your full name and your contact information with your phone number and professional social media links, such as a LinkedIn profile.

 

The resume summary, or resume objective, goes at the top of your resume and functions almost like an abstract of the complete resume. A well-written resume summary will convince a recruiter to read through the whole resume. This 2-3 sentence paragraph is a professional summary of your key accomplishments and your best skills. The resume objective is best for those with little to no work experience and includes your career goals.

 

In the skills section, you need to include several skills, typically around 8-12 for a chronological resume and even more for a functional resume. Here are a few bullet points to consider for your perfect resume:

• Spotting discrepancies between purchase orders and delivered items
• Forecasting success
• Analytical skills
• Getting the best price for an order
• Communication skills
• Microsoft Office suite
• Negotiation skills
• Discovering new products
• Problem-solving skills
• Project management
• Processing requisitions
• Advanced computer skills
• Resource planning software (Oracle, SAP)
• Monitoring inventory levels
• Knowledge of the purchasing process
• Time management skills
• Managing budgets

As you can see from this list, you need a wide variety of both hard skills and soft skills to function as a buyer. These skills from buyer resume templates can help you stand out in the crowd.

 

In the work history section, you should include up to 10 years of relevant experience. Many different job titles might belong in this section, including purchasing manager, senior buyer, assistant buyer, and more. If your job duties included purchasing, it’s relevant experience.

 

List all of your top education accreditations and certifications in your education section. Most buyer positions require at least a bachelor’s degree, typically in a subject like finance, business administration, or supply chain management. One buyer-related certification is the Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) certification. But if you have any others, you can include them here.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind while writing your buyer resume:

 

Do:

• Emphasize your impact on the entirety of the company’s operations. If you helped a company maintain on-time delivery, for example, state it.
• Discuss specific supplier relationships you may already have. This can show that you know what you’re doing and that it will be beneficial to the company.
• Give specific numbers when it comes to cost savings. If you saved a company money, bring up exact dollar amounts or percentages.

Don’t:

• Provide identifying information of previous clients. This may violate NDAs and other agreements you’ve signed.
• Mention orders that didn’t go well. Only talk about your achievements, not your low points.
• Include long lists of skills that you’re only moderately accomplished at. You should narrow down your skill list to your absolute best skills, as well as skills that fit what the employer is looking for.