Top Guidelines on How to Write a Sales Associate Resume

What you need to be a sales associate

A sales associate is the person responsible for greeting customers, helping them learn more about products, introducing them to the merchandise, and answering any questions about their purchase.
 
Aside from their main responsibilities, sales associates have a number of daily tasks. For example, they must conduct inventory management, meet sales goals and monthly quotas, and tend to customer needs, all while keeping a positive attitude.
 
If you are interested in applying for a sales associate position, then it’s important to have a well-written resume. Not sure how to write a resume? Look over some resume templates along with the resume examples on this page, and read along for more tips. First, let’s tackle the key skills you should add to your resume.

Key skills to feature on a sales associate resume

Sales associates should list hard and soft skills on their resumes to stand out against other candidates. It’s important for job seekers to tailor their resumes to fit the job description posted by the hiring manager, so include key skills and qualifications from the sales associate job description to grab the attention of recruiters or hiring managers. Here are some common hard and soft skills that employers look for in sales associates:
 

Hard Skills

• Operating the cash register for cash and credit card transactions
• Inventory management
• Knowledge of point-of-sale (POS) systems
• Extensive product knowledge
• Sales experience
• Computer skills
• Math skills

Soft Skills

• Problem-solving
• Communication
• Interpersonal skills
• Organizational skills
• Time management
• Conflict resolution
• Teamwork
• Customer service skills

How to write a sales associate resume that gets you noticed

Writing a resume that gets you noticed is crucial since hiring managers don’t spend much time looking at each resume they get handed. As such, your resume format matters. Each resume has separate sections to show off your skills, experience, job history, education, and other notable factors. Formatting these sections to appeal to your possible future employer is key. Here’s what to include in each resume section:
 

Header

 
In your resume header, include your full name, current job title, and some basic contact information. Typically, job seekers will add a phone number, an appropriate email address, and a link to their LinkedIn profile.
 

Resume summary or objective

 
Your resume summary or resume objective should be brief and to the point. Introduce some of your most notable skills and experiences that show hiring managers why you’re the best fit for the position. Here, you can quantify some of your sales associate experience and show previous success with numbers.
 

Skills 

 
We’ve already gone over some of the hard and soft skills to include in your skills section. Refer to our resume skills examples and use bullet points to include only the relevant skills that apply to your experience.
 

Work experience

 
Your work experience section should begin with your most recent position and work backward toward older jobs you’ve had. List your job title, company name, years of experience, and a short description of your responsibilities. That said, it’s not necessary to add irrelevant or short-lived jobs. Only include relevant employment experience. Use action verbs (e.g., “managed” or “coordinated”) to show that you’re the proactive, energetic employee that the hiring manager is looking for.
 

Education

 
If you went to college, then you could include the name of your college or university, any degrees you’ve earned, and any notable academic achievements in your education section. If you didn’t go to college, then list your high school, along with any other notable information about job-related training.
 

Certifications, Achievements, or Awards

 
If you have any certifications, achievements, or awards, then you don’t want to forget them on your resume. These sections can give you unique advantages and set you apart from other applicants. For example, if you received employee of the month recognition or completed any additional certifications for a job position, then include them in your resume.