Retail Resume (Detailed Guide and Template)

Creating an ideal retail resume is the first step in beginning a career in retail sales. Whether you're seeking an entry-level position or a top-level role, there are specific skills and experience that recruiters look for in a candidate. Understanding how to craft an excellent resume is a crucial step in your career journey. In this article, we share tips and samples for creating the perfect retail resume at any level.

Important tips to note when building a retail resume

When building a job-winning resume for a retail role, you should consider the following:

1. Format your resume professionally: Formatting and structure are essential tools when designing a resume. Ensure you use text formats and heading arrangements that enhance your employability rather than diminish them. To choose the best font for your resume, take enough time to sample easy-to-read professional fonts that make your resume stand out to employers.

2. Include section headings for easy navigation: Headings provide employers with easy navigation when browsing through your profile. Make sure that your heading fonts are at least 2 pts larger than the text of the body.

3. Follow the standard reverse-chronological resume format: Using a reverse-chronological order for a resume is the best way to highlight your most relevant experience. When listing your professional experience, begin with your most recent roles or accomplishment and slowly make your way back to your first role. Your resume should fit on one page, so if you're running low on space you can remove or reduce details about roles that aren't relevant to the position you're applying for.

4. Use the Portable Document Format (PDF): Unless otherwise specified by the hiring company, it's best to save your resume as a PDF file for easy accessibility and transfer.

Related:

• Using a Chronological Order Example Resume (With Tips)

• What Is the Standard Canadian Resume Format? (With 7 Tips)

Five basic sections every retail resume needs

As a job-seeker, you want your resume to stand out, and there's specific information the recruitment team will be looking for. Hiring managers look for role-specific keywords listed in the job description, as do automated tracking systems (ATS). Optimizing your resume for both human and machine screening drastically increases your chances of getting hired.

The following sections should be in every well-written resume.

1. Heading: The first part that an employer will notice on your resume is the heading section. This portion should contain your basic personal information like name, address, contact information, and relevant website links. It makes direct contact and verification easier should the employer decide to proceed with your application.

2. Professional summary: Just beneath the heading section is your professional summary. This segment should highlight a concise overview of why you're perfect for the role and that you have the necessary skills, experience, and tools to excel.

3. Professional experience: The experience section should cover all relevant experiences you've had in relevant roles. For entry-level positions, you can include relevant volunteer works, internships, or school projects that showcase your work ethic.

4. Education: In this section, be sure to include your degrees, diplomas, or training certifications if available. If you do not possess any of those, present your high school diploma as your highest level of education. You can also highlight any other relevant training or certifications if they apply.

5. Skills: Showcase your abilities and personal traits in the skills section. Ensure to include both soft and hard skills that portray a professional and personal image to potential employers or recruiters.

6. Additional sections (optional): The additional section of your resume is entirely optional, but is the best spot to include impressive qualifications that don't fit under the other headings. This segment should include awards, languages spoken, or special licences to help you stand out among your peers.

Related:

• How to Create a Resume Header (With Example)

• A Guide to Writing a Resume Summary With Samples

• How to Describe Your Work Experience on a Resume

Tips for writing the ideal retail resume

The following tips will aid you in building the perfect resume to advance your professional retail career:

1. Begin with a compelling intro paragraph

Your retail resume should begin with an eye-catching intro. This part of the resume is in the professional summary section, and it should focus on the essence of your entire resume. Provide employers with a concise description of who you are, the experiences you've gained, notable achievements, and other key skills or qualifications.

For example: "Driven sales professional with over five years of retail experience. Seeking to improve ROI through proven skills in sales and customer retention. Maintained a 94% score on sales forecast and 32% average on repeat customer index. Presently runs an e-commerce website with over 200 sales per month."

2. Itemize your professional experience

Begin the professional experience section of your retail resume with your current position and then list your previous roles in reverse chronological order. This portion should include the job title, the name of the company, the date of employment, and a summary of your duties and notable achievements. We advise you limit the bullet points for your work summary to six entries or fewer. Also, ensure that you make use of action verbs like 'maintained,' 'handled,' 'built' to impress recruiters and automated tracking systems.

Even if you have no previous work experience, populate your resume with other accomplishments, like personal achievements, volunteer work, or internships. Be sure to include numbers wherever you can to quantify the impact of your achievements.

Retail Sales Clerk
Harry Rosen
July 2018–August 2019

• Managed customer support, restocking, and payments

• Coordinated and conducted inventory and storage sorting for all products in the store. Improved processing efficiency by over 34%

• Maintained an error-free process for the store's POS system

Related: Writing a Resume With No Experience

3. Optimize your education section based on your experience

An important thing to note about the education section is that the more professional experience you have, the fewer details you need to include here. However, the education section of your resume is still important. For entry-level roles, your education and other relevant internships or training act as a source of experience. Ensure you provide as much detail as possible.

Education section for an entry-level role:

2016–2020
McGill University
Bachelor of business administration

• Graduated with a 4.8 GPA

• Made the dean's list

• Completed a four months internship program in sales

Related: How to List Education on Your Resume (With Examples)

4. Use skills to your advantage

Most job listings provide a specific list of skills needed for the advertised role. When preparing your resume, the first thing you must do is revisit the job post for the specified skills required and then create a resume that ties in with the role you are after. Ensure you also include other skills that you can offer and keep your skills list to a maximum of 10 to avoid crowding.

Your resume skills section should include both relevant soft and hard skills. Here's a list of some retail resume skills to consider:

• Decision-making skills

• Communication skills

• Time management skills

• Problem-solving skills

• Inventory management

• Project management skills

• Quickbooks POS

• Technical skills

• Cashier skills

• Product Knowledge

Related: 8 Personal Attributes to Include on Your Resume (With Tips)

5. Consider adding a cover letter

Cover letters are a great way to tell recruiters and prospective employers your professional story and fill in the missing blanks from your resume. Creating a powerful and compelling cover letter for your retail resume will enhance your chances of wooing the hiring team in your favour. Take the time to craft an effective cover letter that boosts your chance of landing an interview.

The first step to writing a great cover letter is introducing yourself. Tell the recruiter who you are, what interests you about the company, and how you plan on helping them grow. Be sure to back up your claims with verifiable and quantifiable achievements. Remember to format your cover letter when you're done.

Related: How To Write a Keyholder Resume (Example and Template Included)

Retail clerk resume template

Rebecca Moore
White Rock, British Columbia
123-456-7890 | rebeccamoore@email.com

Summary

Driven sales professional with over five years of retail experience. Seeking to improve your company's ROI through proven skills in sales and customer retention. Maintained a 94% score on sales forecast and 32% average on repeat customer index. Presently runs an eCommerce website with over 200 sales per month.

Professional experience

Senior Sales Retail Clerk
Gladbach Clothiers, Guelph
2019—Present

• Executed all retail clerk duties at a high-volume store

• Oversaw all sales operations, including point of sale and inventory

• Maintained a 94% score on sales forecast and 32% average on repeat customer index

• Received 98% positive feedback for capturing and addressing customers' unique needs

• Oversaw over 2000 sales per week with less than 1% error margin

Retail Sales Clerk
Nordstrom's, Toronto
July 2018—August 2019

• Responsible for all retail duties and activities such as customer support, restocking, managing the cashier, and performing sales for the store

• Coordinated and conducted inventory and storage sorting for all products in the store. Improved processing efficiency by over 25%

• Maintained an error-free process for the store P.O.S. system

• Won the management employee of the year award for outstanding performance with sales and customer service

Cashier
Taylor's, Mississauga
2017—2018

• Handled over 100 customer purchases each day

• Managed the cash register daily.

Education

McGill University
2014–2017
B.sc. Business administration

Skills

• Customer service

• Organizational skills

• Teamwork

• Sales

• Shopify and Square POS

• Interpersonal skills

• Inventory management

• Time management

• Languages: English, French