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15 Sales Associate Resume Examples - Here's What Works In 2024

Sales associates help customers find and purchase the products and services they need. when crafting your sales associate resume, make sure to include relevant skills that hiring managers are looking for. in this article, we’ve compiled five resume templates with the most important qualities to have in 2023. (google docs and pdfs attached)..

Sales associates are the face of a company and an indispensable part of a company’s sales process. As a sales associate, you are at the front lines, and you could be selling anything from clothing to car parts. You are a fantastic relationship builder and can strike up an easy conversation with almost any customer they meet. You can read people’s body language well and have a strong sense of empathy for the confusing parts of making certain purchases. You’re always able to keep a positive attitude and are patient even with frustrated customers. With in-person retailers slowly opening back up in 2023, the demand for this position will undoubtedly increase, and there are abundant opportunities for those looking to work as a sales associate. Sound like something you’re interested in? Continue reading below to see what a great sales associate resume should look like in 2023.

Sales Associate Resume Templates

Jump to a template:

• Sales Associate
• Sales Associate / Retail Salesperson
• Entry-Level Sales Associate
• Senior Sales Associate
• Sales/Customer Assistant
• Inside Sales Representative
• Fragrance Sales Associate
• Clothing Store Sales Associate
• Luxury Sales Associate
• Wireless Sales Associate
• Car Sales Rep

Jump to a resource:

• Keywords for Sales Associate Resumes

Sales Associate Resume Tips

• Action Verbs to Use
• Bullet Points on Sales Associate Resumes
• Related Sales Resumes

Get advice on each section of your resume:

Template 1 of 15: Sales Associate Resume Example

As a Sales Associate, you'll play a crucial role in driving a company's revenue by communicating with customers, showcasing products, and closing sales. With the rise of e-commerce and the importance of personalized customer experiences, your skills in building relationships and providing excellent customer service are sought after by employers. A well-crafted resume is essential to showcase your abilities and stand out among the competition in this sales-driven industry. By strategically highlighting your achievements and tailoring your resume to the specific requirements of the position, you can grab the attention of hiring managers and land that dream job. Consider the following recommendations to create a high-impact Sales Associate resume.

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Tips to help you write your Sales Associate resume in 2024

   highlight relevant sales experience.

Show off your sales prowess by quantifying your achievements, specifying the deals you've closed or sales targets you've surpassed. Include relevant figures, like the percentage of target achieved or the number of new clients you’ve brought on board, to demonstrate your success.

   Showcase your customer service skills

Strong customer service skills are crucial for a Sales Associate, as they contribute to creating a positive shopping experience and building customer loyalty. Emphasize your ability to listen to and engage with clients, resolving their concerns promptly, and going above and beyond to meet their needs.

Skills you can include on your Sales Associate resume

Template 2 of 15: sales associate resume example.

Sales associates that have a few years of experience in the industry should focus on highlighting the skills they’ve developed throughout their career. Make sure to demonstrate such capabilities as working efficiently with point of sale systems or managing smooth customer relations. Follow this template to highlight your abilities as you put together your sales associate resume.

   Quantify your impact and past accomplishments

Hiring managers will often assess your resume based on your demonstrated ability to sell. Include accomplishments such as a top rank in sales, or the percentage increase you contributed to in customer satisfaction. When listing out your accomplishments, use strong action verbs that show your direct contributions and make sure to include important details such as location and impact, (e.g. were you ranked within your district, region, the nation; by what percentage did you increase customer satisfaction?)

   Emphasize your career experience

Roles in sales can be demanding and high-pressure, and not everyone has the personality to succeed in such a position. The years you’ve spent as a sales associate are invaluable to companies who are looking to hire new employees, since they can trust that you have the knowhow and experience in the field to solve unexpected customer problems. In reverse chronological order, include all relevant experience in your work section to showcase your career trajectory.

Template 3 of 15: Sales Associate / Retail Salesperson Resume Example

As a Sales Associate or Retail Salesperson, you're not just a cashier. You're a frontline ambassador for the company, the face shoppers see when they walk in. In many ways, your ability to charm customers and provide excellent service determines a store's success. Therefore, showcasing your people skills and sales abilities on your resume is critical. With the retail industry becoming more tech-savvy, highlighting experience with point-of-sale systems and e-commerce platforms will set you apart. Your resume should communicate how you can demonstrate product knowledge, drive sales, and provide outstanding customer service.

Tips to help you write your Sales Associate / Retail Salesperson resume in 2024

   showcase your sales achievements.

Numbers speak louder than words. Saying you're great at selling isn't enough, you need to prove it. If you've consistently met or exceeded sales goals, put it on your resume. Mention the percentage increase in sales you've achieved or the increase in customer loyalty members you've signed up.

   Detail your experience with retail tech

Being tech-savvy isn't exclusive to IT roles; it's increasingly important in retail too. If you've used point-of-sale systems, inventory management software, or any e-commerce platforms, make sure to mention these. Your comfort with technology indicates you can adapt to new retail tools and processes quickly.

Skills you can include on your Sales Associate / Retail Salesperson resume

Template 4 of 15: sales associate / retail salesperson resume example.

As a sales associate or retail salesperson, your role is all about connecting with customers and providing exceptional service while also driving sales. In recent years, the retail industry has become more competitive, placing a higher emphasis on customer experience and personalized service. When hiring for this role, companies are looking for candidates who can demonstrate their ability to engage with customers and contribute to the store's overall success. A well-crafted resume is essential for showcasing your skills and experience in these areas, making you stand out from other applicants. In the ever-changing world of retail, it's crucial for sales associates to keep up with the latest trends and technologies. Your resume should highlight your adaptability and willingness to learn, as well as your ability to build lasting relationships with customers. Demonstrating these skills on your resume will show potential employers that you're a valuable addition to their team.

   Highlight customer service experience

On your resume, emphasize any customer service experience you have, whether in retail or other industries. Showcase specific examples of how you provided exceptional service, resolved customer issues, or went above and beyond to meet client needs, making you an excellent fit for a sales associate role.

   Demonstrate sales achievements

Include concrete examples of your sales achievements, such as meeting or exceeding sales targets, maintaining a high average transaction value, or generating repeat business from customers. Providing quantifiable results gives potential employers a clear picture of your ability to contribute positively to their sales goals.

Template 5 of 15: Sales Associate / Retail Salesperson Resume Example

A retail sales associate, typically a sales associate working specifically in a brick-and-mortar store, must have excellent interpersonal skills and the emotional intelligence to interact with a variety of different customers daily. When crafting your retail sales associate resume, make sure to emphasize the relevant skills and experience you have developed in your past retail roles.

   Tailored retail work experience

Retail sales involves extensive face-to-face interaction with customers on a daily basis, and hiring managers are looking for candidates who can effectively handle the unique challenges that come up in this environment. Make sure to include as much relevant experience you have for the role -- even outside of just retail. For example, if you worked as a receptionist, you were often working face-to-face with an office’s clients. If you think outside the box like this, you can probably come up with more relevant experiences than you realize!

   Relevant skills in retail and sales

Focus on including retail-oriented skills in your skills section. Showing hiring managers that you have applicable experience in working a cash register, improving operations, or troubleshooting credit card issues can be the difference between landing a job or getting passed over. In addition, make sure you read through the job posting to see what skills they list, and emphasize the skills they’ve highlighted throughout your resume.

Template 6 of 15: Entry-Level Sales Associate Resume Example

If you just recently graduated from college, you may not have several years of sales experience under your belt. That’s normal, and there’s no need to fret about it -- hiring managers know to look at different areas of your resume to gauge your skills and abilities in the workplace. Use this template to sell yourself to companies and demonstrate that you are absolutely capable of getting the job done.

Tips to help you write your Entry-Level Sales Associate resume in 2024

   lead with your education section.

Since your work section likely won’t be the star of the show, start your resume out instead with your education section. Include coursework that relates to sales associate skills, such as consumer psychology, marketing, or business. Note any honors you received to show that you go above and beyond in all realms of your life. Make sure to also include your GPA or any relevant test scores such as the ACT or SAT.

   University projects and relevant volunteering experience in sales

You can also include a section for university projects and volunteering experience. When you’re building your bullet points here, include details that speak to relevant sales associate abilities. For example, to demonstrate your ability to work with other associates, include times where you worked with other team members. Or, to highlight your potential ability to work successfully with customers, elaborate about the time you developed rapport/trust with an external client.

Skills you can include on your Entry-Level Sales Associate resume

Template 7 of 15: senior sales associate resume example.

As a Senior Sales Associate, you play a crucial role in driving sales and maintaining customer relationships. In today's competitive market, companies rely heavily on experienced sales professionals to stay ahead. Your resume should showcase your industry knowledge and sales expertise. In this fast-paced world, hiring managers will appreciate a well-crafted resume that highlights your accomplishments and demonstrates your potential to be a valuable asset to their team. Brand names and product lines are constantly evolving, so it's essential for a Senior Sales Associate's resume to reflect their ability to adapt and learn new strategies. Additionally, highlighting your proficiency in CRM tools and other relevant technologies is a must, as they're a significant part of the sales process.

Tips to help you write your Senior Sales Associate resume in 2024

   highlight quantifiable achievements.

When writing your resume, be sure to include numerical data tied to your past sales successes. This might include the percentage by which you increased sales or the number of new clients you secured. These figures demonstrate your impact and effectiveness as a Senior Sales Associate.

   Emphasize soft skills and adaptability

Senior Sales Associates need to connect with people and navigate dynamic situations. Emphasize your interpersonal and problem-solving abilities, along with your capacity to adapt to new products and changing market conditions. Showcasing your resilience and versatility will make you stand out as a valuable candidate.

Skills you can include on your Senior Sales Associate resume

Template 8 of 15: senior sales associate resume example.

A senior sales associate is in charge of overseeing sales policies and initiatives, and is typically on track to get promoted to a management position. It’s important to demonstrate your experience in sales and your ability to lead others and ensure the team is hitting sales quotas. In addition, you should highlight your career journey through increasing levels of responsibility, and exhibit excellent sales numbers from past positions.

   Demonstrated leadership and career growth in sales roles

Hiring managers looking for senior sales associates want to know that you can handle increasing levels of responsibility. Highlight your growth through past sales positions, and include any instances where you managed or helped other sales associates, or stepped up to take on a role that was above and beyond your job description. If you have any rewards or recognition, make sure to include those in your resume as well.

   Showcase tangible sales accomplishments, especially when applying for senior roles

When applying to a senior level sales associate role, you should demonstrate a senior level of sales savvy and expertise. The best way to do this is to include quantified proof of past sales accomplishments. Ask yourself what is most relevant and impressive to someone else reading your resume, and write your resume accordingly. For example: Did you exceed targets and quotas? By how much? Did you create an innovative selling process or build a system that generated higher sales? How much did sales increase as a result?

Template 9 of 15: Sales/Customer Assistant Resume Example

Unlike a general sales associate or retail sales associate who works in-store or selling directly to customers, a sales/customer assistant is more likely to be working between businesses (B2B) and assisting with the sale of products/services between those businesses. Follow this template when crafting your sales/customer assistant resume.

Tips to help you write your Sales/Customer Assistant resume in 2024

   tailored work experience to sales and customer assistance.

The terms “sales associate” and “sales assistant” are often interchangeable, so when applying to these roles it’s especially important to carefully read the job posting. Different sales skills are needed for different industries, so you’ll want to curate relevant work experience and skills as you craft your resume. For example, if the role entails working closely with account executives and preparing sales reports, include instances of similar responsibilities you’ve held in the past.

   Strong action verbs and metrics highlighting key achievements in sales

When writing your work experience bullet points, always remember to lead with strong action verbs that accentuate your skills. If you want to highlight your customer service abilities, use phrases like “increased customer retention by xx%” or “decreased cancellations by xx%”. Note that it’s important to accompany your strong action verbs with metrics that demonstrate quantifiable evidence of your ability.

Skills you can include on your Sales/Customer Assistant resume

Template 10 of 15: inside sales representative resume example.

The main role of an inside sales representative is to grow sales either remotely or within an office/business environment. They achieve this task by reaching out to clients over the phone or email. It doesn't just start and end with calling or emailing; they also need to have some skills in identifying their client's needs (not wants). And one productive way to determine their needs is by simply researching. Of course, there are other ways inside sales representatives can identify clients' needs. The most important thing is selling the product and achieving the sales target. Period! The sample resume below shows how an inside sales representative used various skills to sell products at different companies.

Tips to help you write your Inside Sales Representative resume in 2024

   state your achievements and the corresponding sales skillset.

You should state how you reached a sales milestone, surpassed a KPI, or recorded an achievement. It's important to show recruiters how that happened because it proves you know your onions. Besides, you're already way ahead of other inside sales representatives who do not do that.

   Itemize relevant previous sales roles, and work experiences

If you have worked in other places, you should let your potential employers know. You can insert this information towards the tail-end of your resume (like in this sample) by stating the relevant roles you occupied and company names.

Skills you can include on your Inside Sales Representative resume

Template 11 of 15: fragrance sales associate resume example.

In this position, you will be selling fragrances to clients. You will welcome potential customers, help them discover the fragrance that works best for them, give them fragrance samples, and complete purchases. You need to have an excellent understanding of fragrances and very strong interpersonal skills. Here is a resume sample for this position.

Tips to help you write your Fragrance Sales Associate resume in 2024

   focus your skill set on fragrance sales skills..

Do not create a generic sales skill list. There are skills specific to fragrance sales that should populate the skill section instead. Examples include scent sampling, perfume marketing, and fragrance personalization.

   Highlight a high sales rate.

Many women come to stores to sample perfumes with no intention of actually buying one. If you can indicate that you have a high sales conversion rate, it will be very beneficial for your application. Make sure you include actual figures and metrics to make your accomplishments shine.

Skills you can include on your Fragrance Sales Associate resume

Template 12 of 15: clothing store sales associate resume example.

As the name applies, you will work in a clothing store selling clothes for this position. Tasks you can expect include welcoming customers, answering any questions they may have, helping them find appropriate sizes, folding and organizing clothes, and processing purchases at the till. Recruiters will want to see a background in sales, preferably in clothes sales. Take a look at this successful resume sample.

Tips to help you write your Clothing Store Sales Associate resume in 2024

   have a range of skills to match the range of responsibilities..

You may have to do all of the steps in the sales cycle, and as such your skills list should include skills to help you complete each step. E.g. include customer service, merchandising, and cashiering to show range.

   Include any sales or fashion-related certifications.

Show recruiters that you are a dedicated and skilled sales professional by including any sales certifications you may have acquired. This applicant has included 3 impressive certifications.

Skills you can include on your Clothing Store Sales Associate resume

Template 13 of 15: luxury sales associate resume example.

Luxury sales associates sell expensive luxury products. The industry you work in or the products you are selling will determine the skill set you should include in your resume. You must be especially knowledgeable and skilled in the products you are selling, and recruiters will want to see a background in selling these products. You must also have impeccable communication and customer service skills. Here is a recruiter-approved resume sample.

Tips to help you write your Luxury Sales Associate resume in 2024

   indicate what industries you have experience in..

The sales strategy for selling luxury cars is very different from the strategy used to sell jewelry. So it is imperative that you include the industries you have worked in, especially if you are applying to a position in an industry you have a history in.

   Show career progression in sales.

Show recruiters that you are exceptionally skilled and successful by showing promotions in your career. It will also show recruiters your dedication to your profession. This applicant started as a merchandiser and moved their way up to a luxury sales associate.

Skills you can include on your Luxury Sales Associate resume

Template 14 of 15: wireless sales associate resume example.

A wireless sales associate works in a telecommunication company dealing with customers looking for their services. You may be tasked with greeting customers, answering their questions about the various products on offer, assisting them with purchases, handling customer service issues, etc. To thrive in this position you need to have the technical knowledge of all things telecommunication and must be an expert on the products the company offers. You also need to have customer service skills as your position is a customer-facing position. Take a look at this applicant’s strong resume.

Tips to help you write your Wireless Sales Associate resume in 2024

   highlight key achievements in your introduction section..

Let recruiters know from the beginning of your resume, just how successful you are in sales by including a quantifiable key success in your introduction section. It sets an impressive tone for the rest of your resume.

   Include technical language to show technical knowledge.

A recruiter should be able to tell that you are very knowledgeable in the telecommunication field by the language you use in the resume. Some industry-relevant keywords include wireless, hardware, software, programming, etc.

Skills you can include on your Wireless Sales Associate resume

Template 15 of 15: car sales rep resume example.

As a Car Sales Rep, you're the bridge between the customer and their dream vehicle. Your job isn't just about making a sale, it’s about understanding the client's needs and translating that into a vehicle that fits their lifestyle. Recently, car sales have been shifting towards online platforms and digital showrooms, so it's crucial to adapt to these new modes of selling. When writing your resume, it's important to display not only your sales prowess but also your ability to connect with people and your adaptability to new technologies.

Tips to help you write your Car Sales Rep resume in 2024

   showcase your sales track record.

Numbers speak louder than words. Include your sales figures, units sold, or targets met to demonstrate your abilities. If you've consistently met or exceeded your sales targets, make sure to mention that.

   Highlighting your EDGE in customer service

As a Car Sales Rep, providing excellent customer service is paramount. You should include any customer service training, certifications, or customer satisfaction scores that you've earned. It's important to remind the hiring manager of your commitment to the customer's satisfaction.

Skills you can include on your Car Sales Rep resume

As a hiring manager who has worked with companies like Walmart, Target, and Macy's, I've seen countless resumes for sales associate positions. The best ones always stand out because they showcase the candidate's sales skills, customer service experience, and ability to work in a fast-paced environment. In this article, we'll share some tips on how to create a winning sales associate resume that will catch the attention of hiring managers like myself.

   Highlight your sales achievements with metrics

Employers want to see that you have a proven track record of success in sales. Use specific numbers and percentages to show the impact you had in your previous roles.

• Exceeded sales targets by 25% for three consecutive quarters, resulting in $50,000 in additional revenue
• Consistently ranked in the top 10% of sales associates nationwide based on monthly sales figures
• Upsold products to customers, increasing average order value by 15%

Avoid using vague statements that don't provide any real evidence of your abilities:

• Good at sales
• Helped increase store revenue

Sales associates are the face of the company and must provide excellent customer service. Highlight specific examples of how you went above and beyond for customers.

• Resolved customer complaints quickly and efficiently, resulting in a 95% satisfaction rate
• Provided personalized product recommendations based on customer needs and preferences
• Received multiple positive reviews on the company's customer feedback portal

Don't just say that you have good customer service skills. Prove it with concrete examples.

   Tailor your resume to the specific company and role

Each company has its own unique culture and values. Research the company and tailor your resume to match their specific needs and requirements.

For example, if the company emphasizes teamwork and collaboration, highlight your experience working in a team:

• Collaborated with a team of 10 sales associates to implement a new sales strategy, resulting in a 20% increase in revenue
• Participated in weekly team meetings to share best practices and provide feedback to colleagues

Avoid using a generic resume that doesn't speak to the company's specific needs and values.

   Include relevant certifications and training

Many companies offer training programs for their sales associates. If you have completed any relevant certifications or training programs, be sure to include them on your resume.

• Completed a 6-week customer service training program focused on handling difficult customers and resolving complaints
• Earned a Sales Excellence Certificate from the National Retail Federation

Don't include irrelevant or outdated certifications that don't apply to the sales associate role.

   Use a clear and concise resume format

Hiring managers often have to review hundreds of resumes for each open position. Make sure your resume is easy to read and highlights your most relevant qualifications.

Use bullet points and short paragraphs to break up the text and make it easier to scan. Use a clear and legible font, and make sure there is plenty of white space on the page.

Results-driven sales associate with 5+ years of experience in fast-paced retail environments. Proven track record of exceeding sales targets and providing excellent customer service. Skilled in upselling, cross-selling, and resolving customer complaints. Seeking a challenging role in a dynamic company that values hard work and dedication.

Avoid using long paragraphs or tiny fonts that make your resume difficult to read.

Writing Your Sales Associate Resume: Section By Section

  header, 1. put your name front and center.

Your name should be the most prominent element in your header, typically using a larger font than the rest of your resume. This makes it easy for hiring managers to remember who you are and quickly find your resume in a stack of applications.

Choose a professional-looking font that's easy to read:

Avoid nicknames or unprofessional email addresses like:

• [email protected]

2. Include essential contact details

Under your name, add key contact details so employers can easily get in touch with you:

• Phone number
• Professional email address
• Location (City, State)
• LinkedIn URL (optional)

You can include these details on one line, separated by vertical lines or bullets. For example:

John Doe 555-123-4567 | [email protected] | New York, NY | linkedin.com/in/john-doe

There's no need to include your full mailing address. If you're applying for remote sales associate positions, you can simply put "Remote" as your location.

3. Highlight your sales specialty

If you specialize in a particular area of sales, consider including a targeted title or brief tagline under your name. This can quickly communicate your sales focus to hiring managers. For example:

• John Doe Automotive Sales Associate
• JANE SMITH Passionate Retail Sales Professional

However, avoid cramming this space with too many keywords or a laundry list of skills. A concise, targeted title will be more impactful than:

• John Doe Sales Associate | Customer Service | Relationship Building | Product Knowledge

  Summary

A resume summary, also known as a professional summary or summary statement, is an optional section that highlights your most relevant qualifications for the job. While it's not a mandatory part of your resume, a well-written summary can grab the hiring manager's attention and convince them to read further. However, avoid using an objective statement, as it focuses on your goals rather than how you can benefit the company.

When crafting your summary for a sales associate position, focus on your key skills, experiences, and achievements that align with the job requirements. Tailor your language to the specific industry and company you're applying to. Keep it concise, around 3-4 sentences or bullet points, and make sure it adds value beyond what's already in your resume.

To learn how to write an effective resume summary for your Sales Associate resume, or figure out if you need one, please read Sales Associate Resume Summary Examples , or Sales Associate Resume Objective Examples .

1. Highlight your sales skills and experience

Emphasize the specific sales skills and experience that make you a strong candidate for the position. Consider including:

• Number of years in sales or customer service roles
• Types of products or services you've sold
• Key skills like relationship building, negotiation, or closing techniques

Here's an example of highlighting relevant skills and experience:

Results-driven sales professional with 5+ years of experience in retail sales. Skilled in building customer relationships, identifying needs, and recommending products to drive revenue growth. Proven track record of consistently meeting and exceeding sales targets.

2. Quantify your achievements

Whenever possible, use specific numbers and metrics to quantify your sales achievements. This helps hiring managers understand the impact you've made in previous roles. For example:

• Consistently exceeded monthly sales targets by 20%
• Generated $500K+ in annual revenue for the company
• Maintained a 95% customer satisfaction rating

In contrast, avoid using vague or subjective statements like:

• Great at sales
• Hardworking and dedicated employee

These statements don't provide concrete evidence of your abilities and can come across as generic or insincere.

3. Tailor your summary to the company and role

Research the company and the specific sales associate position you're applying for. Look for key skills, qualities, or experiences they emphasize in the job description and incorporate those into your summary. This shows the hiring manager that you're a good fit for their specific needs.

For example, if the job description mentions 'upselling' as a key responsibility, you might include a line like:

Adept at identifying upselling opportunities and recommending complementary products to increase average order value.

Tailoring your summary demonstrates your understanding of the role and your ability to contribute to the company's goals.

  Experience

The work experience section is the most important part of your resume as a sales associate. It's where you show the impact you've made in your previous roles. Highlight your most relevant and impressive experiences that relate to a sales associate position.

We'll walk through the key steps to write an effective work experience section that will impress hiring managers and increase your chances of landing an interview.

1. Focus on sales-related accomplishments

Instead of listing your day-to-day responsibilities, focus on your top sales accomplishments that showcase your skills and impact. Quantify your achievements with metrics, such as:

• Exceeded sales targets by 25% for 3 consecutive quarters
• Generated $50K in new revenue from upselling techniques
• Maintained 95%+ customer satisfaction scores

Avoid vague or generic statements that could apply to any sales associate:

• Helped customers find products
• Organized the stockroom
• Worked the cash register

Not sure if your resume highlights your top accomplishments effectively? Try our Score My Resume tool to get instant feedback on over 30 key criteria hiring managers look for, including a score for your achievements.

2. Showcase your sales skills and techniques

Effective sales associates use a variety of skills and techniques to engage customers, overcome objections, and close deals. Highlight examples of how you:

• Built rapport and long-term relationships with customers
• Used consultative selling to identify customer needs
• Utilized persuasive communication to convey product benefits
• Collaborated with team members to reach sales goals

Leveraged storytelling techniques to bring product features to life, increasing average order value by 15%.

Tailor your skills and keywords to the specific sales associate job you're applying for. Our Targeted Resume tool analyzes your resume against any job description and identifies missing skills and keywords to include.

3. Demonstrate career progression

Hiring managers want to see that you've progressed and taken on more responsibility throughout your sales career. If you've been promoted or taken on leadership roles, make that clear:

• Promoted to Senior Sales Associate within 1 year
• Selected to train and mentor 5 new sales associates
• Managed $500K+ retail sales territory

If you don't have a promotion, you can still show progression by highlighting how your role or contributions expanded over time:

• Took on additional responsibilities for visual merchandising and increased store foot traffic by 10%
• Consistently exceeded individual sales targets year-over-year, ranking as a top 5 sales associate

Quantify your progression as much as possible - use metrics like number of people managed, revenue generated, etc.

  Education

Your education section is a key part of your sales associate resume. It shows hiring managers that you have the necessary knowledge and training to succeed in the role. Here are some tips to make sure your education section stands out:

1. List your highest degree first

Start your education section with your most recent or highest degree. This is usually a high school diploma or a college degree if you have one.

Here's an example of how to list your education:

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration University of California, Los Angeles Graduated: May 2022

If you have a college degree, you don't need to include your high school information.

2. Include relevant coursework

If you're a recent graduate or have taken courses related to sales or customer service, consider listing them under your degree. This can help show employers that you have specific knowledge that will help you in the role.

Some examples of relevant coursework for a sales associate might include:

• Marketing principles
• Consumer behavior
• Business communications
• Negotiation strategies

3. Highlight sales-related training

If you've completed any sales-specific training programs or certifications, be sure to include them in your education section. This could include things like:

• Product knowledge training
• Sales techniques workshop
• Customer service certification

These types of training show that you're dedicated to developing your sales skills and knowledge.

4. Keep it concise for experienced professionals

If you have several years of sales experience, your education section should be brief. Hiring managers will be more interested in your work history and accomplishments.

Here's an example of an education section for a senior sales professional:

B.A. in Marketing, ABC University

There's no need to list graduation dates, as this can unnecessarily age you.

• B.A. in Marketing, ABC University, Graduated 1995

Action Verbs For Sales Associate Resumes

Sales associates must be excellent communicators, must know how to quickly get up to speed on a new product/service to answer customer questions. You must demonstrate exceptional professionalism and display empathy and tact in case a customer gets confused or frustrated. When writing your sales associate resume, keep these qualities in mind as you choose action verbs to describe your experiences. Use the ones that reflect your strongest assets and that are relevant to the position. For example, use words like “resolved” or “handled” to emphasize your empathetic nature when you approach challenging customer problems. Besides the list we have here, you can come up with ones of your own to use, or even read through various relevant job descriptions to see what kind of action verbs companies tend to use when they’re looking to hire sales employees.

• Conceptualized
• Troubleshooted
• Communicated

For more related action verbs, visit Sales Action Verbs .

For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs .

Action Verbs for Sales Associate Resumes

Skills for sales associate resumes.

Working as a sales associate requires strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills. In some cases, you might need to have specific product knowledge or experience within a certain industry. Keep this in mind as you fill in your skills section, or choose which skills to expand on in your work experience section. As mentioned earlier, it’s always important to read through a job posting carefully. Whether you’re writing a resume for the first time or making adjustments to your current one, you should take the time to understand what kind of experiences and skills the company is looking for in a new hire.

• Merchandising
• Retail Sales
• Visual Merchandising
• Customer Service
• Social Media
• Inventory Management
• Cash Handling
• Physical Therapy
• Adobe Illustrator

How To Write Your Skills Section On a Sales Associate Resumes

You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:

Skills Word Cloud For Sales Associate Resumes

This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Sales Associate job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.

How to use these skills?

Resume bullet points from sales associate resumes.

You should use bullet points to describe your achievements in your Sales Associate resume. Here are sample bullet points to help you get started:

Led full redesign of website with findings from customer segmentation and competitive research, increasing website leads by 200%

Determined sales effectiveness strategy for a ERP software supplier to increase sales by $10M over three years

Grew revenue from $1MM to $2.5M in one year by expanding channel partnerships; exceeded target by 150%

Managed a portfolio of 5 customers, generating new business revenue totaling $10M / year

Initiated and managed relationships with key enterprise customers; wrote and executed business plan that resulted in 120% ($5MM) increase in division revenue over 3 years

For more sample bullet points and details on how to write effective bullet points, see our articles on resume bullet points , how to quantify your resume and resume accomplishments .

Other Sales Resumes

Administrative assistant.

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• Tips for Sales Associate Resumes
• Skills and Keywords to Add
• Sample Bullet Points from Top Resumes
• All Resume Examples
• Sales Associate CV Examples
• Sales Associate Cover Letter
• Sales Associate Interview Guide
• Explore Alternative and Similar Careers

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Sales Associate Resume Example for 2024 [Job Description, Skills & Tips]

As a sales associate, you know the importance of persuasion.

With your positive attitude and effective communication skills, you can get any customer to buy any product…even if they don’t actually need it.

But it’s one thing to persuade customers into buying items and another thing to persuade the recruiter into hiring you. 

For the latter, you need an effective sales associate resume!

And, because sales skills tend to shine best in person, you might struggle to translate them into a winning sales associate resume.

Well, worry not! 

This guide includes everything you need to know about writing a sales associate resume, including:

• Sales Associate Resume Example (Better Than 9 Out of 10 Resume Examples)

Step-By-Step Guide to Write Your Sales Associate Resume

30 sales associate skills to put on your resume.

…and more! 

Sales Associate Resume Example

Not bad, right? 

Here are the elements that make this sales associate resume example so effective:

• Chronological format. The sales associate resume example above uses the reverse-chronological resume format, which is the most popular resume format all around the world.
• Relevant contact information. This sales associate resume example includes all the essential contact details, such as the candidate’s name, email address, and phone number, as well as their professional LinkedIn URL.
• Attention-grabbing resume summary. In just two sentences, the sales associate resume summary above highlights the candidate’s strong points and achievements.
• Work achievements. The sales associate resume example above focuses more on the candidate’s achievements over their responsibilities, which helps them stand out from other candidates.
• Bullet points. This sales associate candidate has structured the resume information in bullet points, which are much easier to read than a block of text.
• Relevant skills. The sales associate resume example above only mentions sales-related hard and soft skills. 
• Additional sections. This sales associate resume example includes extra sections such as volunteering experience, languages, and other skills that are valued in customer service and can help the candidate stand out more.

If you're interested in a different job position, check out these related resume examples:

• Sales Resume
• Marketing Executive Resume
• Marketing Resume

So, without further ado, let’s go through the process of writing a sales associate resume that’s just as compelling as the resume example above.

Here’s exactly what you need to do:

Step #1. Format Your Sales Associate Resume the Right Way 

As we mentioned above, you want to go for the reverse-chronological format for your sales associate resume. That’s the most popular resume format (and a favorite among recruiters!).

Here’s what it looks like:

The other two popular resume formats are functional and combination : 

• The functional resume format is skill-based, so you should only choose it in case you have no sales-related work experience but have industry-related skills.
• The combination resume format, on the other hand, should only be used in specific cases, such as employment gaps or in case of a career change. So, as a sales associate, this resume format is probably irrelevant to your situation.

All in all, none of these formats will do nearly as good of a job highlighting your experience and achievements as the reverse-chronological resume format , so don’t think twice about using it.

So, now that you’ve picked a format for your sales associate resume, you should focus on the resume layout , which includes:

• Use a professional font . You should use a simple, yet professional font style throughout your sales associate resume (yeap, that excludes Comic Sans & Co.).
• Choose the right font size. Go for 14-16 pts for headings and 11-12 pts for the body of your sales associate resume. Anything smaller will be hard to read and anything bigger might make your resume spill over to page 2.
• Use bullet points. Organizing the information in your sales associate resume in bullet points makes your resume look clean and helps the recruiter to skim your sales associate resume.
• Keep your resume short. It’s best to fit your sales associate resume in one page - that way, you can be 100% sure the hiring manager, busy as they are, will read it all. After all, they go through countless applications daily and they don’t usually spend more than a mere 7 seconds on each resume .
• Save your resume as a PDF file . Unless asked otherwise, save your sales associate resume in a PDF format to ensure it looks the same on every device and OS.

Use Our Tried & Tested Templates

If you’ve ever tried making a Word resume, you know that formatting alone takes ages.

You have to tweak the margins, pick the font, adjust its size, and the list goes on…

Instead of wasting your time on all of that, you should just be focusing on perfecting the content of your sales associate resume.

How do you ask?

It’s simple - just use one of our professional resume templates and jump straight to filling in the contents of your sales associate resume.

Our resume templates were created in collaboration with professional recruiters, so you don’t just win time - you get a free, professional, and visually appealing sales associate resume!

You can see for yourself how our tried-and-tested templates compare to traditional, black and white templates.

Step #2. Add Your Contact Information

Once you’re done with formatting, you can focus on the contents of your sales associate resume.

First things first - fill in your contact information (correctly!) so that the company can successfully reach out to you.

Here are all the contact details you should include:

• Your full name
• Your professional title
• Your phone number
• Your email address
• Your location (city and state)

If you are active on LinkedIn, make sure to include your profile’s URL, too.

Here’s an example of all the above:

Scott Michaels

Sales Associate

012-345-6789

[email protected]

Los Angeles, California

linkedin.com/in/scott.michaels

Step #3. Write an Appealing Sales Associate Resume Summary or Objective 

Your next step is to write a sales associate resume summary or objective.

Both of these 2-3 sentence paragraphs go at the top of your sales associate resume to show recruiters you’re a relevant candidate in a matter of a few seconds (and get them to read the rest of it).

However, you only need to use one. 

If you have plenty of work experience , you should write a resume summary to paint a picture of your professional background and highlight your top skills or achievements.

As such, an impactful resume summary can include:

• Your position and years of experience
• Your most relevant sales skills
• 1-2 professional achievements

Here’s an example of an effective sales associate resume summary:

• Enthusiastic and customer-oriented Sales Associate with 4+ years of experience in sales, specializing in the sale of home improvement items. Excellent customer service, communication, and collaboration skills. Awarded Employee of the Year in 2021 for regularly exceeding sales target quotas.

Now, if you’re still in high school looking for a part-time sales associate job or a recent graduate without work experience, you should use a resume objective to introduce yourself, your skills, and your professional goals.

To write an effective resume objective, just mention the following:

• Your industry-related degree (if applicable)
• What sales background makes you the right fit for the company
• Why do you want to work for the company

Here’s an example of an appealing sales associate resume objective:

• Outgoing and helpful costume design student, who is passionate about fashion and genuinely enjoys working with people. Looking to apply the strong customer service skills acquired from a summer job as a cashier in Company Y to help ensure customer satisfaction as a sales associate in your fashion boutique and learn more about fashion trends.

Step #4. Make Your Sales Associate Work Experience Stand Out

After you’ve grabbed recruiters’ attention with your resume profile, you should focus on your work experience section.

First, let’s address the basics.

Here’s how you should format your work experience section:

• Start from your current/most recent position and go back in time from there. If you have lots of experience in sales, only list your most relevant and recent positions. The recruiter won’t care about the summers you spent doing garage sales as a teenager.
• Begin each entry with your job title. Your job title should accurately describe your current/previous role.
• Continue with the company name and location. If the company isn’t well-known, you can also briefly describe it.
• Include the employment period. Use the mm/yyyy format to show how long you worked at the job.
• Add achievements and responsibilities. Go for 5-6 bullet points for your most recent jobs and 2-3 bullet points for older roles. 

Now that you know how to format the work experience section, let’s dig a little bit deeper:

You may or may not know this, but more than 13 million people are working in sales in the United States alone. 

And, of course, many of them are sales associates.

So, how can you make sure your sales associate resume stands out in such a big crowd?

Well, how you write your work experience section plays a big part:

The key is to focus more on your achievements over your responsibilities as much as you can.

Think about it - while most sales associates share the same responsibilities, such as helping customers and operating the cash register, your achievements are what can really set you apart from other candidates. 

So, as you write this section, ask yourself: how did your work affect the company? 

Perhaps you increased sales or customer satisfaction? Or maybe you’ve been awarded Employee of the Month?

No matter the achievement, make sure to mention it and make it as quantifiable as possible to really back your claims with hard evidence.

Here’s how an achievement-oriented sales associate work experience section should look like:

Make-up Sales Associate

Company X   

01/2019 - 12/2021

• Assisted over 50 customers every day in selecting the best cosmetic products for their skin type.
• Efficiently operated Point of Sale systems.
• Showed initiative to assist team members in handling customers, cash operations, and store maintenance when needed.
• Stocked and organized make-up counters 15% faster than other sales associates.
• Won Employee of the Month Award in April 2020, June 2020, and August 2021 for outstanding customer service.

What if You Don’t Have Work Experience?

Many people find their first job in sales, so don’t stress if you don’t have work experience .

To make up for your lack of professional experience, you can instead focus on other types of sales-related experience you may have.

The options are plenty. For example, you can mention volunteering , internships, academic projects, extracurricular activities, etc.

After all, being a sales associate is all about helping customers, communicating effectively, and making sales, so if you have any related experience, just write it down!

Here’s what this could look like:

Animal Shelter Volunteer Animal Shelter X

06/2018 - 12/2020

• Assisted 30+ people in choosing the right pet for adoption.
• Consulted people on pet adoption-related questions.
• Cleaned and maintained animal living spaces.

Step #5. List Your Education Right

A sales associate position doesn’t include many academic requirements.

This is probably why working as a sales associate is one of the best jobs for high school students .

So, whether you’ve been working as a sales associate for some time now,  are still in high school, or graduated college, you should keep your education section short and to the point.

Simply list your highest degree and include the following:

• Degree name
• University, college, high school, or other institution attended
• Location (optional)
• Years attended

Here’s what this looks like on the resume:

BA in American Studies

The University of Groningen, The Netherlands

09/2012 - 06/2016

Now, in case you don’t have any work experience or sales-related experience, you can mention your education first. 

Additionally, you can mention other details that add value to your application, such as relevant courses you’ve taken, academic achievements, GPA, Honors, and the like.

Step #6. List Your Sales Associate Skills

Skills are another key element to your sales associate resume. They can be a plus if you lack work experience in sales or help you stand out from other applicants with similar work experience as yours.

However, listing all your skills just for the sake of it is redundant and won’t really help you land the job.

So, instead, you should tailor your sales associate skills section for the position you’re applying for.

Now, the best way to go about it is by carefully reading the job ad. 

Does it mention some specific skills the company is looking for in a candidate? 

If your sales skills match any of the skills listed in the ad, make sure to include them in your sales associate resume.

And, in terms of formatting,  it’s generally advised to list your hard and soft skills separately.

Are you still unsure which skills to include in your sales associate resume? 

Worry not! We’ve compiled a list of the 30 most in-demand soft and hard skills for sales associates to give you some inspiration.

20 Soft Sales Associate Skills

• Customer Service
• Communication Skills
• Active Listening
• Helpfulness
• Organizational Skills
• Time Management
• Stress Management
• Conflict Resolution
• Problem-solving
• Adaptability
• Interpersonal Skills
• Multi-tasking
• Emotional Intelligence
• Persuasiveness
• Attention to Detail
• Negotiation Skills

10 Hard Sales Associate Skills

• Cash Register Operation
• Microsoft Office
• Point of Sale Systems
• Product Knowledge
• Stock Management
• Brand Awareness
• Visual Merchandising
• Store Maintenance

Step #7. Include Relevant Additional Sections 

If you still have some space on your sales associate resume, consider making use of some additional sections.

While they aren’t as important as your work experience or skills, additional sections can give you the edge you need over candidates with very similar resumes to yours.

Not to mention, these sections are especially useful if you’re still in school/university or recently graduated.

As a sales associate, you can add one or more of these additional sections:

• Languages. Do you speak any other languages than your native? If so, definitely include this in your sales associate resume! Languages are useful and highly valued in any job, but even more so in customer-oriented roles, as customers are more satisfied with and loyal to brands that offer customer service in their native language.
• Hobbies and interests. Including your hobbies and interests in your sales associate resume allows you to express your unique personality and skills. When relevant, list field-related hobbies/interests. For example, listing dog agility training as a hobby won’t help much if you’re applying to work in an electronics store, but it can definitely give you an advantage if you want to be a sales associate in a pet store.
• Awards and certifications. Perhaps you were awarded for selling the most vintage clothes in a charity event? If you want to work in a clothing store, definitely list that in your sales associate resume. Likewise, list any certifications related to sales, retail, accounting, and other related fields.

Here’s an example of how these additional sections should look on your sales associate resume:

English - Native or Bilingual Proficiency Spanish - Native or Bilingual Proficiency German - Limited Working Proficiency

• Programming
• Video Games

#8. Match Your Sales Associate Resume With a Cover Letter

By now, you should feel more confident about writing a job-landing sales associate resume.

And rightly so!

There is, however, one last step before you can put all that we covered into practice and that is to attach a sales associate cover letter to your resume.

Essentially, a cover letter is a 4-5 paragraph letter to the recruiter that aims to explain why you’re the perfect candidate for the position and a good fit for the company.

So, to do this effectively, instead of repeating what you’ve already said in your sales associate resume, your cover letter should explain more in detail anything important you didn’t have the chance (or space) to mention on your resume.

This may sound like a lot, but writing a compelling cover letter isn’t all that difficult. 

Here’s exactly what you need to do to write a convincing cover letter:

• Start your cover letter by including your contact information in the header.
• Greet the recruiter by their name or title, instead of the overly popular and outdated “To Whom It May Concern.”
• In the first paragraph, grab the recruiter's attention by mentioning your 1-2 top achievements.
• In the body of your cover letter, describe your work experience and skills in detail, explain your motivation to work for the company as well as highlight what makes you a good asset to their team.
• End your cover letter with a call to action.
• To make sure your cover letter is nothing short of perfect, check our cover letter writing tips and cover letter mistakes .

Want to impress the recruiter with your attention to detail? Make sure it matches your sales associate resume by choosing one of our cover letter templates !

Key Takeaways

And that’s all!

Now you’re ready to write the perfect sales associate resume AND cover letter to land the job.

But, before you do that, let’s go over some of the key points of writing your sales associate resume:

• Choose the ever-popular reverse-chronological format for your sales associate resume.
• Depending on whether you have work experience or not, catch recruiters’ attention with a resume summary or objective.
• If you have work experience, make it pop by focusing on your achievements. If not, you can write down any other relevant sales experience you have, including internships, projects, or volunteer experience.
• List any other additional information, such as languages, awards, and hobbies to make your sales associate resume stand out.
• Attach a convincing cover letter to your sales associate resume to help you land the job.

Suggested Reading:

• +150 Best Skills to Put On Your Resume
• Best Hobbies & Interests to Put on a Resume
• CV vs Resume - What is the Difference?

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Sales Resume Summary Samples

A sales resume summary is meant to be a quick snippet of your resume, concisely highlighting your most important skills and qualifications. When applying for sales positions, think of your resume summary as a sales pitch for yourself. Use the summary to introduce yourself, but remember to keep it short and include keywords from the job description whenever possible.

Sales resume summary examples 

To get the most out of your sales resume summary, prioritize skills and background experience. You can mention some work experience, but skills and attributes should be at the forefront. Recognition and past successes, such as revenue increases, are also useful. To get a better idea of what a sales summary statement should look like, take a look at the following examples:

Senior sales summary

Example:  Senior sales professional with over 25 years of experience providing assistance in office and storefront environments primarily within retail and electronics industries looking for new strategies to engage and inspire team members and customers.

This summary works because it shows off the extensive experience and skills of the applicant. Having drive and the desire to learn and improve are also present.

Sales summary without experience

Example:  Sales professional with exceptional customer service and sales skills seeking to provide premier service to clients and up-sell products in person, over the phone and through email who possesses written and verbal communication skills and always strives for customer satisfaction.

Because this applicant lacks extensive formal experience, they highlight their skills. They also mention a variety of sales channels to show they want to sell on multiple fronts.

Customer-centric sales summary

Example:  Sales manager focused on maximizing sales by properly managing accounts and building a loyal customer base who excels at addressing customer concerns and forwarding both long-term and short-term goals for the company and customers.

This summary focuses on the ability to establish and maintain relationships with customers, which is essential for many sales positions and highlights account management experience, a specialized skill.

Sales summary with formal recognition

Example:  Motivated sales representative and member of the National Association of Pharmaceutical Sales Reps seeking to leverage 5 years of experience in medical and pharmaceutical sales to retain and recruit customers.

Short, concise and hits all the major points. Skills and formal recognition are highlighted, in addition to the goal to improve sales through retention and recruitment.

Ambitious sales summary

Example:  Results-oriented sales representative with 6 years of experience, three as a sales manager, looking to leverage the knowledge of office supply sales and maintaining client relationships to exceed sales goals through ambitious strategies.

The applicant highlights their experience, skills and desires. They’re looking not only to meet goals, but to exceed them. This kind of sales summary can be effective, but make sure you can live up to the promise.

Career switch sales summary

Example:  Sales representative with extensive experience as a customer relationship officer seeking to leverage skills in customer relations and communication to establish and maintain client relationships and meet sales goals for your software products.

Career switch summaries can be tricky, but this one highlights transferable skills and a clear intent about how the applicant will use those skills.

Career switch within company sales summary

Example: Motivated sales professional with five years of quality assurance experience seeking to leverage product knowledge and extensive communication skills to maintain client relationships and exceed sales goals to drive revenue.

This applicant is looking to switch roles within a company. Their experience in quality assurance grants them extensive knowledge of the product and, coupled with communication skills, makes them suitable for sales.

Cold call-focused sales summary

Example:  Experienced sales professional with 15 years in the industry seeking to use customer service and communication skills to maintain client relationships and establish new ones through leads and cold calls to maintain a consistent success rate.

This experienced professional will go the extra mile making cold calls to push sales, an uncommon talent that this applicant has past success with.

Proven customer-focused sales summary

Example:  Customer-focused sales representative looking to leverage a history of revenue increases by maintaining established client relationships and finding new ones.

The applicant highlights past successes in using sales skills to increase revenue, which clearly illustrates expected positive results for the employer.

Sales summary offering new leads

Example: Career sales professional seeking new challenges to drive sales with customer-oriented communication and service, in addition to bringing an array of contacts and leads.

This applicant is offering to bring their own leads, which can potentially benefit the employer even more than a new sales hire.

B2B sales summary

Example:  Veteran sales professional with a history in B2B industries and a deep knowledge of IT services seeking to leverage customer service and technical skills to increase revenue for your company.

This summary depicts a career sales professional applying for an IT company that markets to other businesses. Specifying experience in B2B sales will set them apart from other candidates.

Marketing career switch sales summary

Example:  Sales professional with six years of experience in marketing seeking to use knowledge of the sales funnel and product line to increase revenue from customers at every step of the process.

This former marketing professional is seeking a career switch to sales, and they highlight how their knowledge and skills are applicable to the sales process.

High-achieving sales summary

Example:  Sales professional with seven years of experience seeking to leverage extensive customer service and negotiation skills to meet and exceed sales goals in a fast-paced and challenging environment.

This is a summary of an applicant looking for a challenge. It’s useful if applying for a position that has high goals and requires extensive work.

Managerial sales summary

Example: Motivated sales manager with four years of experience seeking to leverage the knowledge of products and customer service skills to motivate a team of sales professionals to exceed goals and increase revenue.

This summary for a sales manager position appropriately highlights experience, familiarity with the industry and a desire to lead with company profit in mind.

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Sales Associate resume example & writing guide

Choosing the right resume format for sales associates

Include your contact information, make use of a summary, outline your sales associate work experience , include the relevant key skills that make you a great sales associate, detail your education & relevant sales associate certifications, pick the right resume layout and design for a sales associate resume, what type of salary you can expect as a sales associate, full text adaptable resume example.

Whether you're a student, retiree, or just looking to earn some extra cash, working as a sales associate has long been considered the most accessible entry-level position . What's more, you won't have to travel far from home to find one of these positions since sales associates work in just about every neighborhood store.

Even though sales associate jobs are plentiful, they're not all created equal. The best opportunities come with daytime hours, benefits, and a paycheck that's higher than minimum wage. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau , more than half of all retail workers are between the ages of 16 to 34. After grocery stores, the majority of sales associates work in general merchandise stores, clothing stores, and department stores.

Resume guide for a sales associate resume

To land one of those sales associate positions, you'll need a resume that sets you apart from the crowd. Luckily, Resume.io has all the tools you need to make it happen, starting with this sales associate resume example .

This resume guide and corresponding sales associate resume example will cover the following:

How to write a sales associate resume

• Choosing the right resume format for  sales associates
• How to add your contact information
• Using summaries
• Adding your sales associate experience
• Listing education and relevant experience
• Picking the right resume design/layout
• What the sales associate market looks like, and what salary you can expect

Resumes are highly formatted documents. The individuality comes in the text and design, not the structure. That means your resume should contain the following elements:

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

When you apply to a retail establishment, you need to address the products and style of that company within your resume. That means doing some research upfront so you can use the appropriate language and tone. Your resume is designed to answer the question, "Why should I hire you?" so tell the hiring manager the answer up front by showing off your knowledge of the establishment.

If this is your first job, you may consider bumping your employment history section below your skills and education sections to focus on what you can do, but even if you don't choose to go that route, you should use the reverse chronological order resume format. This format mostly affects your employment history section, which should be arranged with your most recent experience first and working backward from there.

If you have no experience, you may consider one of the hybrid resume formats we suggest as chronological alternatives. This may also be of value to you if you are looking for part-time work to supplement your income or if you are changing careers or looking for a job after retirement from your first career.

When you submit your resume, it's imperative that the hiring manager or recruiter can easily figure out how to contact you. That means including the following: 

• Full name & title. List your first and last name. Use the title of the role you are pursuing.
• Professional email address. Use a clean format like [email protected] . Don’t use a quirky, unprofessional email address.
• Phone number. List a number where you can be readily contacted, with a professional voicemail greeting.
• Location . List only your city and state . Don’t list street address or zip code. It’s both outdated and unsafe. If you're willing to relocate, you an note 'Willing to Relocate' here as well.
• LinkedIn. If your LinkedIn profile is active, relevant, and shows your sales network, include it here.

Don’t include:

• Date of birth: Not necessary and could potentially lead to age discrimination .
• Personal details: Marital status, social security number, passport number , etc.

Seattle, WA 

(206) 479-6342

[email protected]

640 Obtuse Road

Seattle, WA 98146, 

United States, (206) 479-6342

Your resume is your sales pitch for yourself. Use it as an opportunity to show off your selling abilities. Your summary section is the best place to do that because it is free-form sentences instead of bullet points. It gives you a chance to give hiring managers a taste of your demeanor, experience, accomplishments, and attributes. Especially if you are looking for your first job, you can beef up this section a bit to let employers know more about you and why you would be a great hire.

Remember to use as many powerful action verbs and job-specific information as you can. Sales associates must be able to establish and nurture positive relationships with prospects and customers, so consider giving an example of a situation in which your people skills made a difference. 

This formula can help you make the most of the 3-5 sentences in your resume summary section:

• Sentence 1: Introduce yourself and explain your philosophy of sales.
• Sentence 2: Give a little background on your career or explain why you want to work at the particular establishment.
• Sentence 3-4: Tout one or two of your greatest career or academic achievements in as much detail as possible.
• Sentence 5: Offer an idea of what you will bring to the job.

When searching for a retail assistant position, also look for the following job titles:

• Sales assistant
• Sales associate
• Retail or sales clerk
• Shop assistant
• Retail salesperson

You can find an adaptable sales associate resume example summary below:

Enthusiastic and reliable Sales Associate, dedicated to providing excellent customer service with a smile. Organized, detail oriented, and experienced in properly handling customer inquiries and transactions. Dedicated to increasing sales by providing the ultimate customer experience. Several years of experience in various retail settings with a proven track record of job success. 

No matter what type of work you have done before, even if it was volunteer work, you have experience that counts. Consider the skills necessary to be a great sales associate and use examples from your career and schooling to show off those skills even if you did not perform them in a retail setting. 

Create 3-4 bullet points under each previous position to discuss your duties and accomplishments. Start each item with a strong action word and jump right into detailing your accomplishments. Leave out phrases that don't add to your descriptions, such as "in this job I have," as you want to make the best use of the space you have.

Avoid being too general; for example, the following bullets don't share specifics about your accomplishments:

• Helped customers in the store
• Upsold products to customers
• Trained new employees

Adding more context and metrics can call the right attention to your unique value proposition. Take a look at these reworked bullets: 

• Served an average of 100 customers per day in region's largest and busiest store
• Upsold products to customers, achieving 120% of quota
• Trained 2 new employees a month on cash register, sales tactics, and store policies

The resume example text below will give you some ideas for your employment history section.

Sales Associate at Viola's Flowers and Gifts, Seattle  March 2016 - September 2019 

• Put forth excellent customer service efforts at all times.
• Recorded and processed all flower orders in an organized and accurate manner.
• Provided relevant information and suggestions regarding floral arrangements and purchases.
• Ensured proper delivery times for all events and coordinated travel for deliveries.
• Answered phones, relayed important messages, and served as a general liaison between the florist and customers.

Sales Associate at Nordstrom, Seattle  December 2015 - March 2016 

• Greeted customers with a smile and encouraged feedback pertaining to their shopping experience.
• Handled all merchandise with care and packed customer bags neatly.  •
• Settled customer disputes in a professional and pleasant manner.
• Maintained up to date knowledge of all retail promotions.
• Prevented long waits by quickly and carefully ringing up items, adding to the hassle-free experience of the customer.
• Mentored junior cashiers and new employees.
• Took on extra shifts based on the needs of the store.
• Remained punctual and professional at all times.

Inventory Monitor at Wal-mart , Hartford  May 2013 - April 2014 

• Carefully and accurately monitored and recorded all refrigerated items ready for stocking.
• Delivered inventory reports to my supervisor in a timely fashion each and every week.
• Coordinated and scheduled deliveries based on sales and future needs.
• Worked well with other employees to ensure proper running of the inventory department.

How to write a sales associate resume with no experience

If you've never worked as a sales associate before, don't sweat it! Nearly a third of all Americans got their first job working in a store, according to the National Retail Federation . The secret of landing a sales associate job with no experience is simply to highlight the transferrable skills and applicable qualities you already possess.

Here are some examples:

• Teamwork (for instance, from playing sports like basketball or baseball)
• Organization (this can be seen in past administrative roles or even being part of a club in school)
• Communication skills (which will be evidenced by how your resume is written)
• Positive attitude (you can show this by displaying past leadership roles or volunteer work)

Most employers are familiar with candidates who have never worked in retail before. They aren't looking for you to know everything – just to demonstrate a keen interest in learning your duties and carrying them out professionally and positively.

Here are some other resume examples from other first jobs that may help you create your sales associate resume: 

• Office assistant resume example
• Customer service representative resume example
• Server resume example
• Barista resume example
• Cashier resume example.

Your skills section is important for two main reasons:

• It is an at-a-glance version of your best that recruiters look for to gauge if you have what they need.
• It is a quick way to personalize to ensure you get those all-important keywords in for the ATS.

Important to the job of a sales associate is the depth of knowledge of the product or service you are selling. You also must be great listeners and have patience with customers and colleagues alike. Other attributes that hiring managers will look for are strong communication and a knowledge of marketing strategies. Be sure to include job-specific skills. If you have them, be sure to include any hard skills mentioned in the job description, such as POS systems or foreign languages.

Choose the top 4-6 skills you believe make you a well-rounded candidate for the job, paying careful attention to those attributes mentioned in the job listing.

The resume example text below will give you some ideas for your skills section.

Key Skills and Proficiencies

For a sales associate resume, you can keep your education section short. List all degrees and certifications here. If you are a student, you can include your degree in progress and your expected graduation date. If you hold a degree higher than a bachelor's degree, you can leave out your high school.

Any honors or distinctions should be noted here as well. Past Employee of the Month awards, customer recognition, or other sales-related achievements are great to include. If you've taken any sales-specific courses or trainings, add them to show your expertise and commitment to continuous learning. You can also include any sales associations or networking groups you're part of.

Use the resume example text below to help you format your education section.

Associate in Business Administration, Westchester Community College, Valhalla  August 2015 - May 2017 

High School Diploma, Norwell High School, Norwell  September 2011 - June 2015

An interview-worthy resume isn't just about the writing – your resume design also makes a big difference in getting hired. A clean and organized modern resume is much better than a busy resume that's hard to read. Your goal should be to lay out your experience and education in a format that's both easy to understand and visually attractive.

If you don't have much time to fuss with word processors and graphic design software, a resume template may be able to help. This pre-made format allows you to add your own information, move around the sections and play with design elements like lines and colors. When you're ready, you can download your resume as a PDF or Word, the two most commonly requested formats. 

• Keep your font size between 10 and 12 point
• Create a header with your name and contact information
• Choose an easy-to-read format
• Overload the page with too much text
• Use more than a maximum of 2 font styles
• Include too many bright colors

Sales associate job market and outlook

The retail industry as a whole is not expected to see much growth in the next decade, which means the demand for sales associates will be mostly flat, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts . 

Aiming for a stellar sales associate resume? Take a peek at our other related sales resume samples:

• Sales Assistant resume sample
• Car Sales resume sample
• Telemarketer resume sample
• Sales resume sample
• Account Executive resume sample
• Account Manager resume sample
• Sales Representative resume sample
• Sales Manager resume sample
• National Sales Controller resume sample
• Field Sales Professional resume sample

Employment history

• Organization
• Excellent Communication
• Customer Service
• Advanced Math

Key takeaways for building a sales associate resume

• A resume is an essential tool for landing the best sales associate opportunities.
• Include important words from the job description in your summary and skills section.
• Your summary section is the best place to show off a bit of your personality and professional demeanor – essential for sales associates
• You can land a sales associate job even with no experience as long as you focus on personal traits and transferrable skills
• Your formatting should never be overlooked as it is an essential part of making a great first impression
• Using the online resume maker is a way to make your life easier and the job application process faster!

Beautiful ready-to-use resume templates

Sales Associate Resume Examples and Templates for 2024

• Resume Examples

How To Write a Sales Associate Resume

• Resume Text Examples

Sales associates need a combination of customer service skills and marketing knowledge to succeed, and both of these aspects need to be reflected on your resume. Creating a targeted resume that gets you noticed doesn’t have to be difficult, but it does need to be done intentionally. Learn how to write a sales associate resume that highlights your best skills and qualifications with our tips and examples below.

• Entry-Level
• Senior-Level

1. Write a brief summary of your sales associate qualifications

The profile summary is where a potential employer learns who you are as a candidate and what you can bring to their organization. Your profile should be short, no more than three or four lines, and doesn’t need to be complete sentences. Make sure to include basics, such as how many years of experience you have, your sales background, and your best attributes as an employee.

Senior-Level Profile Example

Experienced sales associate with 10+ years of professional experience in retail environments, working in furniture, fine jewelry, and health and personal care sectors. Highly effective in building professional client relationships to achieve sales goals and maximize profits.

Entry-Level Profile Example

Personable and professional sales associate with 2+ years of retail store experience. Extensive knowledge of women’s clothing and fashion and technically proficient with point-of-sale systems. Seeking an opportunity to apply enthusiasm for clothing and fashion and exceptional customer service skills to a career with a leading clothing retail company.

2. Showcase your sales associate experience

Whether you’re a senior- or entry-level employee, your professional experience section will look similar. Include a job title for each position, the company name and location, and your dates of employment. Include results-based numbers in your bullets, such as how much you exceeded sales targets or your average customer review score. Sales managers rely on this kind of data for their teams, and including it in your resume shows that you understand the importance of these numbers and gives some external validation to your accomplishments.

Senior-Level Professional Experience Example

Store Associate Steve Quick Jeweler, Chicago, IL | March 2018-Present

• Continuously surpassed monthly sales targets by 9% for all years and maintained 97.5% positive customer reviews over 12 consecutive months
• Deliver exceptional customer service by portraying an accommodating and engaging attitude, building and maintaining professional relationships with clients
• Maintain knowledge of all types of precious stones and metals and familiarity with designs and trends in fine jewelry
• Prepare estimates, invoices, and warranty certificates
• Collect payment and wrap merchandise
• Maintain jewelry displays, checked inventory, and performed basic housekeeping

Entry-Level Professional Experience Example

Retail Sales Associate Rewind, San Antonio, TX | July 2019-Present

• Assist an average of 50 customers per day
• Exceeded monthly sales goals by 10% for six consecutive months, earning Best Sales Associate in 2020
• Guide customers on purchases based on interests, promotions, and other sales
• Perform general store upkeep during store hours and after closing, including cleaning, organizing shelves, and restocking items
• Stock and organize inventory with accuracy and efficiency, completing tasks 10% faster than staff average
• Maintain up-to-date product knowledge and information on brands and product lines

3. Include your education and sales associate-related certifications

Many sales associates have diverse backgrounds, so it’s normal if your education doesn’t necessarily line up with sales or marketing. But it’s still a good idea to include any degrees you have, as some positions will require a base level of education. If you took any marketing or business classes, you may also want to list these. Certifications are also valuable and can give you an edge compared to other applicants. Retail, food service, CRM, and software certifications are all appropriate to list on a sales associate resume.

Certifications

• [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
• Professional Program Certificate in Retail, Olivet Nazarene University, 2016
• [Degree Name]
• [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] – [Graduation Month and Year]
• Bachelor of Arts in Business
• The University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, May 2010

4. List your key sales associate skills and proficiencies

Most hiring managers are looking for applicants who can hit the ground running after some company-specific training, so they likely have a list of qualifications they’re looking for. You may see this in the job description under a heading such as “must haves” or “preferred skills.” Use this to guide what you include in your resume’s key skills and proficiencies section. If you aren’t sure what else to include, this list of common competencies for sales associates can help.

How To Pick the Best Sales Associate Resume Template

Sales associate resumes should be organized with headers and bullet points, and it should be easy for a hiring manager to skim. A template can make constructing your resume easier, as it gives you the basic structure while still letting you customize the individual sections and put in your information. Make sure your chosen template has a standard font and a clean, simple design. Bright colors and fancy scripts can make it harder for a hiring manager to read, and these resumes often end up straight in the “no” pile.

Sales Associate Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

Maria Hernandez (123)-456-7890 [email protected] 123 Your Street, San Antonio, TX 12345

Personable and professional sales associate with 2+ years of retail store experience. Extensive knowledge of women’s clothing and fashion and technically proficient with point-of-sale systems. Seeking opportunity to apply enthusiasm for clothing and fashion and exceptional customer service skills to a career with a leading clothing retail company.

Professional Experience

Retail Sales Associate, Rewind, San Antonio, TX July 2019 – Present

• Guide customers on purchases based on interests, promotions and other sales
• Perform general store upkeep during store hours and after closing, including cleaning, organizing shelves and restocking items

Junior Sales Associate, Rewind, San Antonio, TX July 2018 – July 2019

• Assisted customers with questions, concerns and purchases
• Performed cross-sells and upsells based on customers’ interests and tastes to drive additional store revenue
• Learned features and specifications of new brands and product lines
• Ensured cleanliness and safety on the sales floor for customers
• Attended weekly sales meetings

High School Diploma Gloria Anzaldúa High School, September 2014-July 2019

• Communication skills
• Customer service
• Merchandising
• Problem-solving

Julian VanBuren (123)-456-7890 [email protected] 123 Your Street, Chicago, IL 12345

Motivated sales associate with 5+ years of experience in retail environments, working both at Bloomingdales and Yves Saint Laurent. Recognized for the ability to provide outstanding customer service, boosting sales and strengthening brand loyalty. Seeking to transfer my high energy and passion for the retail industry to a leading luxury retailer.

Sales Associate II, Yves Saint Laurent, Chicago, IL April 2018 – Present

• Provide exemplary customer service by portraying a gracious, friendly and engaging manner
• Anticipate and promptly respond to client needs, adhering to store service experience standards
• Maintained 98.5% customer service satisfaction score over 12 consecutive months
• Accurately and efficiently process all POS transactions
• Adhere to and apply visual directives, ensuring that store standards are executed daily
• Communicate the brand aesthetic, philosophy and lifestyle to clients

Store Associate, Bloomingdales, Chicago, IL May 2014 – April 2016

• Achieved 100% of individual and store sales targets for two consecutive years by engaging proactively with customers and marketing new brands and product lines
• Maintained sales floor by arranging and organizing merchandise, stocking merchandise, and setting up displays per company standards and store policies
• Effectively handled all customer requests, ensuring professional and prompt customer service
• Operated point-of-sale systems, processing sales, refunds, exchanges, and distribution of returns to appropriate departments
• Opened store on 25% of shifts, including opening cash drawer and fulfilling a 20-point opening checklist.

Associate of Arts in Business  City Colleges of Chicago, IL, August 2012 – May 2014

• Attention to detail
• POS systems
• Time management

Joselyn Harden (123)-456-7890 [email protected] 123 Your Street, Chicago, IL 12345

Experienced sales associate with 10+ years of professional experience in retail environments, working in furniture, fine jewelry, and health and personal care sectors. Highly effective in building professional relationships with clients to achieve sales goals and maximize profits.

Store Associate, Steve Quick Jeweler, Chicago, IL March 2018 – Present

• Prepare estimates, invoices and warranty certificates
• Collect payment and wrap merchandise
• Maintain jewelry displays, checked inventory and performed basic housekeeping

Lead Store Associate, West Elm, Chicago, IL January 2015 – March 2018

• Assisted an average of 50 customers per day, providing beneficial advice and knowledge on furniture and promoting customer loyalty
• Operated point-of-sale systems, processing sales, refunds, exchanges and distribution of returns to appropriate departments
• Awarded Employee of the Month twice for excellence in achieving customer satisfaction goals as well as individual and store sales goals
• Conducted daily inventory and sales reports with accuracy and efficiency
• Trained 24 new hires on store policies and procedures

Store Associate, Lush Cosmetics, Chicago, IL May 2012 – January 2015

• Maintained constant presence on the sales floor to address customer needs
• Exceeded sales targets by 5% in first year and by 7% or more in subsequent years
• Demonstrated use of products to customers, consulted with customers on beauty care needs and recommended appropriate products
• Operated point-of-sale systems, processing sales, refunds and exchanges
• Performed daily inventory and sales reports and attended weekly sales meetings

Bachelor of Arts in Business  The University of Illinois at Chicago, IL, August 2006 – May 2010

• Building client relationships
• Interpersonal skills
• Professional Program Certificate in Retail, Tacoma College, 2016

Frequently Asked Questions: Sales Associate Resume Examples and Advice

What are common action verbs for sales associate resumes -.

As a sales associate, your resume is also an example of your skills because you’re trying to sell a potential employer on hiring you. And just like your phrasing and what pain points you target with a customer are important, so are the words you choose when describing your professional experience. If you’re struggling with coming up with enough strong action verbs, our list below can help you round out your resume with unique verbs that can describe your duties and responsibilities more effectively.

How do you align your resume with a job description? -

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicts that job growth among sales positions will remain steady through 2031. This growth means there may be more competition for the best positions, so crafting a stand-out resume is important. One way to do this is to ensure your resume is tailored to each position. Include key skills and qualifications from the job description and tweak your resume each time to reflect the company culture. While you may include the same basic information, a resume you send for a high-end furniture showroom should be more formal than a resume created for a children’s clothing boutique.

What is the best sales associate resume format? -

The reverse chronological format is a good fit for a sales associate resume. It provides a place to list your previous experience and sales metrics for each position, and you can add a section for any key skills that don’t fit into job duty bullets. A reverse chronological resume also makes it quick and easy for a hiring manager to determine if you have the right level of experience they’re looking for.

Any time you send out a resume, including a customized cover letter, it can give you more room to sell yourself as a candidate and potentially set yourself apart from other applicants who only include a resume. Cover letters are usually only about half a page long, and you can use our sales associate cover letter examples and templates to help you get started.

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Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).

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Top 22 Retail Sales Associate Resume Summary Examples

When crafting a resume for a retail sales associate position, one of the most crucial sections to focus on is the summary statement.

A well-written summary not only grabs the attention of potential employers but also highlights your key skills and experiences that make you an ideal candidate for the role.

Here, we have compiled the top 22 resume summary examples tailored for retail sales associate resume .

These summaries are designed to showcase your qualifications, from extensive experience in the retail industry to entry-level enthusiasm and commitment to providing exceptional customer service.

See also: Retail Sales Associate Cover Letter

Experienced Retail Sales Associate Resume Summary Examples

Entry level retail sales associate resume summary examples.

• Top 22 Retail Sales Associate Resume Objective Examples
• 21 Retail Sales Resume Summary Examples
• Retail Sales Associate Resume Sample
• Top 25 Sales Associate Resume Objective Examples

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Top 20 Sales Associate Resume Summary You Can Use

Your sales associate resume summary statement must be well-written and compelling to get the recruiter/employer interested in reading all parts of your resume/CV and give you an interview opportunity.

When writing a resume summary for a sales associate job, you want to make sure it is impressive enough for the recruiter/employer to want to get into the resume/CV to read and learn about what you are offering for the sales associate position.

Getting the recruiter/employer to read your sales associate resume/CV can significantly increase your chances of getting an interview appointment from the recruiter/employer where you can convince them that you are best suited for the sales associate job.

This post will help you learn how to make effective resume summaries for sales associate positions:

How to Make a Great Resume Summary for a Sales Associate Position

To make a great resume summary for a sales associate job, you need to know what the recruiter/employer wants for the position by studying the job description and requirements.

The two documents are published by recruiters/employers to help guide prospective employees in their application for the vacant sales associate position that they are interested in.

From the job description, you will know the duties and responsibilities associated with the sales associate job.

And by studying the job requirements, you will get to know the qualities, skills, experience, etc. that you need to have to be considered for hiring and to be effective on the sales associate job.

By studying the documents above, you will get a clear understanding of the description of the sales associate that the recruiter/employer actually wants.

You will then be able to create a resume summary that presents you as best suited candidate for the position by showing that you have what the recruiter/employer wants for the job. Your sales associate resume summary statement should highlight some of your important qualities, training, experience, etc. which also match what the recruiter/employer wants.

Now, let’s take a look and study some examples of summary statements for sales associate resume to boost your ability to make one for your resume/CV quickly:

• Seeking for a Sales Associate position, to utilize sales expertise and sound knowledge of customer relationship management practices. Coming with 4 years of retail sales experience, active listening skills, and ability to adapt to different personalities.
• Desirous of a Sales Associate position with TSL to utilize honed sales capabilities in delivering exceptional shopping experience and engendering sales. To utilize exceptional people and negotiation skills, and three years of sales experience.
• Experienced individual hopeful for a Sales Associate position with CBC to apply people skills, collaborative skills, proven customer support expertise, and proven sales closing techniques.
• Enthusiastic salesman with 4 years of retail sales experience, seeking a Sales Associate position in Netpresso. Coming with persuasive selling skills, effective merchandising skills and customer service skills to engender sales.
• Seeking to contribute to profitability, customer satisfaction and actualization of sales goals as a Sales Associate. To apply profound communication skills and five years of sales experience with proven record of achieving sales targets consistently in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Results-oriented individual with strong sales acumen and excellent customer service skills. Seeking a Sales Associate position in CBC; bringing a professional communication style, positive approach, and strong market knowledge to foster repeat purchases and exceed sales target.
• Seeking to apply 4 years retail sales experience and exceptional communication skills in achieving the company’s sales objectives as a Sales Associate. Offering strong persuasive skills, high energy levels and a customer service orientation.
• Proactive sales professional seeking a Sales Associate position with GBC, to utilize 5 years of sales experience and customer orientation. Coming with a track record of exceeding sales targets to foster recurring business and increase customer satisfaction.
• Seeking a position as a Sales Associate with CBC, to apply sound knowledge of retail sales strategies, exceptional customer interaction skills, and a results-orientation to generate sales through providing exceptional shopping experience.
• Enthusiastic salesman with strong communication skills and honed skills in sales management. Desirous of a Sales Associate position in ABC; coming with negotiation skills and proven sales closing techniques in fostering sales.
• Individual with excellent customer account management skills and strong sales acumen. Hopeful for the position of Sales Associate; offering 3 years of sales experience in a retail environment to meet and exceed the assigned sales targets.
• Goal orientated and enthusiastic sales professional, seeking a Sales Associate position with ABC Stores. Bringing exceptional sales acumen and superior customer service skills to drive brand loyalty programs and increase sales.
• Sales professional with a positive approach, strong sales acumen, excellent customer service skills, and demonstrated ability to consistently achieve sales targets in a challenging retail environment. Seeking a position as Sales Associate at CBC stores.
• Hopeful for a Sales Associates position to utilize solid background in marketing and 3+ years of retail sales experience in a fast- paced retail environment to foster sales. Bringing great communication skills and proven customer support abilities.
• Individual with excellent communication and collaborative skills seeking the position of a Sales Associate in CBC Mall. Coming with strong sales acumen, persuasive skill, and customer service skills in engendering sales and a positive shopping experience.
• Proactive individual with demonstrated team work abilities, seeking to drive brand loyalty programs and boost sales through exceptional communication abilities, strong product knowledge, and up-selling skills as a Sales Associate in ABC Stores.
• Hopeful for a Sales Associate position in ABC Stores to apply 3 years of retail sales experience and technical skills; leveraging on company tools and technology to provide customers with product knowledge which will enhance engagement and maximize sales.
• Seeking for a Sales Associate position in Schutz USA, to utilize adept knowledge of sales principles and customer service practices as well as extensive knowledge of fashion and trends. Coming with 4 years retail sales experience in a clothing outfit, strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Individual with customer orientation, engaging personality and strong sales acumen. Seeking the position of a Sales Associate in CBC to utilize technical skills, proactive consultative sales skills and 3 years of customer service experience in increasing the sales of home appliance.
• Tech savvy individual with great communication and technical skills and an engaging personality. Desirous of a Sales Associate position to utilize 4 years of sales experience, strong knowledge of product offerings, and exceptional conflict resolution skills.

Your chances of being called up for an interview and hired for the sales associate position that you are seeking are brighter by starting off your resume or CV with a compelling summary statement.

This post provides you with good ideas and examples to help you write an effective resume summary for any sales associate job that you are interested in.

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Sales Associate Resume Examples For 2024 (20+ Skills & Templates)

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Looking to score a job as a Sales Associate?

You're going to need an awesome resume. This guide is your one-stop-shop for writing a job-winning Sales Associate resume using our proven strategies, skills, templates, and examples.

All of the content in this guide is based on data from coaching thousands of job seekers (just like you!) who went on to land offers at the world's best companies.

If you want to maximize your chances of landing that Sales Associate role, I recommend reading this piece from top to bottom. But if you're just looking for something specific, here's what's included in this guide:

• What To Know About Writing A Job-Winning Sales Associate Resume
• The Best Skills To Include On A Sales Associate Resume

How To Write A Job-Winning Sales Associate Resume Summary

How to write offer-winning sales associate resume bullets.

• 3 Sales Associate Resume Examples

The 8 Best Sales Associate Resume Templates

Here's the step-by-step breakdown:

Sales Associate Resume Overview: What To Know To Write A Resume That Wins More Job Offers

What do companies look for when they're hiring a Sales Associate?

When hiring a Sales Associate, companies typically look for people with strong communication skills who can effectively engage with customers and understand their needs. They also want candidates with a positive attitude and enthusiasm for the product or service being sold, as this can positively impact sales performance.

Your resume should show the company that your personality and your experience encompass all these things.

Additionally, there are a few best practices you want to follow to write a job-winning Sales Associate resume:

• Tailor your resume to the job description you are applying for: Tailor your resume for each application, aligning your skills with the specific requirements of each job description.
• Detail previous experiences: Provide detailed descriptions of your roles, emphasizing hard and soft skills related to the job description.
• Bring in your key achievements: Showcase measurable achievements in previous roles and share your best work.
• Highlight your skills:   Highlight your skills in Sales, Marketing, Communication, Customer Experience, and Management.
• Make it visually appealing: Use a professional and clean layout with bullet points for easy readability. Also, ensure formatting and font consistency throughout the resume and limit it to one or two pages.
• Use keywords: Incorporate industry-specific keywords from the job description to pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) and increase your chances of being noticed by hiring managers.
• Proofread your resume: Thoroughly proofread your resume to eliminate errors (I recommend Hemingway App and Grammarly ). Consider seeking feedback from peers or mentors to ensure clarity and effectiveness!

Let's dive deeper into each of these so you have the exact blueprint you need to see success.

The Best Sales Associate Skills To Include On Your Resume

Keywords are one of the most important factors in your resume. They show employers that your skills align with the role and they also help format your resume for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

If you're not familiar with ATS systems, they are pieces of software used by employers to manage job applications. They scan resumes for keywords and qualifications and make it easier for employers to filter and search for candidates whose qualifications match the role.

If you want to win more interviews and job offers, you need to have a keyword-optimized resume. There are two ways to find the right keywords:

1. Leverage The 20 Best Sales Associate Keywords

The first is to leverage our list of the best keywords and skills for a Sales Associate resume.

These keywords were selected from an analysis of real Sales Associate job descriptions sourced from actual job boards. Here they are:

• Communication
• Customer Service
• Customer Experience
• Time Management
• Collaboratively
• Organization
• Written Communication

2. Use ResyMatch.io To Find The Best Keywords That Are Specific To Your Resume And Target Role

The second method is the one I recommend because it's personalized to your specific resume and target job.

This process lets you find the exact keywords that your resume is missing when compared to the individual role you're applying for.

Here's how it works:

• Open a copy of your updated Sales Associate resume
• Open a copy of your target Sales Associate job description
• In the widget below, paste your resume on the left, paste the job description on the right, and hit scan!

ResyMatch is going to scan your resume and compare it to the target job description. It's going to show you the exact keywords and skills you're missing as well as share other feedback you can use to improve your resume.

If you're ready to get started, use the widget below to run your first scan and get your free resume score:

Copy/paste or upload your resume here:

Click here to paste text

Upload a PDF, Word Doc, or TXT File

Paste the job post's details here:

Scan to compare and score your resume vs the job's description.

Scanning...

And if you're a visual learner, here's a video walking through the entire process so you can follow along:

Employers spend an average of six seconds reading your resume.

If you want to win more interviews and offers, you need to make that time count. That starts with hitting the reader with the exact information they're looking for right at the top of your resume.

Unfortunately, traditional resume advice like Summaries and Objectives don't accomplish that goal. If you want to win in today's market, you need a modern approach. I like to use something I can a “Highlight Reel,” here's how it works.

Highlight Reels: A Proven Way To Start Your Resume And Win More Jobs

The Highlight Reel is exactly what it sounds like.

It's a section at the top of your resume that allows you to pick and choose the best and most relevant experience to feature right at the top of your resume.

It's essentially a highlight reel of your career as it relates to this specific role! I like to think about it as the SportsCenter Top 10 of your resume.

The Highlight Reel resume summary consists of 4 parts:

• A relevant section title that ties your experience to the role
• An introductory bullet that summarizes your experience and high-level value
• A few supporting “Case Study” bullets that illustrate specific results, projects, and relevant experience
• A closing “Extracurricular” bullet to round out your candidacy

For example, if we were writing a Highlight Reel for a Sales Associate role, it might look like this:

You can see how the first bullet includes the Sales Associate job title, the years of experience this candidate has, and it wraps up with a value-driven pitch for how they've helped companies in the past.

The next two bullets are “Case Studies” of specific results they drove at their company. The last bullet wraps up with extracurricular information.

This candidate has provided all of the info any employer would want to see right at the very top of their resume! The best part is that they can customize this section for each and every role they apply for to maximize the relevance of their experience.

Here's one more example of a Sales Associate Highlight Reel:

The content of this example showcases the candidate's years of experience and wraps up the first bullet with a high-value pitch, while the following bullet points focus on measurable results and relevant experience. Then, they highlight their achievements and extracurricular activities.

If you want more details on writing a killer Highlight Reel, check out my full guide on Highlight Reels here.

Bullets make up the majority of the content in your resume. If you want to win, you need to know how to write bullets that are compelling and value-driven.

Unfortunately, way too many job seekers aren't good at this. They use fluffy, buzzword-fill language and they only talk about the actions that they took rather than the results and outcomes those actions created.

If you apply this framework to each of the bullets on your resume, you're going to make them more compelling and your value is going to be crystal clear to the reader. For example, take a look at these resume bullets:

❌ Sales Associate with 9+ years of experience.

✅ Sales Associate with 9+ years in retail sales & customer service, exceeding sales targets by 25% through engagement strategies.

The second bullet makes the candidate's value  so much more clear, and it's a lot more fun to read! That's what we're going for here.

That said, it's one thing to look at the graphic above and try to apply the abstract concept of “35% hard skills” to your bullet. We wanted to make things easy, so we created a tool called ResyBullet.io that will actually give your resume bullet a score and show you how to improve it.

Using ResyBullet To Write Crazy Effective, Job-Winning Resume Bullets

ResyBullet takes our proprietary “resume bullet formula” and layers it into a tool that's super simple to use. Here's how it works:

• Head over to ResyBullet.io
• Copy a bullet from your resume and paste it into the tool, then hit “Analyze”
• ResyBullet will score your resume bullet and show you exactly what you need to improve
• You edit your bullet with the recommended changes and scan it again
• Rinse and repeat until you get a score of 60+
• Move on to the next bullet in your resume

Let's take a look at how this works for the two resume bullet examples I shared above:

First, we had, “Sales Associate with 9+ years of experience.” 

ResyBullet gave that a score of 35/100.  Not only is it too short, but it's missing relevant skills, compelling language, and measurable outcomes:

Now, let's take a look at our second bullet,  “Sales Associate with 9+ years in retail sales & customer service, exceeding sales targets by 25% through engagement strategies.”

ResyBullet gave that a 60 / 100. Much better! This bullet had more content focused on the experience in the Sales Associate role, while also highlighting measurable results:

Now all you have to do is run each of your bullets through ResyBullet, make the suggested updates, and your resume is going to be jam-packed with eye-popping, value-driven content!

If you're ready, grab a bullet from your resume, paste it into the widget below, and hit scan to get your first resume bullet score and analysis:

Free Resume Bullet Analyzer

Learn to write crazy effective resume bullets that grab attention, illustrate value, and actually get results., copy and paste your resume bullet to begin analysis:, 3 sales associate resume examples for 2024.

Now let's take a look at all of these best practices in action. Here are three resume examples for different situations from people with different backgrounds:

Sales Associate Resume Example #1: A Traditional Background

Sales Associate Resume Example #2: A Non-Traditional Background

For our second Sales Associate Resume Example, we have a candidate who has a non-traditional background. In this case, they are coming from a background as an elementary school teacher, but leverage experiences that can help them transition to a Sales Associate role. Here's an example of what their resume might look like:

Sales Associate Resume Example #3: Sales Associate With No Experience

For our third Sales Associate Resume Example, we have a candidate who's never worked for another company, but has developed several personal projects and worked as a consultant and a freelancer. Here's an example of what their resume might look like when applying for Sales Associate roles:

At this point, you know all of the basics you'll need to write a Sales Associate resume that wins you more interviews and offers. The only thing left is to take all of that information and apply it to a template that's going to help you get results.

We made that easy with our ResyBuild tool . It has 8 proven templates that were created with the help of recruiters and hiring managers at the world's best companies. These templates also bake in thousands of data points we have from the job seekers in our audience who have used them to land job offers.

Just click any of the templates below to start building your resume using proven, recruiter-approved templates:

Free Job-Winning Resume Templates, Build Yours In No Time .

Choose a resume template below to get started:.

Key Takeaways To Wrap Up Your Job-Winning Sales Associate Resume

You made it! We packed a lot of information into this post so I wanted to distill the key points for you and lay out next steps so you know exactly where to from here.

Here are the 5 steps for writing a job-winning Sales Associate resume:

• Start with a proven resume template from ResyBuild.io
• Use ResyMatch.io to find the right keywords and optimize your resume for each role you apply to
• Open your resume with a Highlight Reel to immediately grab your target employer's attention
• Use ResyBullet.io to craft compelling, value-driven bullets that pop off the page
• Compare the draft of your resume to the examples on this page to make sure you're on the right path
• Use a tool like HemingwayApp or Grammarly to proofread your resume before you submit it

If you follow those steps, you're going to be well on your way to landing more Sales Associate interviews and job offers.

Now that your resume is taken care of, check out my guide on how to get a job anywhere without applying online!

Paula Martins

Paula is Cultivated Culture's amazing Editor and Content Manager. Her background is in journalism and she's transitioned from roles in education, to tech, to finance, and more. She blends her journalism background with her job search experience to share advice aimed at helping people like you land jobs they love without applying online.

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22 Sales Resume Examples That Landed Jobs in 2024

Best for senior and mid-level candidates

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• Sales Resume
• Sales Resumes by Experience
• Sales Resumes by Role

Writing Your Sales Resume

Sales are the lifeblood of any growing company. Without sales, companies grow stagnant—or worse, fail. But with a good sales department, a company can truly thrive.

You know how to care for customers, present solutions to problems, and adapt to any situation. Unfortunately, getting a new sales job involves more than just a short resignation letter at your current job and being stellar at what you do.

You shouldn’t have to create a resume or write a sales cover letter alone, which is why we’ve analyzed hundreds of professional resumes and created 22 sales resume examples just for you. These examples have helped salespeople get hired by companies like Google and Facebook , and they’re here for you to achieve the next role of your dreams in 2024.

Sales Resume Example

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• Whether your most significant impact was in total sales, conversion rate, retention rate, or lead generation performance, it doesn’t matter—numbers speak louder than words, so include them whenever you can!

Sales Assistant Resume

• Find a way to include metrics to really sell your skills!
• Don’t just say you used a certain skill; demonstrate how you used that skill. For example, did you use your organization skills to stock many items? 
• Pack your resume objective with proactive language that shows your eagerness for growth and improvement. If you’re looking for a career-building role, then say exactly that!

Entry-Level Sales Representative Resume

• Sales is a people management game. If you have charm and patience, that’s much more valuable in the eyes of the hiring manager than an impressive educational background.
• You can also include a  resume objective  to mention some of your accomplishments and skills right off the bat; if you choose to do so, make sure you tailor it for every job to which you apply.
• If your education is your strongest area, include your minor, GPA, and any relevant courses you’ve taken.
• If you’ve worked on several projects, make room to include them on your resume in place of work experience.

Experienced Sales Associate Resume

• Your true competence as a sales associate shines through the most when you mention how you effectively calmed angry customers and offered practical, compassionate solutions.
• If you’re not overly familiar with a skill, leave it out—honesty is the best policy, and many skills are easy to learn on the job.

Experienced Retail Sales Associate Resume Example

• If you don’t have past retail experience, don’t fret; use the positions you have to highlight transferable skills, like time management, customer service, and problem-solving.
• Instead of just listing responsibilities, include any achievements, too. Were you a top salesperson in your store? Did you increase your customer review rating? Did you cross-sell effectively and increase revenue? All of these are great examples to include!

Senior Sales Analyst Resume

• Include a  resume summary  (also called a career summary) if you can boast 10+ years of field experience. Make it a concise, customized snapshot of yourself by including your specializations, defining expertise, and mentioning the target business by name.
• You can include the number of employees you manage or mentor, the rate at which you’ve increased revenue, the rate at which employees have hit sales targets during your tenure, the number of departments you collaborate with, the number of monthly presentations you give, and any other metrics that showcase how you’ve improved company performance.

VP of Sales Resume

• A good example is the training program you initiated, which boosted team morale and overall productivity by 38 percent.

Executive Sales Resume

• The ATS, the gatekeeper of applications, has a thing for resumes with conventional sections (think work experience, education, certifications, and skills) sprinkled with keywords mentioned in the job ad. Eligible terms for a sales position range from Salesforce, Tableau, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator to Mailchimp.

Pharmaceutical Sales Resume

• Did you help expand market share? Did you leverage technology to help close more sales deals? Add all that in and sit back as your past success elevates your candidacy to the top of the shortlisted applicants.

Insurance Sales Resume

• Highlight how you’ve tapped InsurGrid, NowCerts, ClearSlide, etc. to improve customer service, and attract and retain customers. Also, back your competencies with realistic figures that underscore your impact.

Tech Sales Resume

• Be bold, like Asher, in showing off to what extent your skills and knowledge contributed to the company’s sales department.

Sales Representative Resume

• Make sure every section of your sales representative resume is easy to read and distinguish by either capitalizing them, bolding them, or using a colored font.
• Any mistakes will be easy to see and will hurt your chances of getting an interview. So, always  check your resume  before you submit it!

Sales Manager Resume

• Focus your work experience on your sales achievements and management expertise. Even if you have no sales management experience, you can still show off your sales skills and leadership qualities wherever it was that you worked. 
• When you can, include metrics that quantify your success. Saying you conducted meetings is one thing, but conducting meetings that resulted in a 14% increase in leads is another.

Digital Sales Representative Resume

• A  good resume template  will help you structure your content effectively, but be aware of spacing—even a good resume template won’t help if your text is too tiny to read or spreads into the margins.
• If you’re stumped on what numbers to include, consider these options: response time, the number of active accounts, size of the average account, churn dollars, team size, ROI, social media post engagement, the number of products you know, and how many awards you’ve won.

Sales Strategist Resume

• There are many  good resume examples  if you know where to look, and they can help you break out of your writer’s block funk. Take a look and get some inspiration!
• Moreover, you can ask some co-workers to help you, too! They can help you decide what metrics to include and how to sound confident but not arrogant.
• For example, if you’re a senior-level employee, you don’t need to include much in your education section, but you should include more work experience bullet points.
• However, if you’re new to the field, you can include your GPA and educational awards while minimizing your work experience in favor of projects.

Sales Consultant Resume

• A strong network on LinkedIn indicates that you’re good at building professional relationships, which is an essential element of sales.
• If you haven’t updated your LinkedIn in a while, make sure you do that as soon as possible.
• For example, you can talk about unveiling events for clients, creating working relationships, and building up networks. These details demonstrate that strong customer rapport is, in fact, a skill you possess.

Sales Engineer Resume

• For example, if the job you’re applying to emphasizes the importance of using CRM software or building long-lasting relationships with customers, emphasize these skills in your skills section. 
• Focus on including hard skills similar to the ones used in the  sales job description .
• If you’re just starting your career in sales engineering OR transitioning to a different type of role, include an objective.
• If none of the above applies, leave it out in favor of more work experience.

Director Of Sales Resume

• Don’t forget to list accomplishments related to leading people and building customer relationships, starting by recording how many customers you helped or how many people you led. Then look for percentages relating to KPIs from there.
• If you’re stuck on what to include in your  resume skills section , go back to the  sales job description  and see what soft skills they require, whether explicitly stated or implied.

Outside Sales Representative Resume

• Good examples include the number of new accounts you opened, conversion rate, retention rate, lead generation performance, and overall growth.
• Sales revenue is the main statistic related to every sales position, but make sure you venture outside the box to include other metrics, too.
• You’d be amazed at what tiny typos and punctuation errors can slip through without your noticing, and employers will appreciate your attention to detail!
• Run your resume through a  resume checker  or spellcheck system, then proofread it again with your own eyes.

Software Sales Representative Resume

• For example, did you exceed your sales quotes, and if so, how many times? How much did you increase profits for the company? 
• Provide details that prove you can boost numbers at the next company you’ll work for!
• If you can, shoot for half and half between technical and soft skills, but if you’re an entry-level candidate, it’s okay to have more soft skills.
• As a software sales rep, you should include the programming languages you know, plus soft skills like “negotiation” and “interpersonal communication.”

Fragrance Sales Associate Resume

• For a successful career in sales, you’ll want your communication and persuasion skills to shine just as brightly as your technical knowledge. Be sure you include some of both in your fragrance sales associate resume .

Sales Development Representative Resume

• Sales are all about the numbers. When you’ve brought about tangible positive results at your past workplaces, it speaks to how effective you are as a salesperson and should be touted in your sales development representative resume .

Related resume guides

• Sales Associate
• Sales Representative
• Sales Manager

Proper formatting ensures your resume is readable, logical, and complete. If you neglect the formatting, you risk potential employers not taking your application seriously (or not even seeing your resume). When it comes to formatting, remember the following: 

• Choose one of three resume format options 
• Draw attention to your resume header 
• Make your sales resume accessible for the ATS and employers

Overall resume format options

Hiring managers’ preferences tend to change over time, but for 2024, it’s clear that three  resume formats  are the most popular:

• Reverse-chronological format:  This format emphasizes your most recent experience by placing work experience toward the top of your resume. Ordering your experience this way highlights career growth and development.
• Functional format:  A functional format stresses skills over work experience. This type of format may be appealing if you have little work experience or if there are gaps in your employment. 
• Combination/hybrid format:  This type combines reverse-chronological and functional formatting, placing equal weight on job history  and  skills, but it can be hard to read because of this.

Though all three types are popular,  hiring managers prefer   the reverse-chronological format . It’s easy to read, underscores career growth, and looks honest regarding your job experience. 

Draw attention to your resume header

Presenting your contact information may seem unimportant. However, this is the most important information in your resume; without it, how can you expect hiring managers to tell you “you’re hired?” Don’t make the mistake of underestimating the importance of an accurate and beautiful resume header.

Start by aligning your header either to the left or center. Then write your name in a large font size so you can see it from far away.

Right below your name, include your job title in a slightly smaller font. Then if you like, you can tastefully add some color to show your personality. (We love cobalt blue and buttercup yellow, but we’re a bit biased.)

Underneath your name and title, list your contact information. Keep the text the same font size as the body of your resume, and consider including a border (with or without color) to make it pop. This section should include:

• Your email (make sure it’s professional and not something like “ [email protected] ”)
• Phone number (with an area code)
• City & State (optional but recommended)
• Professional links to portfolios or sites like LinkedIn (optional but recommended)

Make your sales resume accessible to the ATS and employers

Once you upload your resume to an online job application, it won’t go straight to a hiring manager’s desk. Instead, it will go through the ATS, or Applicant Tracking System software.

This system uses keywords in your resume to determine your likelihood of being a good fit for a particular sales job. If you don’t pass the ATS scan, it’s doubtful you’ll get an interview.

To get past the software and reach human eyes, pay attention to:

• Margins:  Use standard half-inch or one-inch margins all around.
• Fonts:  Use professional, easy-to-read fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, or Georgia. 
• Font sizes:  The body of your resume should be the smallest font at around 12-point, your job title should be 20-point font, and your name should be approximately 24-point font.
• Header names:  Instead of adjusting font size for section headers, try bolding them or using all caps. 
• Skills:  You can list them in a horizontal or vertical list; we recommend using bullet points in a vertical list unless you lack space. 
• Logical order:  As we suggested earlier, we recommend a reverse-chronological format since it’s easy for the ATS to scan. 
• One page:  You must fill one page  exactly . You can slightly adjust fonts, font sizes (just a touch), vertical spacing, and margins to hit this target.

If you’re struggling to  make a resume online  with enough content and proper formatting, remember this: the most important thing is to  ensure your resume is read . If you have to cut content to keep your formatting easy to read, do it.

Do you really need an objective or summary?

Contrary to sources floating around the internet, there  is  a difference between a  resume objective  and a  resume summary . Both are short paragraphs written explicitly for every application you submit, but there are a few key differences between them. 

An  objective  identifies why you’d like to work for the company under the specific job title for which you’re applying. A  summary  highlights the skills you possess and what achievements you’ve earned within your past positions.

Objectives and summaries are strictly optional, but there are a few instances where adding one would help.

• Consider including an objective if you’re seeking an entry-level role or are transitioning careers.
• Consider using a summary best suited if you have 10+ years of sales experience.

Customized resume objective:  Seasoned floor salesperson with 4+ years of experience hitting sales 7% above targets. Seeking a position with Neiman Marcus, where my specialization in high-end retail will continue the tradition of upholding the highest standard of luxury retail experiences for clientele. 

• This objective is specific to the job and includes a customized job title, quantified metrics, specific skill sets, and the company name. It adds real value and will impress any hiring manager.

Poor summary statement:  Dedicated applicant with experience in sales and marketing looking for a sales associate role to improve customer service skills. 

• This statement is anything but specific, and it could be on any number of sales resumes. More than just that, it doesn’t highlight any skills or qualifications beyond dedication. Major yikes.

Customized summary statement:  Results-driven sales associate with 13+ years of experience developing rapport and good customer relations. Leveraged top marketing strategies to yield results, performing in the top 5% of sales associates at all workplaces for over a decade. From informing customers about purchases to designing trending storefront decor, I am confident that my proven excellence in results-driven sales strategies would positively impact the movement of products at Decor 101. 

• This summary statement is customized and unique, including specific skills and quantifiable metrics to support their claims; this candidate is a top choice for an interview.

Know what to include in your job experience section

When writing your sales resume, you may be tempted to include every job you’ve had since you were 16. Though this may be an appropriate choice if you have limited job experience, we recommend including two to four highly relevant jobs on your sales resume if you have more experience. 

Write your work experience bullet points purposefully

When you write your work experience section, remember that space is crucial. To take up less room, use bullet points to break up chunks of text. Start each bullet point with an action verb, such as “oversaw” or “championed,” to drive your value (and cut filler).

Using action verbs will also lay the foundation for using active (rather than passive) voice. For example, a passive sentence like “The store was closed by the sales team” sounds weak and boring. Active voice gives agency to the subject and shortens the statement: “The sales team closed the store.” 

Avoid personal pronouns when writing about your experience, such as “I” or “we.” Ending punctuation is up to you—just be consistent. (Avoid having periods at the end of all your bullet points except for one, for example).

Finally, keep your verb tense in the past, and make sure it’s consistent.

Good bullet points can look like any of these examples:

• Executed an outbound calling strategy to warm leads, leading to a close rate of 16%, which exceeded targets by 50%
• Implemented and expanded the use of Salesforce, saving over 18 hours of weekly manual reporting time by sales staff
• Led initiatives for prospective home buyers to improve brand awareness and increase inbound customer interest, resulting in a $275,000+ increase in incremental revenue

These bullet points are successful because they start with action words, maintain an active voice, avoid personal pronouns, and are consistent with punctuation and tenses. 

Getting these things correct is tricky, but you can return to this guide anytime to review these tips!

Use numbers to your advantage

You may have noticed that all the bullet point examples we included contain numbers. Metrics are essential for any resume, but especially your sales resume. Words tell hiring managers you’re good at your job, but numbers show undeniable value. Include quantified metrics within at least 50 percent of your bullet points. 

Here’s how:

• Performance relative to targets:  Have you ever or do you consistently outperform sales targets? By what percentage do you exceed targets on average? 
• Improvements per customer:  Do your customers have higher purchase totals than others? Are they making more repeat purchases than customers helped by other sales associates? What’s your close rate? 
• Efficiency standards:  How many customers do you help on average, per hour, day, or week? How long does it typically take you to make a sale? How many seconds does it take you to greet customers? 
• Customer relations:  How many customers have reviewed you positively on customer surveys? Have any customers mentioned you by name in positive reviews?

It helps to see these tips in practice, so here are some examples: 

• Improved the shopper-to-customer conversion rate of the store by 6% by prioritizing immediate customer service of inbound customers
• Responded to customer questions with a detailed understanding of products, resulting in a customer satisfaction rating of 96%
• Recognized as a Top 5% Salesperson in the most heavily trafficked Kay’s store in Maine 
• Exceeded annual membership targets by 23% by encouraging a compassionate, customer-centered approach

Select appropriate sales skills for your resume

The skills section is one of the shortest sections on your resume and one of the most mysterious. Unfortunately, the ATS plays a big part in this section since it scans your resume for pre-selected keywords.

Not enough keywords? Not the right keywords? ATS wins, 1 to 0. 

We’re here to shed light on this mystery using a simple trick. When writing your skills, choose those mentioned in the  sales job description . Of course, don’t include every skill they list, but use the job description to guide your strengths.

Ideally, include a mix of both hard and soft skills for a total of six to 10 skills. Hard skills are easier to measure, so we recommend listing mostly hard skills. However, soft skills, such as “organization” and “customer service,” are critical in a sales role, so include a few that match your abilities. 

Let’s put this trick into practice! Here’s an excerpt from a sales job description: 

Seeking qualified sales associates! Our ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced work environment and can maintain a positive, upbeat attitude with co-workers and customers under stressful situations. Must utilize standard software to track and follow up with leads. Should be charismatic, comfortable with public speaking, and have a solid ability to memorize merchandise details and answer complex customer questions. We serve a predominantly Hispanic population, so Spanish speakers, please apply! 

From this job description, we can create a list of skills that would be particularly appropriate for this job position: 

• Salesforce and HubSpot CRM
• Bilingual (Native English, Fluent Spanish) 
• Customer relations
• Interpersonal communication
• Product knowledge 
• Sales demos and pitches
• Time management 

 No matter the job you’re applying for, you’re likely to see some of these skills: 

• Cold-prospecting 
• Negotiation
• Work stream management
• Trend forecasting
• Traditional lead-generation
• Presentations 

Education, certs, interests, and hobbies

In sales, employers typically only require a high school diploma or equivalent. However, specific educational requirements will vary widely in such a large field. Some employers will seek applicants with a bachelor’s degree in business or even an MBA. 

So in your sales resume, list your highest level of education. If you have a graduate degree, you can include both it and your undergrad degree.

If you have any certifications or additional training, such as software certification for a particular type of CRM, you can include that, too, although it isn’t required.

Typically, sales professionals don’t include an optional  interests and hobbies section on their resumes , but there are a few circumstances where it may be appropriate: 

• Hobbies can demonstrate that you’re the type of person a potential customer might enjoy chatting with, which is a bonus for employers.
• Use projects, like volunteering or academic extracurriculars, in place of work experience if you’re light on jobs. 

Here’s an example of what projects could look like on your sales resume:

Tailor your sales resume to the job description

Remember to customize your resume  every time  you apply for a job. Tailoring your resume to the job description is the best way to land an interview quickly.

Start by reworking your resume objective or summary statement (if you have one). Then adjust your skills section to include skills relevant to the role. Finally, adjust your job description bullet points to include relevant qualifications. 

For instance, if a job description mentions they’re looking for a sales representative who can begin giving presentations on day one, emphasize your comfort in public speaking roles. Highlight your previous presentation experience, and perhaps de-emphasize the data analysis skillset that is less relevant to this job. 

Pro tip:  You can keep a master list of bullet points for each job title in a separate document . Write down as many skills and responsibilities as you can for every job title, and organize them based on their emphasis (time management, customer relations, data analysis, etc.). Then you can pull from this document to create fully-customized resumes quickly. 

Edit and polish your sales resume

When finished  writing your resume , it’s tempting to submit it immediately, but it’s best to take a step away first. Give your eyes and mind a rest for a day, and send your resume to trusted family and friends for review. Then you can adjust your content and  check your resume  for errors before you submit; that way, you don’t miss the little details you may have inadvertently overlooked!

Ready for the Next Step?

The first step to having an interview-ready, professional sales resume is to take the time to research and prepare. Congratulations on helping out your future self by using our guide! 

Our easy-to-use  AI resume builder  will allow you to build your resume from the ground up with perfect formatting, so you can save serious time and focus on your next sales job. If you’re ready to find out how your resume stacks up, use our  resume checker  to give you AI-powered suggestions to polish your resume to perfection. 

We know that wherever you get hired, you’ll be helping customers and growing revenue in no time!

Land your next job with our AI-powered, user-friendly tool.

Gut the guesswork in your job hunt. Upload your existing resume to check your score and make improvements. Build a resume with one of our eye-catching, recruiter-friendly templates.

• Work in real-time with immediate feedback and tips from our AI-powered experience. • Leverage thousands of pre-written, job-specific bullet points. • Edit your resume in-line like a Google Doc or let us walk you through each section at a time. • Enjoy peace of mind with our money-back guarantee and 5-star customer support.

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• Resume Templates

Sales Associate Resume: Templates, Tips and Examples That Land Jobs

You could sell sawdust to a lumber mill. You could sell ice cubes in a snowstorm. Selling yourself when hunting for a job, though? That’s harder, even for the smoothest-talking, most persuasive sales associate.

The first step? Getting your foot in the door. 

This is where you need a professional sales associate resume. In this one-page document, you need to show and prove your passion for assisting customers alongside your drive to hit targets and keep growing that revenue.

This article will show you how to write a sales associate resume that will finally land you interviews. Even those you thought were out of your reach.

First — two sales associate resume samples you can steal, tweak slightly, and make your own.

Sample Sales Associate Resume for an Experienced Candidate (5+ Years of Experience)

Retail sales associate resume for an experienced candidate (text version), contact info.

Nicole Hanson [email protected] linkedin.com/in/nhanson

Resume Summary

Collaborative, friendly, and driven professional with over 7 years of experience in the industry. Delivers high-quality and consistent customer service while multitasking in fast-paced work environments. Skilled in marketing store products, resulting in a 10% increase in annual store revenue. Communicates effectively with team members, management, and customers. Looking to bring my expertise and experience to help Ilia bring natural skin care closer to customers.

Experience:

Forever 21 Sales Associate | Atlanta, GA | July 2016–Present

• Assist 40+ customers/day in clothing selection and answering questions
• Manage store inventory process 15% faster than average employee
• Increase weekly revenue by 10% via new merchandise displays
• Exceed sales goals by 20% via strategic marketing efforts

JC Penney Sales Associate | Atlanta, GA | June 2013–July 2016

• Assisted customers in product selection, received 97% positive reviews
• Used negotiation strategy to increase credit card promotion sign-ups
• Conducted cash transactions and processed customer returns efficiently

Belk Sales Associate | Atlanta, GA | January 2012–May 2013

• Collaborated with store manager to perform open & closing store operations
• Consistently achieved sales goals & recognized as a top performer among staff
• Shared suggestions with upper management to improve customer experience

Clarke County High School, Atlanta, GA, December 2011

• Customer Service
• Sales & Negotiation Strategy
• Creative Thinking
• Effective Communication
• Cash Transactions
• Detail-oriented
• Product Knowledge
• Dependability
• Collaboration
• Fluent in English/Spanish

French – Conversational

Sample Sales Associate Resume for a Recent Grad

Retail Sales Associate Resume for a Recent Grad (Text Version)

Nia Monroe Seattle, WA (404) 578-4321 [email protected] linkedin.com/in/nmonroe

An extroverted and driven recent high school graduate with a passion for sales and the beauty industry, looking to join Ilia as a Junior Sales Associate. Excited to apply the experience gained in volunteering and internships to establish strong customer relations, grow revenue, and help establish Ilia as the world’s number one clean beauty brand.

Newport Senior High School. Bellevue, WA | 2016-2020, GPA 3.9

Relevant coursework: Business communications, Business ethics, Psychology

Certifications

• LinkedIn Learning: Become a Retail Sales Associate
• Spanish: Upper-intermediate level

Internship Experience

MAC Cosmetics Customer Service Intern | Seattle, WA | Summer 2022

• Assisted 30+ customers/day with product information and makeup advice
• Processed sales transactions and helped handle the cash register
• Handled 20+ monthly returns and resolved customer complaints
• Collaborated with the team members to hit monthly targets

Volunteer Experience

Seattle Charity One Sales Team Member | Lynnwood, Seattle, WA | 2019-2022

• Assisted in 5 fundraising events and campaigns
• Helped acquire 6 new major recurring donors
• Helped raise $120K in a single event
• Effective communication
• Cash transactions
• Great listening skills
• Product knowledge

How to Properly Format and Structure a Sales Associate Resume

Your initial instinct might be to start your sales associate resume by considering what important details to include. Instead, take a step back and consider the resume format first.

Good formatting boils down to:

• Giving your resume a polished, professional look.
• Making sure you follow standard practices as to what sections to include.

Let’s break it down.

Aim for a professional look 

Did you know that 94% of first impressions are design-related? 

The format you select for your retail sales associate resume should appear professional and visually prioritize essential information over the rest. 

Bottom line – the visual appeal matters, and not taking this seriously can ruin the initial touchpoint with your potential employer. 

Let’s discuss the elements that will make your sales associate resume look good. 

1. Pick the right font 

Select a classic, legible font that won’t distract from the meaning of your words. Good fonts to use on a resume include:

• Times New Roman

The ideal font size is 11–12 pt, but you can resort to a 10 pt if you’re struggling with those few nasty lines spilling over to the second page.

2. Adjust line spacing 

The legibility of your sales associate resume heavily relies on line spacing. Plus, leveraging white space allows you to make your top skills and qualification pop right away. 

Stay between 1.15 and 1.5-point line spacing to ensure the cohesiveness and scannability of your resume. 

3. Set margins to one inch 

Setting margins is all about balance, and the golden rule says you should adjust them to one inch on each side . 

If they’re bigger, your resume will look empty and the hiring manager will be under the impression that you’re trying to camouflage a lack of experience. And margins that are too small will make your resume look cluttered and hard to scan. 

4. Put your headings in a larger font 

Using larger fonts (14-16pt) and bold for your headings will make them stand out and highlight the most important bits of information the employer is looking for. 

This simple tactic will visually walk the recruiter through your sales associate resume and direct their attention to the most impressive career and educational accomplishments. 

Structure your sales associate resume in a logical way

It’s safe to assume your resume won’t be read completely, so never save the best for last — say it first.

Organize your sales associate resume sections in the following way: 

• Header with contact info
• Resume summary or resume objective
• Work experience (starting with the most recent)
• Education and certifications
• Additional sections — memberships in professional organizations, languages, or volunteer experience

In the work experience section, listing information in reverse chronological order allows for your most recent and relevant accomplishments to get passed the ATS and catch the eye of the hiring manager. Additionally, it will illustrate your career growth and development.

If you’re a recent grad with little or no professional experience under your belt, placing the education and certifications section right below the resume objective is a better option.  

Our detailed guide on choosing the best resume format will navigate you through this process step by step. 

Let’s break these sections down and see how to make the most of them. 

Include a Header with Contact Information

Don’t skimp on providing all the necessary contact information on your sales associate resume. This will make it easier for the recruiter to look you up on the internet or social media and get in touch with you. 

Here are some must-have personal details to include: 

• Your first and last name.
• Phone number .
• Email address. 
• LinkedIn URL.

So, the header with contact info on your sales associate resume should look something like this: 

Create a Sales Associate Resume Summary or a Resume Objective Statement 

Regardless of the format you select, your sales associate resume summary or a resume objective is always the section that comes first. 

Let’s see how to distinguish between them and which one to use for your sales associate resume. 

Sales associate resume summary 

The main difference between a resume summary and an objective statement is that the former is suitable for seasoned sales associates who can easily populate the Work Experience section with relevant examples. 

So, if this is your first sales associate job application, or you’re changing careers and have no relevant experience in the field, a sales associate resume objective will work better for you (more info in a bit).   

Consisting of three to five sentences, a resume summary serves to immediately capture the hiring manager’s attention by recapping your key skills, competencies, accomplishments, and character traits relevant to this position. Besides showcasing your qualifications and background, this brief paragraph should also demonstrate how you plan to contribute to the company and why the employer should hire you. 

Here are some tips to help you make an entrance with your resume summary: 

• Quantify your achievements . Saying you hit or exceed your sales targets won’t cut it unless you back up this claim with numbers. So, always express your performance through numerical values, percentages, money, people, or time.    
• Include power words . Your choice of words matters here. To punch up your unique selling points, use adjectives such as “results-driven,” “detail-oriented,” or “committed,” and actionable verbs like “exceed,” “helm,” “lead,” or “manage.”    
• Don’t use complete sentences. It’s much more impactful to use sentence fragments and omit pronouns.  
• Add qualitative information. This includes awards and all kinds of recognition that will show how your previous employers and customers praised your hard work. 

Here’s an example of a sales associate resume summary that covers all the bases  ✅

Sample summary for a sales associate resume

Now let’s reach into the recycle bin and see what a poorly written sales associate resume summary looks like. ❌

Would you hire someone who used the word “I” 10 times in such a short paragraph? Probably not. 

But being repetitive (and self-centered) isn’t the only problem of this lame resume summary — even though the person might be someone who’s regularly been voted Employee of the Month. Here’s a list of everything that’s wrong with it. 

• It’s too general, vague, and devoid of any specificities about achievements.
• It lacks punch since the candidate used full sentences, packed with pronouns but sans power words.
• There is no quantifiable or qualifiable information to corroborate that the sales associate in question is a hard worker who’s good with customers. 
• The candidate doesn’t mention any particular skills or area of expertise that would distinguish them from other applicants. 

Check out our in-depth guide on crafting a resume summary for more practical tips and examples. 

Sales associate resume objective

You don’t have much to brag about when it comes to professional experience? Don’t worry, you can still make it to the “yes” pile! 

What you need is a well-crafted resume objective that leaps off the page and makes up for what you lack in competence and career history. This paragraph is instrumental in helping inexperienced candidates and career-switchers by underscoring their hard and soft skills, talents, abilities, and professional goals. 

Follow this simple formula to create a compelling career objective: 

• Stick to no more than three sentences 
• Introduce yourself briefly 
• List your strengths but make sure to align them with job requirements 
• Include relevant experience, even if it’s helping out at your local a mom-and-pop store or volunteering at a food bank
• Focus on how you can contribute to the employer, not on what you expect to get from the job. 

And if you concoct all these ingredients the right way, you’ll get something like this  ✅   

Sample objective for a sales associate resume

This example works like a charm because it’s succinct and actionable. The applicant mentions their strong traits that could come in handy for performing daily sales associate duties. Despite not listing any particular previous experience, this recent grad clearly knows how to sell the sizzle and present themselves as an invaluable resource that Vintage Inc should be happy to secure. 

Here’s what your sales associate resume objective should NOT look like  ❌

Let’s dissect this example and see why the applicant failed to advance to the next round: 

• Despite being wordy, this resume objective doesn’t say why the candidate is the right fit for the job. 
• It’s all over the place and doesn’t follow any order in listing the applicant’s skills and strengths, clearly showing that being organized isn’t one of them.  
• We can see what the applicant’s expectations from the position are, but there’s no mention of how the employer will benefit from hiring this particular person. 
• It’s repetitive, somewhat boring, and full of redundant personal pronouns that only take up space and don’t contribute to the objective in any way.
• There’s no hook that will capture the recruiter’s attention, while the lack of targeted keywords, related to the sales associate position requirements makes it ATS-unfriendly. 

Read our detailed how-to resume objective guide for more ideas.   

Highlight Your Sales Associate Experience in the Work Experience Section

OK, now that your killer intro section sparked an interest in the hiring manager to go through your entire sales associate resume, it’s time to bring out the big guns and nail your work history section.

Everything you’ve said so far served only as a sneak peek into your personality, skill set, and experience. The Work Experience section should expand on all that and get the hiring manager to think to themselves “This one’s a keeper!” 

So, how do you achieve this? 

List your accomplishments in reverse chronological order 🔙

We already discussed why you should list your work experience in reverse chronological order — your most recent work is probably your most impressive and it’s best to bring it to the fore.

In case you don’t have too much experience in retail, select work experience that shares as many similarities to retail or sales as possible. 

Zero in on your most recent jobs 🔎

Share as much detail as possible about your latest jobs, so that the hiring manager can see what your responsibilities and work assignments were and how they correspond to the position you’re applying for. 

Add up to 7 bullet points for your most recent job. As you go back in time, limit yourself to 3 to 5 bullets and only focus on tasks you excelled at. 

Amplify your accomplishments 🚀

Start each bullet point with an action verb, to illustrate your impact at work more vividly.

Also, since sales is a numbers game, make sure to quantify your accomplishments. Include, for example, how many people you managed, how many customers you assisted, or how much sales you generated. 

Let’s take a look at a well-optimized work history section ✅

Sample work experience section for a sales associate resume

Listing accomplishments in three to five bullet points? ​​✔️

Quantifying achievements? ✔️

Using actionable verbs? ✔️

Providing details relevant to the sales associate position? ✔️

Besides following the work history best practices to a tee, this candidate went the extra mile and explained how they achieved all this. In other words, the potential employer can rest assured that this sales associate knows what they’re doing and that these impressive numbers weren’t just a stroke of luck. 

On the other hand, the following work history example would leave you waiting for a reply from the hiring manager. In vain. ❌

Although providing almost identical information as the well-optimized one, this work history fails to demonstrate how to applicant performed these tasks, what their results were, and whether and how the employer benefited.  

There are no numbers to substantiate these statements and convince the hiring manager this sales associate would be a great addition to their team. Our score: lukewarm. Pass!

To avoid making such a mistake, read our dedicated guide on how to properly create a dazzling work history section that will impress your potential employer. 

List Your Education on Your Sales Associate Resume

While it might not always seem relevant to your job, including your education on your retail sales associate resume is important.

Even more so if you have limited work experience in retail or in general. In that case, your education and certifications will have to do all the talking. 

Here are some tips for making this section work for you:

• Structure it in reverse-chronological order, just like your professional history. 
• Include all your degrees, field of study and major, school name, and graduation date, in any order you find suitable. Adding a GPA can also be worthwhile but only if it’s higher than 3.5. The more scarce your work experience is, the more detailed your education section should be. 
• Although a BA degree isn’t required for a sales associate position, having one can increase your odds of becoming a floor or store manager. In case you’ve graduated from college, you don’t have to include your high-school degree. 

Example of the education section on a sales associate resume

To find more examples and tips for crafting this section, use our curated guide on how to list education on your resume .  

Put Your Sales Associate Skills on Display 

Listing your soft and hard skills will give the recruiter valuable insight into your abilities and show whether you’re a good match for the sales associate position. 

But, apart from this, these skills also serve as keywords so that the ATS can “read” your resume. These bots are designed to review resumes and decide whether or not they have “good-candidate potential”. A bot searches for keywords — including skills associated with ideal candidate potential and either flags or rejects the resume.

The trick is to add only the skills relevant to the role you’re applying for, so it’s a good idea to carefully study the job description to be sure that your list makes sense. 

Here are some of the most common skills to put on your sales associate resume and outsmart the bots:

Examples of sales associate skills

• Communication
• Organization 
• Problem-solving 
• Time management 
• Interpersonal skills 
• Attention to detail 
• Active listening 
• Customer service
• Conflict resolution 
• Adaptability 
• Flexibility 
• Negotiation skills
• Persuasiveness 
• POS knowledge 
• Cash register operation 
• Visual merchandising 
• Inventory management
• Friendly attitude 
• Helpfulness 
• Multitasking 
• Resourcefulness 
• Initiative 
• Goal-oriented

And a word of advice — stick to the skills you actually possess if you don’t want to get yourself into trouble over not being sincere on your resume. 

We also have a pretty useful guide on the skills to put on your resume , so you can use it if you need inspiration. 

Add the Not-So-Optional Extra Sections to Your Sales Associate Resume 

Although frequently referred to as “optional,” this sales associate resume section goes a long way toward setting you apart from a slew of other candidates. 

So, instead of skipping it believing you’ve already said enough about yourself, it’s much better to put extra effort into listing your certifications, hobbies, volunteer experience, the conferences you attended, and the languages you speak. 

Remember that you’re up against hundreds of people with similar backgrounds, skills, education, and even work experience, so it’s crucial to humanize your resume and add it an element of je ne sais quoi. This will hopefully convince the recruiter you’re one of a kind and worth giving a chance at the job interview. 

Some of the following certifications will give your sales associate resume a certain weight, particularly if you don’t have much to brag about in your work experience section: 

• Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP) from NASP
• RISE Up Retail Industry Fundamentals from NRF Foundation 
• Retail Sales Associate course from LinkedIn (beginner level)

The Associates of the Year Award is the pinnacle of every retail sales associate’s career, and having this on your resume would open you ALL the (store) doors. But, even if you’re a rookie or simply don’t have the fancy awards to vouch for your excellence, you can and should mention every instance you’ve been designated as the Employee of the Month.  

Volunteer experience

Super valid. Apart from showing that you’re interested in contributing to the greater good, volunteer experience on your sales associate resume will demonstrate your ability to solve problems, take initiative, and engage in teamwork. Plus, people who volunteer have great people and active-listening skills, both of which are essential in retail. 

Conferences

Every employer would like to have a motivated workforce, interested in staying up to date with the latest trends. Listing all the retail conferences you attended will show the hiring manager your dedication to continuous learning and willingness to move the needle at work. 

Membership in professional organizations

Are you a member of the National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP) or the National Retail Federation (NRF) ? If yes, then make sure the recruiter knows it, because this shows you’re not looking for a position in retail just because you’re between jobs. 

As a retail sales associate, you’ll have to serve people from all around the world, so speaking more than a single language is a welcome addition to your skill set. List all the languages you speak together with the level of proficiency.  

If you’d need more examples and ideas for this section, check out our guide on how to put hobbies and interests on your resume . 

Tailor Your Sales Associate Resume to Job Requirements

Finally, one rule to rule them all. When you’re applying for two or more sales associate positions simultaneously, the worst thing you can do is send out the same resume to each one of them. It’s a big no-no because although these job openings might be similar, their requirements almost certainly aren’t. 

If you want your sales associate resume to make a splash, customize it to check all the boxes from the job description. Yes, this means carefully reading what the employer expects from an ideal candidate and making sure your resume reflects these requirements. 

For example, let’s analyze the following job description:   

You’ll spot a number of skill-oriented keywords, such as inventory , cash register , sales goals , attention to detail , communication skills , math skills , knowledge of products , and customer service . 

By sprinkling these terms into your sales associate resume, you’ll both please the ATS systems and the hiring manager. It’ll show that you understand what the job is about and have the right skills, competencies, and experience to perform your duties exceptionally. 

Here’s a roundup of the most important things to consider when writing your sales associate resume: 

• Use reverse chronological order for your work history and education sections, so that you can highlight your most recent and relevant accomplishments in retail.
• Improve the readability of your resume by leveraging white space, clear and elegant fonts, and highly visible headings.
• If you have limited sales associate experience, opt for a resume objective, and if you’re a seasoned sales associate with a couple of years in retail, then a summary resume will best fit your needs.
• Double-down on your experience and education sections by calling the hiring manager’s attention to your best and most relevant accomplishments for the job you’re applying for.  
• Wording plays an important role when it comes to composing your resume, so read the job description carefully to identify key skill-oriented words, as well as power verbs and adjectives related to your sales position, and include them in your resume.
• Slighting the extra section is a big mistake since it gives the recruiter an overall idea of who you are, what your values are, and what makes you tick.
• Tailor your resume for each sales associate position you’re applying for unless you want it to get overlooked and discarded for being too generic.  

Pamela Skillings

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Sales Associate Resume Examples & Writing Guide for 2024

How to build a highly professional sales associate resume?

As a sales associate, there is no doubt that you are vital to any retail company. You are first to assist customers, answer their questions about products and recommend appropriate solutions.

On top of it, you constantly learn about new product features and keep visual merchandising of the store to a high standard. You may even go above and beyond to drive sales and recommend ways to improve it.

Sounds tempting? Do not miss the chance to land the job you fancy just because your resume does not look professional. 

This guide will help you create highly effective CV sections that will impress any hiring manager. Still looking for a job? These 100+ resources will tell you everything you need to get hired fast.

1. How to create a captivating professional summary for your sales associate resume?

The key is to show that you possess something that other candidates lack.

Not only should you demonstrate that you will bring to the table what your prospective employer expects, but you should also be able to exceed their expectations.

Does it sound like a tough nut to crack? The following useful tips will help you make your professional profile stand out before you say “POS”.

• Highlight your experience in retail sales. If you are applying for an entry-level position, target your summary to your transferable skills needed for your role.
• Briefly mention your most significant duties.
• Include achievements and quantify them whenever you can.
• Always customize your profile to the job posting you are applying for. 

Sales associate professional profile example

Self-driven Sales Associate with 2+ years of experience in retail. Managed to keep designated areas in neat and well-supplied condition at all times. Possessing thorough knowledge of clothing and footwear. Continuously learned about the newest apparel and its features in order to provide complete information. Built trusting relationships with customers, reaching and maintaining customer satisfaction 98%. Applied innovating stocking procedures incrementing sales by 21%.  

2. What are the best sales associate skills to put on your CV?

You will definitely need to equip yourself with such superpowers as organization, stress-resilience or patience.

Is there anything else that retail companies are looking for in sales associate resumes?

To get a first-hand answer, we asked Sergio Alarcon, General Manager of a successful distribution company in Panama, Grupo Gilar, who closely cooperates with 150 retailers. There are ten soft skills and four hard skills that he identifies as fundamental for a sales associate role:

The best soft skills for your sales associate resume

• Positive attitude
• Active listening
• Clear communication
• Responsibility
• Customer orientation
• Organization
• Ability to work under pressure
• Business acumen 

The most effective sales associate hard skills to put on your CV

• Basic Math Skills
• Money Handling
• Product Knowledge
• POS and Payment Processing

Find out your resume score!

3. How to effectively list work experience in your sales associate resume?

When it comes to describing past work experience , many applicants commit the same mistake. They simply try to mention as many job responsibilities and associated tasks as they can.

Well, if the point was to overwhelm a hiring manager with unnecessary information and make their head spin, then you would certainly succeed.

Be relevant and concise. Always refer back to the job posting. At the end of the day, it is all in there.

Let’s take a look at the following requirements from a job posting:

What will you be doing?

• Greet customers in a cordial manner.
• Use extensive footwear knowledge to advise our customers and encourage them to buy.
• Work with the rest of the team achieving sizable sales.
• Maintain visual merchandising in excellent condition, taking into consideration our guidelines.
• Assist customers in store and via phone.
• Manage inventory levels and restock shelves.

Now when you know what will be expected from you, you can wisely select related duties and achievements in your past roles.

Remember to use a reverse-chronological order and employ impactful language.

Sales associate work experience example

Merli Store Retail Sales Associate 2018–2020 

•  Exceptionally performed all duties related to stocking and visual merchandising.
• Used an engaging demeanor to friendly greet our customers.
• Professionally advised Merli’s customers in their clothing and footwear selection, employing thorough knowledge of clothing and footwear, 
• Impeccably managed cash and credit payments, using POS systems.
• Mentored 4 team members to increment sales by 27% within 3 months.  

4. How to best list education in your sales associate CV?

Even if a job posting does not necessarily mention your diploma as a needed qualification, never underestimate the education section .

Should you have less work experience, it is recommendable to introduce your related coursework or academic achievements besides just listing your school name.

Sales associate education section example

Brenson High School, Texas 2013–2017

• Excelled in Business Studies
• Winner, Student Essay Competition: Enhancing Sales Channels
• Named to Honor Roll all four years.

5. How to correctly include additional sections in your sales associate resume?

There are many additional sections you could use in your CV to your advantage. How to, however, select the most suitable ones?

The answer may, once again, lie in how relevant they are to your sales associate position.

There are various retail sales certifications your resume may shine with, but let us not shut out such sections as volunteering activities or interests . If you, for instance, fancy volleyball, it may perfectly imply your teamwork abilities. 

Listing additional sections in your resume

Certifications

• Certified Sales Professional (CSP) program, 2020 

Volunteering Activities

• Bedford Shops: retail merchandising, customer service, helping raise funds for cancer research, 2019–2020

  Interests

• Participation in the debate team
• Handcrafting jewelry and accessories

Julia Gergelova

Julia is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW™) and an active member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers & Career Coaches (PARWCC™). She is also a passionate translator and graphic designer. Julia holds degrees in translation and interpretation and has international work experience in various countries across Europe, as well as in China and Panama. Julia formerly taught academic writing and contributed as a graphic designer to outlets such as The Business of Business. You'll often find her with a book in one hand and a specialty coffee in the other, always on the lookout for new insights.

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How to write a professional resume summary [+examples], how to put your education on a resume [+examples], how to describe your work experience on a resume [+examples], let your resume do the work..

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Sales Associate Resume Example & Writing Guide [2024]

The following sales associate resume sample and guide will provide you with valuable tips to help you write a resume that best highlights your experiences and qualifications. Further, we provide you with a few bonus tips in the end so be sure to check it all out!

Read on to learn more and get inspired.

How to write Sales Associate resume

• Start your Sales Associate resume with a concise resume summary
• Focus on quantifying your achievements, not just sales duties
• Only add relevant information to your bullets in your employment history
• Match your sales skills list with the skills required in the job description
• Always personalize every resume you send. Tailor the contents of your resume to the requirements of the job description

Let's start by looking at an example of a Sales Associate resume with 6 years of experience, and then dive into the guide.

Sales Associate Resume Example using our Traditional Resume Template

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Sales associate resume sample you can copy and use

Laura Cain Outgoing and Enthusiastic Sales Associate

2898 Poplar Avenue, 92101, San Diego, CA, [email protected]

Profile Summary

Self motivated Sales Associate with 6 years of experience in retail environments. Recognized for capability to communicate with customers, providing exceptional service that ensure client retention and unbiased positive feedback. Demonstrated ability to ensure increased sales through up-selling techniques as well as implementing processes that drive profitability.

Employee of the month for consecutive months while consistently outperforming sales goals.

Employment History

Retail sales associate at ikea, san diego.

Jul 2015 - currently employed

• Assist an average of 35 customers per day in finding or selecting items, and provided recommendations that generated $5K in additional revenue
• Achieve an average of 140% of sales goals for three consecutive months
• Stock, organize and replenish inventory with accuracy and efficiency
• Manage proper and attractive merchandise display, ensuring strategic placement of products that maximized purchases
• Provide outstanding customer service, receiving 98% in customer service feedback surveys

Retail Sales Associate at Ashley Furniture, San Diego

Jul 2013 - Jul 2015

• Helped an average of 40 customers per day selecting products based on individual requirements
• Recommended better furniture display to management, which was implemented and resulted in 25% improved sales
• Received calls daily, answering questions and educating customers on our products
• Aided Spanish-speaking customers, increasing repeat and loyal customers by 30%

B.A in Business Management

University of San Diego - San Diego Sep 2009 - Jun 2013

Professional skills

B2C Sales Customer Service MicroSoft Office Retail Software Excellent Communication Skills Problem Solving

English Native

Spanish Conversational

Facts about this Sales Associate resume:

• Candidate is applying for a Sales Associate position in retail
• Candidate uses the reverse-chronological format
• Candidate has over 6+ years of experience
• Candidate mentions having consistently outperforming sales goals

A great way to start is to be sure to reference keywords from the job description and highlight any skills , awards, and certifications in the resume summary, that match with the job listing requirements.

It is crucial that you provide a thorough and professional approach to your resume . We made an easily digestive guide for you to keep you on your toes while creating the simple, yet effective and professional resume .

A correctly formatted and professional resume is as important as ever.

4 writing tips and advice to help you compose a Sales Associate resume

#1 - a powerful and concise profile resume summary will make the recruiter want to look further.

Starting a resume on the right foot is important. Think of it as an advertisement for yourself. This is where you tell the reader who you are to make the employer or recruiter want to look further. 

• Be concise in your profile summary. Focus on a few key competences and skills you have that will fit the job and is part of the job description.
• Use interposed phrases. The reader doesn't care about fillers. The purpose is to tell the reader exactly how you fit the role and make the reader want to read on. Don't bore them!

Example from above:

"Self motivated Sales Associate with 6 years of experience in retail environments. Recognized for capability to communicate with customers, providing exceptional service that ensure client retention and unbiased positive feedback. Demonstrated ability to ensure increased sales through up-selling techniques as well as implementing processes that drive profitability."

Very concise way of embedding important skills like, communication,  excellent customer service and maintaining a high sales focus, provides you with a great way to start on the description, making you able to build it further.

A great way to get feedback about your overall profile is by asking people from your network about the value which you bring. You might be surprised how they respond. We made a guide about networking and how to stay on top of this game, don't miss these valuable tips.

#2 - Quantify some of your achievements or duties

It's a great idea to list a few measurable achievements under your Employment History, such as; 

By highlighting measurable achievements, it goes to show that with your abilities you are able to deliver results as a sales associate, where your main goal is to sell products during your everyday work. It sends a clear message to the employer or recruiter about your abilities and work ethics.

#3 - List or highlight your awards and certifications on your sales associate resume

If you received any awards make sure you either list them or highlight them somehow, as they are great selling points, and are part of telling your story to the reader.

"Employee of the month for consecutive months while consistently outperforming sales goals."

Here we tell the reader right away about your abilities to sell. We highlighted it in the profile summary to tell the reader that you are more than capable of doing a great job.

Use personal awards like, employee of the month or something similar. They mean something to you, they make you proud of yourself. Use it in your resume, as they are achievements related directly to your hard work as a sales associate.

Lastly, do not forget any certificates you may have. Specific product sales certifications might be able to help persuade a future employer selecting you.

#4 - Focus your skills around sales, customer service and problem solving

The ability to sell and provide great customer service is a core function of a sales associate. This is what every employer would demand from you. Emphasizing those abilities will make the employer or recruiter aware that you understand this.

The ability to provide the customers with great care and support is one thing, solving their problems is another. Understanding their problem or needs, and solving it with the customer in mind, will show your attitude towards the work you do, and what you represent as a sales associate.

TIP: Learn more about how to build your skills into your resume. In our article we cover soft and hard skills from A to Z.

#Bonus - Key action adverbs and skills to use in your sales associate resume

By using action verbs you can add clarity, depth, and distinction to your resume. Action verbs make great openers for experience bullet points and can also be utilized on cover letters to target them to specific positions.

• Ability to work under pressure
• Attention to detail
• Collaborated
• Communication
• Computer skills
• Customer service
• Demonstrate
• Dependability
• Dispute resolution
• Flexibility
• Loss prevention techniques
• Mathematical skills
• Memorization
• Multitasking
• Point of Sale Systems (POS)
• Positive attitude
• Product knowledge
• Profitability
• Punctuality
• Responsibility
• Sales skills
• Telephone etiquette
• Time management

TIP: If you want to know more about using power words and action verbs like these in your resume, check out How To Use Power Words In Your Resume .

It was a pleasure to provide you with some tips and advice about writing a Sales Associate resume.

Are you ready to create your resume? Use our simple resume builder and put to use what you just learned.

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