What a retail resume should lead with
Retail Sales Associate jobs are in stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, and shopping centers. A hiring manager for these jobs reads the top of your resume first, so put this there: customer service, cash handling, and a schedule that fits the store's hours.
Put your work history first, then a short skills section and any certifications.
Write your summary in two or three lines. Say the job you want, what you have done that fits it, and one thing that makes you reliable.
A sample retail resume. Type your details and watch it fill in.
[Your name]
[City, State] · [your phone] · [your email]
Summary
Retail Sales Associate with [number] years of [experience, clinicals or training]. [Your two strongest skills for this job, for example customer service and cash handling.] [One result you are proud of, with a number.]
Experience
Retail Sales Associate, [Employer name], [City, State]
[Month Year] to [Month Year or Present]
- Helped customers find what they needed [add how many, how often, or for whom].
- Ran the register and handled cash [add how many, how often, or for whom].
- Stocked shelves and set up displays [add how many, how often, or for whom].
- Kept the store clean and organized [add how many, how often, or for whom].
- Handled returns and complaints calmly [add how many, how often, or for whom].
[Your previous job title], [Employer name]
- [A duty from this job that also matters as a retail, with a number.]
Certifications
- High school diploma or GED [date earned]
- Cash handling experience [date earned]
- Customer service training [date earned]
- Bilingual (English and Spanish) [date earned]
Skills
Customer service · Cash handling · Register · Stocking · Merchandising · Inventory · Sales · Teamwork · POS
Nothing you type here is sent or saved. The template below is this layout as a Word file and a PDF, with tips for career changers.
Resume template
A retail resume, laid out and ready to fill in
- The retail duties, skills and the words hiring systems scan for, already in place.
- Blanks in [brackets] for your own facts, and tips for career changers.
- A Word file to edit and a PDF to send, emailed in minutes.
$4.99, one time
One payment. Nothing recurring. No account needed.
Credentials to list on a retail resume
List only what you hold or are finishing. Put the state or issuing body and the year.
- High school diploma or GED
- Cash handling experience
- Customer service training
- Bilingual (English and Spanish)
Example retail resume lines
These are things people in this job really do. Use a line only if you did it, and add a number when you have one: how many patients, loads, orders or rooms, or how often.
- Helped customers find what they needed
- Ran the register and handled cash
- Stocked shelves and set up displays
- Kept the store clean and organized
- Handled returns and complaints calmly
- Opened or closed the store
- Counted inventory
- Met sales goals
Skills and words employers look for in a retail resume
Many employers search resumes by keyword, and recruiters skim for the same words. Use the ones that are true for you, spelled the way the job posting spells them.
Skills: Customer service, Cash handling, Register, Stocking, Merchandising, Inventory, Sales, Teamwork, Reliability, Flexible schedule.
Words from retail job postings: customer service, cash handling, POS, stocking, merchandising, inventory, sales, returns, teamwork, store opening and closing.
| Top skills to show | Words employers search for |
|---|---|
| Customer service | customer service |
| Cash handling | cash handling |
| Register | POS |
| Stocking | stocking |
| Merchandising | merchandising |
| Inventory | inventory |
| Sales | sales |
| Teamwork | returns |
| Reliability | teamwork |
| Flexible schedule | store opening and closing |
What the job involves: O*NET 41-2031.00, Retail Salespersons (US Department of Labor).
Coming to retail work from another job
Your past work counts if you say what it shows. Food service and any job with customers show the same skills.
Never claim a duty you did not do. Say what you did in words this job uses.
Next steps
- Get the retail resume template, a Word file and a PDF laid out for this job, $4.99 one time.
- Have your own resume rewritten for one retail job, using only what is on it, $14.99 one time.
- See retail jobs near you and get your resume rewritten for each one. The first application each month is free.
- Check your resume first with the free resume grader.