Create a winning Sales Assistant CV and Sample - Career Advice Nijobs (2024)

Sell Yourself to Get an Interview

If you are planning to become a sales assistant, it makes sense that you need to impress potential employers with your skills. You won’t even get as far as the interviewroom if you don’t learn how to create a standout sales assistant CV and cover letter.

Even though the actual structure is tried and tested, a surprising number of job applicants make errors, or take the entire ‘your CV must be unique’ mantra to a different level.

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Let’s dive in:

How to Write a Sales Assistant CV
Retail CV Skills
Sales Assistant CV Example

How to Write a Sales Assistant CV

It is the content of your CV that needs to be unique, NOT the structure! Here is how to structure your CV.

The Structure

• Include contact details at the top. This means your name, address, email address, and telephone number.
• A sales assistant Personal Statement should be your first paragraph. Consider this as a ‘sales pitch’ and include your skills, experience, and the industries you worked in.
• Follow this with a set of Core Skills; 6-8 should do. Make sure these relate to the job description.
• Under Work Experience, include the name of the company, title of the role, and the dates of employment. Ensure you list your responsibilities but don’t forget to outline the positive impact you made. If you can include some key achievements, it will be a better CV than most.
• In the Education and Qualifications section need only be a basic list format. Include the dates of attendance, qualifications earned, and names of the institutions. If you have a University degree, there is no need to include details of your primary school!
• Interests section is optional, but it is a good idea to include information that adds to your personality. This is especially the case in retail where companies are looking for vibrant and energetic staff.

The Sales Assistant Personal Statement

This is getting extra attention because it is an extremely important, yet often overlooked aspect of CVs. It becomes especially relevant if you are creating a sales assistant CV with no experience. As you don’t have a work history to speak of, a personal statement enables you to focus on your skills, education, and suitability for the role.

It shouldn’t take up more than 4-5 lines of your CV, and it tells the reader who you are, what you offer to the company, and outlines your career goals. If you are a new graduate, for example, you can highlight the fact you received a 2:1 honours degree, and are looking to use your existing skills and knowledge, develop them further, and pick up new skills in the advertised role.

How to wirte a Sales Assistant work experience in a CV

This is probably the most important section of your CV if you have plenty of retail experience. Follow these tips to get your achievements across:

• Add your most recent work experience first, including your title, dates of employment, and the name of the employer
• Include up to six bullet points beginning with an action verb to highlight your duties and accomplishments in the role
• Do your best to quantify achievements with actual data
• Tailor this section to the role you’re applying for as much as possible

How to Write Work Experience as a Sales Assistant with NO Experience

Applicants looking for jobs who have no experience often gloss over their work history. This is a big mistake as you can still make this section look great. Think about any volunteering or internships you’ve completed that are in any way linked to retail or sales. Consider your educational achievements and see if you can find any useful nuggets of information to add to your work experience section. If it is relevant, add it!

You’ll find that if you try hard enough, you can make a connection between most things and sales.

How to Write a Sales Assistant Education Section in a CV

Your education section takes on special importance if you have little experience. You need to fall back on any qualifications you’ve attained to make a case for your suitability. Include bullet points focusing on coursework and extracurricular activities relevant to the position of sales assistant. This means adding the degree received, GPA, relevant modules, and other accomplishments.

If you’re a vastly experienced sales assistant, the names of the schools you attended, dates of entry, and qualifications earned are all you need.

Writing Sales Assistant Key Skills

Read the job ad and list the skills outlined in it. Sit down and think deeply about the hard and soft skills you possess. Cross-reference your skills with those included in the job description. Overall, it is best to include 6-10 relevant skills. If you have minimal work experience, it is helpful to elaborate on these skills, including scenarios where you used them.

What to Put on Your CV for Retail?

Rather than reinvent the wheel, it is best to stick with the tried and trusted structure as outlined below. An exception is if you have little experience in retail. In that case, it is best to emphasise your skills and education and place them before your work experience.

• Personal Statement
• Work Experience
• Education
• Key Skills
• Additional Sections

Personal Summary for CV Retail

You can leave this section until you have completed the rest of your CV. Why? Because it is a summary, and you’ll have a better idea of what to add once you write everything else out. As the section heading suggests, it summarises your experience, achievements, skills, and education pertaining to retail.

A personal summary works best when you have a reasonable level of experience. You can provide an overview of everything you’ve achieved so far in a matter of seconds. Here’s an example:

Example of a personal Statement for CV in Retail

“Enthusiastic sales assistant with 3+ years of experience. Seeking to boost the sales figures of ACME Limited by using proven skills in customer loyalty and sales. Maintained a 95% positive customer review rating and possesses vast experience in handling complicated POS systems. Eager to use innovative sales techniques learned in my career to date to add to the high-quality service provided at ACME.”

Personal Statement for Retail Job with no Experience

A personal statement or CV objective is arguably a better option for applicants with minimal experience. In it, you highlight the retail skills and competencies you possess. As you don’t have any hard data to fall back on, it is better to outline your career goals and the skills that make you suitable for a career in retail. The aim is to convince the reader that the knowledge you have makes you useful for the position.

Here’s an example:

Example of a personal Statement for CV in Retail with no experience

“Dedicated, energetic sales assistant with a keen work ethic. Skilled in POS usage and inventory management. Looking to increase customer loyalty scores and overall revenue at XYZ Limited. Built experience in retail by volunteering at Harry’s Convenience Store in Newry as a restocker and cashier, receiving praise for excellent customer service.”

Retail CV Skills

In retails, you need a good mix of hard and soft skills. Some examples can be:

• Communication and customer service skills to deal with clients and keep them happy
• Attention to details to display the products at their best and keep the shop floor clean and tidy
• Technical skills for operating point of sales systems and stock checking systems
• Numeracy skills for customer transactions
• Business knowledge – in-depth product knowledge.

One evergreen advice to help you choose the right set of skills is to carefully read the job description and match your skills against it.

Key skills fall into three categories:

• Transferable: Skills gained in one setting that can be used in several businesses.
• Job-Related: Skills specific to a job or industry that required training.
• Adaptive: Skills such as creativity, team working, positivity, and adaptability which are not easy to define.

When creating a CV for a retail sales assistant, there are numerous relevant skills in each category:

• Transferable: Commercial, numeracy, computer, management, and reading or writing skills.
• Job-Related: Customer service, technical, and product knowledge skills.
• Adaptive: Communication, tenacity, and loyalty.

Retail Sales Assistant CV Template

We go through each CV section offering tips and advice before concluding with a sample you can use as a reference point when writing your résumé. Download our Retail Sales Assistant CV Template

Sales Assistant CV example

Keep reading for a handy downloadable sample sales assistant CV.

Download yourSales Assistant CV Templateand modify it accordingly.

Here below you can find a full transcription.

John Smith

Address: 11 Oakfield Drive, Lights Road, County Tyrone

Email:johnsmith999@yahoo.com

Telephone: 0765431211

Personal Statement

With seven years’ experience in the retail sector, I have provided high-quality personal service to all customers. I soon learned the intricacies of the roles and made sure I gained full knowledge of each company’s stock to ensure all customer queries were handled. Happy to work as part of a team, but also use my initiative when necessary. I work well under pressure and have won numerous company awards.

Key Skills

• Highly motivated and driven to achieve goals and targets.
• Shows great initiative with an emphasis on customer satisfaction.
• Attention to detail, especially when it comes to the display of merchandise and promotions.
• Confident with completing transactions at the checkout due to good numeracy skills.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Conflict resolution skills.
• The ability to work under extreme pressure.

Employment History

Sales Assistant at Matalan
October 2014 – Present
Oakfield Road

Provided a personalized service to all customers who entered the store. It was here that I was truly able to showcase my love of customer service by ensuring they received knowledge of all store promotions and special offers.

Key Skills & Achievements

• Ensuring an exceedingly high level of customer service.
• Handling customer queries patiently and efficiently while dealing with any complaints. When the need arose, I escalated the situation to a manager.
• Ensured that the visual standards of the store met the company’s high standards.
• Strong organisational and planning skills with close attention to detail.
• Completing transactions at the checkout.
• Gained valuable experience in using effective sales techniques.
• Won awards for providing the best customer service on five occasions and was top salesperson on seven occasions.
• Building great relationships with customers, colleagues, and suppliers.

Sales Associate at Lynch’s
December 2010 – October 2014
Lights Road

Key Skills & Achievements

• Processed sales, exchanges, and refunds on a daily basis.
• Made sure the shop floor was free of obstacles.
• Followed company guidelines on retail and security procedures.
• Helped customers made purchasing decisions by offering suggestions.
• Handled customer queries face-to-face and on the phone.
• Worked well under pressure; especially during the holiday periods when the store was at its busiest.

Education & Qualifications

August 2010

NVQ Qualification: City & Guilds; Retail Level 2

October 2008 – August 2010

7 GSCEs including English and Mathematics

Additional Information

• I enjoy cooking, especially trying new recipes from around the world.
• Fluent in French and German, as well as in English.
• I keep up to date with the latest innovations in the world of retail.

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