Sales Associate Resume Examples and Templates for 2023

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Frank Hackett

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

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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Jobs for sales associates, also known as retail sales workers, are projected to show little or no change from 2019 to 2029, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The growth of online sales is expected to lead to only modest employment declines in brick-and-mortar retails stores, with a projected loss of about 19,700 jobs over the next decade.

At the same time, sales associate jobs can be found virtually anywhere in the world, and job seekers will continue to face competition for positions. A strong resume is the first step to helping you stand out from other job applicants. Below, you’ll find downloadable resume examples for both entry-level job seekers and those with experience, as well as tips on how to write a better resume and how to tailor a resume to a specific job description.

Downloadable Resume Examples

Entry-level
Sales-Associate_Entry-level.pdf

Example #1 Entry-level

Mid-career
Sales-Associate_Mid-career.pdf

Example #2 Mid-career

Senior-level
Sales-Associate_Senior-level.pdf

Example #3 Senior-level

Sales Associate Resume Examples

Years of Experience
  • Entry-level Entry-level
  • Mid-career Mid-career
  • Senior-level Senior-level

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

Profile

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

  • 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

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

Education

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

Key Skills

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

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

Profile

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.

Professional Experience

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.

Education

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

Key Skills

  • Attention to detail
  • Communication skills
  • Customer service
  • Merchandising
  • POS systems
  • Time management

Certifications

  • Professional Program Certificate in Retail, Olivet Nazarene University, 2016

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

Profile

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.

Professional Experience

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

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

Education

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

Key Skills

  • Building client relationships
  • Customer service
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Merchandising
  • Problem-solving
  • Upselling

Certifications

  • Professional Program Certificate in Retail, Tacoma College, 2016

Common Key Skills and Action Verbs for Sales Associate Resumes

A common way hiring managers and applicant tracking systems (ATS) identify promising job candidates is by searching for key skills and action verbs in resumes. In fact, an ATS is programmed to scan a resume and evaluate it based on the number of keywords and phrases that match before highlighting it for hiring managers. A resume that doesn’t contain key pieces of information may never even make it into human hands. So, if you want to make it past the ATS and get the attention of hiring managers, you’ll need to include specific keywords on your resume.

Key Skills & Proficiencies:
Attention to detail Basic math
Bilingual Building client relationships
Communication skills Customer service
Interpersonal skills Merchandising
Multi-tasking Problem-solving
Time management Team player
Retail software Sales
Visual skills
Action Verbs:
Assist Build
Calculate Collaborate
Communicate Coordinate
Execute Explain
Fulfill Greet
Interact Help
Sell Stock
Maintain Organize
Perform Provide
Resolve Respond
Upsell

Tips for Writing a Better Sales Associate Resume

Write an eye-catching professional profile

Writing a professional profile that summarizes your experience, achievements and skills is a great way to introduce yourself to hiring managers, and it helps differentiate you from other job candidates as well. Make sure you’re highlighting the most important things and quantifying where possible.

Example #1

Good


Enthusiastic and customer-centric sales associate with 4+ years’ experience in retail environments. Seeking the opportunity to apply my passion for customer service, exceptional interpersonal skills and excellent upselling abilities to a career with an outstanding retail company.

Bad


Enthusiastic sales associate seeking retail position. Skilled in store upkeep tasks and customer service. Extremely dependable worker and not afraid to work long hours.

Example #2

Good


Outgoing and naturally driven sales associate with 2+ years’ experience in the retail industry. Seeking opportunity to deliver positive customer experiences through energetic attitude while exceeding sales goals and driving profitability.

Bad


Friendly sales associate seeking position that will allow me to showcase my people skills. Experience operating cash registers and helping customers locate items.

Quantify your sales associate experience on your resume

Quantifying your sales associate experience gives hiring managers a clearer picture of the scope of your skills and abilities. When writing your resume bullets for professional experience, see if you can include answers to the following questions. For example:

  • How many customers did you help per day?
  • How much inventory did you stock, replenish, and organize?
  • How many sales did you generate?

Example #1

Good


Assisted an average of 50 customers per day and exceeded monthly sales goals by 15% for six consecutive months, earning Best Sales Associate in 2020.

Bad


Assisted many customers and generated additional sales.

Example #2

Good


Stocked and organized inventory with accuracy and efficiency, completing tasks 10% faster compared with sales associate team average.

Bad


Stocked and organized inventory daily.

How to Align Your Resume With the Job Description

Hiring managers often look at hundreds of candidates to find someone who fits their needs. An effective way to capture the attention of a hiring manager and prove you’re a better match than other job seekers is by mirroring the details found in the job description.

Not sure what skills and experiences you should highlight in your resume? Typically, the most important requirements for the position are mentioned first or more than once in the job description. Compare your resume to the company’s job description and make sure it describes the skills and qualifications the hiring manager is seeking. But never lie on a resume. Few applicants meet every qualification sought in a job description. Tailor your resume so that a hiring manager notices the skills you do have.

Example Sales Associate Job Description


XYZ, Inc., is a leading global clothing retail company that designs, manufactures, and sells clothing under five main brands: Bright Republic, Bonjour Amour, Common, 2 People and JAMES. We are looking for an experienced Sales Associate to join our team. The Sales Associate will demonstrate excellent communication skills and thrive in a fast-paced retail environment. They are responsible for demonstrating exceptional customer service by responding promptly and professionally to customer needs, providing in-depth product information and product recommendations, and closing the sale. The sales associate will also be responsible for a variety of operational duties as assigned by the store management team (i.e. housekeeping duties, visual presentation, etc.) and for meeting monthly sales targets.

Responsibilities:

  • Greetall customers and associates and assists in a friendly, courteous manner, responding quickly to customer and associate needs
  • Deliver the highest level of customer service through effective problem solving
  • Maintain a clean and organized sales floor, checkout and fitting room to ensure the store is safe and inviting to customers
  • Follow store merchandise processes; unpack, stock, restock and rotate merchandise on shelves and builds merchandise displays
  • Operate register and process transactions accurately and efficiently while engaging customers
  • Work as a team to help meet the sales goals for the store
  • Perform cleaning tasks such as sweeping, mopping, dusting, wiping counters, and replenishing restroom supplies as requested
  • Understand loss prevention and merchandise protection standards
  • Follows all store policies and procedures

According to the job description, the ideal job applicant should have the following skills and/or experience:

  • Communication skills
  • Customer service 
  • Process transactions 
  • Team oriented
  • Sales targets

After identifying the most important keywords in the job description, make sure your resume includes skills and/or experiences that match. Below is an example of how to incorporate them into your resume:

Sales Associate Work Experience Example


Sales Associate, Aritzia, Cleveland, OH

September 2018 – Present

  • Performed sales floor work, greeting and assisting customers in a courteous and prompt manner
  • Consistently received 98% on customer service feedback surveys by creating a friendly in-store environment
  • Operated point-of-sale systems and processed transactions, including cash and credit purchases and returns
  • Worked as a team to exceed store sales goals by an average of 10% for six consecutive months