Sales associates are great multi-taskers who can work in a variety of industries. From a retail environment to wholesale events, excellent customer service is needed at sales points in every area. To get a job as a sales associate, it can be helpful to have sales experience. But, whether you have experience or not, you will need a professional resume to land an interview.
Keep reading to learn:
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To create the best resume and cover letter possible, review the job description, note key words and phrases that refer to skills and experiences the job needs, and use those same keywords in your resume. This will help recruiters and hiring managers see you are qualified for the position.
Applicant Tracking System
The applicant tracking system, or ATS, is a software tool hiring managers use to help scan through large numbers of resumes from job seekers. The ATS will scan your resume for keywords, layout, and information. In order to pass the ATS, make sure your resume has a simple, easy-to-follow layout, contains the right keywords, as mentioned above, and that it’s in a proper resume format.
Job Titles
During your job search, you may see a job description for a sales associate position that has one of these alternate titles, all of which can use a resume similar to the one we’ll describe on this page:
You can put your contact information into the header of your resume.
[Full Name]
[Professional Title]
[Address] [Email] [Phone Number] [Social Media]
A resume summary or objective is a short statement describing your qualities and intentions. A summary focuses on top skills and experiences, while an objective stresses skills and includes a statement of career goals. Use action verbs like achieved, accomplished or coordinated when possible.
Example of a sales associate resume summary:
Sales associate with 15 years of experience on the sales floor and working with customer experience. Achieved top sales in the Northeast region for three years in a row.
You can use bullet points to make your skills stand out more to hiring managers. Include a mix of interpersonal skills with hard skills, like inventory management programs or sales techniques.
Example of a sales associate skills section:
Skills
The work history section of your resume is another one where you can use action verbs to turn your tasks into active achievements. If you have a variety of work experience, then include only the most relevant positions and accomplishments.
Sales associate work experience example:
Sales associate, [Company, location] Year – Present year
Began as an entry-level associate and worked up to manage the sales floor of ten representatives in a high traffic retail environment in the [industry] industry.
Achievements and awards are a great way to make an impression on hiring managers who see a lot of candidates for a sales associate position. You may include awards like employee of the month, industry publications you have been featured in, events you have been a part of, or other professional achievements.
Sales associate achievements and awards example:
Achievements and Awards
Yes, a cover letter is always a good idea. Hiring managers tend to decide whether to read a resume or not based on the applicant’s cover letter. A cover letter can also make your job application more personal. It will allow you to discuss any special qualities you have that make you stand out from other job seekers.
LinkedIn or other professional social media networking sites are not necessary but may be helpful in some cases. You can use LinkedIn to make connections in your industry, find the contact information of hiring managers and research the work history of people with careers you aspire to have. LinkedIn can also be a valuable resource for finding a job if you have recently moved to a new area or switched careers.
Sales associates may have different years of experience and technical skills. A more advanced position may call for more technical skills, such as knowledge of various POS systems. However, you can get hired for a sales associate position with interpersonal skills and a positive attitude as long as you have a professional resume. Depending on the job description, there may be other skills that can help you to impress the hiring manager. Special skills or traits could include knowledge of Spanish or experience attending to customer needs in another industry, such as hospitality.
