personal statement for a retail job

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A Guide to Drafting Key Personal Statement Examples for Retail

Table of Contents

Are you looking for personal statement examples for your retail job application? It’s important to put in the effort when crafting a personal statement, as it is usually one of the first things organizations look at. An excellent personal statement can make all the difference when landing a job in the competitive retail field.

Here’s your guide to drafting effective personal statement examples for retail that will grab recruiters’ attention.

What Are Personal Statement Examples for Retail?

A personal statement is a short document – usually around 500 words – that gives potential employers an insight into who you are . It tells them about your skills and experience, and why you’re the best fit for their job opening.

In retail, the candidate must demonstrate their understanding of customer service, knowledge of the product or industry, and skill in sales techniques.

Elements to Include in Your Personal Statement

When writing your personal statement for retail positions, make sure to include the following:

• Your strengths when it comes to customer service.
• Highlight any relevant experience you have with similar products or customers.
• Demonstrate how your communication skills can help drive sales.
• Showcase any previous successes and how you can apply them in the new job.
• Share examples of times when you have gone above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction.

Steps to Write Personal Statement Examples for Retail

1. research the job role, company and industry.

Before You Start Writing Your Statement, Research the Job Role and Company. This is to get a Clear Idea of What They’re Looking for in a Candidate. As Well As What You Can Bring to the Table.

2. Identify Your Unique Selling Points

The key to any successful personal statement is identifying your selling points. These are typically skills or experiences that set you apart from other candidates and make you an ideal fit for the job.

3. Outline Your Experience

In this section, list any past retail-related experiences that will help prove your qualifications for the job. Include examples such as past customer service roles or sales achievements that demonstrate your understanding of the industry.

4. Describe Your Skills

In this section, highlight any relevant retail-related skills you possess that make you an ideal fit for the job. Some examples can include product knowledge, customer service experience or sales techniques.

5. Explain How You’ll Contribute to the Company

This is where you explain what value you will bring to the company. State how your unique skills and experiences will help them achieve success.

6. Proofread and Edit

Once you’ve finished writing your personal statement, it’s important to take the time to proofread and edit it before submitting it with your application. Make sure it reads well and doesn’t contain any grammar or spelling mistakes.

Tips for an Effective Personal Statement Examples for Retail

When writing your personal statement, keep these tips in mind:

• Keep it brief but informative. The goal is to show potential employers that you understand what they’re looking for without going overboard with too much information.
• Be sure to proofread and edit your statement before sending it off – grammar and spelling mistakes will not make a good impression.
• Make sure to be specific about your experiences; generic statements won’t stand out as much as stories and details.
• Include information matching the job description so that employers can connect the dots.

Personal Statement Examples for Retail

If you’re still unsure of how to write your statement, here are some examples for retail positions:

As a customer service representative in the fashion industry, I bring years of experience and excellent communication skills. My ability to empathize with customers and respond quickly to their needs makes me an asset in any retail setting. I increased sales by 25% in my previous job due to successful promotions and campaigns. I thrive in fast-paced environments where every day brings new challenges.

I am an experienced retail manager passionate about helping others find the perfect product for their needs. From developing effective sales strategies to training and motivating staff, I possess the skills to help your business succeed. In my previous role, I increased sales by 10% by focusing on customer satisfaction. I ensure that customers had a positive experience each time they visited the store.

How Do I Begin My Personal Statement?

Many, many people are having difficulty writing about themselves. If this is you, don’t worry. Make sure you can come up with a short statement (no more than a sentence) that describes you accurately. It may be one that highlights your previous work experience.

Who Do You Write in a Short Personal Statement?

Include your work experience and future plans in your resume. Job openings, placements, work experience, or voluntary work should be shared with others, particularly if they’re relevant to your course. Keep any experience in line with skills or qualities that will lead to success.

Can You Tell Me What Perfect Personal Statement Is?

In your personal statement you should outline the qualities, skills, and values. The ones you have cultivated over your lifetime and how those skills have prepared you for college.

No matter what kind of retail position you’re applying for, crafting a compelling personal statement is critical to standing out from the competition. Make sure your statement showcases your strengths and experiences in an engaging way that will make employers take notice. Following these guidelines and tips should help create a statement that stands out from the crowd! Good luck with your job search!

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Sales Assistant Personal Statement

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• Customer Service

Are you searching for the perfect sales assistant role? Fish4jobs can help you to create a winning sales assistant personal statement to place at the top of your CV, to ensure that you land your dream role!

Your personal statement is your chance to shine, so use this 100-150 words to show off your skills, strengths and achievements in the sales sector. We recommend that you provide examples of how you match the job specifications, and show your desire for this particular sales assistant position.

For further advice and guidance, check out our  how to write a personal statement guide .

What to include in your Sales Assistant personal statement

Why you are applying for the role.

• Highlight what appealed to you about the sales assistant job role.
• Mention any experience you have of working as a sales assistant such as dealing with customers, handling transactions and sales.
• Provide information on other skills you have that relate to the role.

Your Education

• Provide any relevant subjects you have studied that can apply to the role.
• Mention your School/College/University that you attended.
• Provide information on your relevant qualifications.

Your sales assistance experience

• Mention previous sales assistant roles, and provide information on key responsibilities within the role.
• Highlight your daily tasks, objectives and how you managed your work.
• List any training you may have received in previous roles as a sales assistant.

Your visions of the future in the company

• Where do you see yourself working within the company.
• Mention where you want to take your skills.

Sales Assistant Personal Statement example

I am a very friendly and enthusiastic individual, who ensures that clients and customers receive the best customer service and satisfaction. In my past role as a sales assistant, I strived to achieve the best results daily, ensuring that my day-to-day tasks of greeting and serving customers, assisting with queries, replenishing stock and keeping the store tidy were completed to the highest standards. I am a fantastic people person, with great communication and listening skills, therefore, I am able to successfully assist customers with any requirements or requests they may have. I work extremely well in a team as well as alone as I am able to confidently deal with problems and use my initiative to overcome challenging situations. My previous experience in sales, coupled with my interest in X makes me the ideal candidate for this role.

See our Sales Assistant cover letter template for extra help with your application.

Related links

• Sales Assistant CV Template
• How to Write a CV
• How to Write a Personal Statement

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7 retail CV examples

If you want to land a top job in retail, you need an eye-catching CV.

Check out these 7 retail CV examples for all job-types and experience levels, to give you a helping hand in creating your own interview-winning CV.

CV templates 

Retail sales assistant CV

See full sales assistant guide

Build your CV now 

Retail manager CV

See full retail manager CV guide

Supervisor CV

See full supervisor CV guide

Customer service CV

See full customer service CV guide

Jewellery sales assistant CV

See full Jewellery sales assistant CV guide

Shop assistant CV

See full Shop assistant CV guide

Sales advisor CV

See full Sales advisor CV guide

Before you start writing your own CV, take a look at the example retail CVs above to give yourself a basic understanding of the style and format that recruiters and hiring managers prefer to see.

Also, take note of the type of content that is included to impress recruiters, and how the most relevant information is made prominent.

Retail CV structure and format

Think your CV is just about words? Think again.

Your CV needs to look professional and be easy for recruiters to read, meaning the structure and format of your CV are equally as important as the content within it.

Facilitate ease of reading by working to a simple structure which allows recruiters to easily navigate your experience.

Formatting Tips

• Length: While there’s no ‘official’ CV length rule, the majority of recruiters agree that less is more. Aim for two pages of A4 or less. This is just enough room to showcase your suitability to the role, without overwhelming recruiters with irrelevant or excessive content.
• Readability : Recruiters appreciate CVs that they can quickly scan through without trouble. Ensure yours makes the cut by formatting your headings for attention (bold or coloured fonts should do the trick) and breaking up long paragraphs into smaller chunks or short, snappy bullet points.
• Design: Your CV needs to look professional, sleek and easy to read. A subtle colour palette, clear font and simple design are generally best for this, as fancy designs are often harder to navigate.
• Avoid photos: Recruiters can’t factor in appearance, gender or race into the recruitment process, so a profile photo is totally unnecessary. Additionally, company logos or images won’t add any value to your application, so you’re better off saving the space to showcase your experience instead.

Structuring your CV

As you write your CV , work to the simple but effective structure below:

• Name and contact details – Pop them at the top of your CV, so it’s easy for recruiters to contact you.
• CV profile – Write a snappy overview of what makes you a good fit for the role; discussing your key experience, skills and accomplishments.
• Core skills section – Add a short but snappy list of your relevant retail skills and knowledge.
• Work experience – A list of your relevant work experience, starting with your current role.
• Education – A summary of your relevant qualifications and professional/vocational training.
• Hobbies and interests – An optional sections, which you could use to write a short description of any relevant hobbies or interests.

Now I’ll guide you through exactly what you should include in each CV section.

CV Contact Details

Begin by sharing your contact details, so it’s easy for employers to give you a call. Keep to the basics, such as:

• Mobile number
• Email address – It should sound professional, with no slang or nicknames. Make a new one for your job applications if necessary.
• Location – Simply share your vague location, for example ‘Manchester’, rather than a full address.
• LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL – Remember to update them before you send your application.

Retail CV Profile

Your CV profile is the first thing recruiters will read – so your goal is to give them a reason to read onto the end of the document!

Create a short and snappy paragraph that showcases your key skills, relevant experience and impressive accomplishments.

Ultimately, it should prove to the reader that you’ve got what it takes to carry out the job.

Tips for creating an impactful CV profile:

• Keep it brief: It might be tempting to submit a page-long CV profile, but recruiters won’t have the time to read it. To ensure every word gets read, it’s best to include high-level information only; sticking to a length of 3-5 lines.
• Tailor it: Recruiters can spot a generic, mass-produced CV at a glance – and they certainly won’t be impressed! Before you write your profile (and CV as a whole), read through the job advert and make a list of any skills, knowledge and experience required. You should then incorporate your findings throughout your profile and the rest of your CV.
• Don’t add an objective: Want to talk about your career goals and objectives? While the profile may seem like a good space to do so, they’re actually much better suited to your cover letter .
• Avoid cliches: Focus on fact, not fluff. Phrases like “Committed and enthusiastic thought-leader” and “Dynamic problem solver” might sound fancy, but they’ll do nothing for your application. Not only do they sound cheesy, but they have no substance – stick to real skills and facts

What to include in your Retail CV profile?

• Summary of experience: Recruiters will want to know what type of companies you’ve worked for, industries you have knowledge of, and the type of work you’ve carried out in the past, so give them a summary of this in your profile.
• Relevant skills: Make your most relevant Retail key skills clear in your profile. These should be tailored to the specific role you’re applying for – so make sure to check the job description first, and aim to match their requirements as closely as you can.
• Essential qualifications: Be sure to outline your relevant Retail qualifications, so that anyone reading the CV can instantly see you are qualified for the jobs you are applying to.

Quick tip: If spelling and grammar are not a strong point of yours, Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to add pre-written content that has been created by recruitment experts, and proofread by our team.

Core skills section

In addition to your CV profile, your core skills section provides an easily digestible snapshot of your skills – perfect for grabbing the attention of busy hiring managers.

As Retail jobs might receive a huge pile of applications, this is a great way to stand out and show off your suitability for the role.

It should be made up of 2-3 columns of bullet points and be made up of skills that are highly relevant to the jobs you are targeting.

Work experience/Career history

By this point, employers will be keen to know more detail about you career history.

Starting with your most recent role and working backwards, create a snappy list of any relevant roles you’ve held.

This could be freelance, voluntary, part-time or temporary jobs too. Anything that’s relevant to your target role is well-worth listing!

Structuring your roles

Lengthy, unbroken chunks of text is a recruiters worst nightmare, but your work experience section can easily end up looking like that if you are not careful.

To avoid this, use my tried-and-tested 3-step structure, as illustrated below:

Firstly, give the reader some context by creating a punchy summary of the job as a whole.

You should mention what the purpose or goal of your role was, what team you were part of and who you reported to.

Key responsibilities

Use bullet points to detail the key responsibilities of your role, highlighting hard skills, software and knowledge wherever you can.

Keep them short and sharp to make them easily digestible by readers.

Key achievements

Lastly, add impact by highlight 1-3 key achievements  that you made within the role.

Struggling to think of an achievement? If it had a positive impact on your company, it counts.

For example, you might increased company profits, improved processes, or something simpler, such as going above and beyond to solve a customer’s problem.

At the bottom of your CV is your full education section. You can list your formal academic qualifications, such as:

• GCSE’s

As well as any specific Retail qualifications that are essential to the jobs you are applying for. Note down the name of the qualification, the organisation at which you studied, and the date of completion.

Interests and hobbies

This section is entirely optional, so you’ll have to use your own judgement to figure out if it’s worth including.

If your hobbies and interests could make you appear more suitable for your dream job, then they are definitely worth adding.

Interests which are related to the industry, or hobbies like sports teams or volunteering, which display valuable transferable skills might be worth including.

Essential skills for your Retail CV

Tailoring your CV to the roles you are applying for is key to success, so make sure to read through the job descriptions and tailor your skills accordingly.

However, commonly desired  Retail skills include:

• Customer service
• Complaint resolution 
• Stock management
• Rota creation
• People management
• Retail knowledge
• Product or service knowledge 
• Transaction handling
• Refunds and returns
• PoS systems
• Customer databases 

Writing your Retail CV

When putting together your Retail CV, there are a few key points to remember

Always tailor your CV to the target role, even if it means creating several versions for different roles.

Additionally, remember that the structure and format of your CV needs just as much attention as the content.

Remember to triple-check for spelling and grammar errors before hitting send. If you’re unsure, use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to add pre-written expert content with one click.

Good luck with your job search!

• Career Advice

Career Advice » CVs and Applications » How to Write a Successful Sales Assistant CV

How to Write a Successful Sales Assistant CV

SELL YOURSELF TO GET AN INTERVIEW

If you’re aiming to land yourself a sales assistant job you first have sell yourself, via a CV, to show potential employers your sales skills. Your first step is to create a memorable cover letter and standout sales assistant CV to ensure you get an interview.

The structure of a CV is a fairly straightforward but it is vital that you don’t make any errors or try too hard to make your CV too weird and wacky!

If you want to get  Sales Assistant Jobs  emailed to you as soon as they become available simply click the button below and start applying for  Sales Assistant Jobs .

Let’s get started:

• Top tips on how to write a Sales Assistant CV 
• Retail CV Skills
• Sales Assistant CV examples

HOW TO WRITE A SALES ASSISTANT CV

It should be the content of your CV that is unique NOT the structure.

This is how your CV format should be structured.

The Structure

• Contact details at the top – your name, address, email address & telephone number.
• A sales assistant  Personal Statement  should be your first paragraph. This should be a concise ‘sales pitch’ including your skills, experience, and the industries you worked in.
• Follow this with a set of  Core Skills which relate to the job description.
• Next is your Work Experience , include the name of the company, title of the role, and the dates of employment. Under this list your responsibilities and what positive contributions and key achievements you made to the business. Start with your most recent job.
• Education and Qualifications should be the next section.  This can be a brief list of name of school or college, dates of attendance, & qualifications earned. If you have a University degree, there is no need to include details of your primary school.  Again, start with your most recent qualifications.
• 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.

Sales Assistant Personal Statement

This is a very important part of your CV, even more relevant if you are creating a  sales assistant CV with no experience .  If you don’t have a work history, a personal statement enables you to highlight your skills, education, and suitability for the role.

It should be no more than 4-5 lines of your CV, but it tells the reader  who you are, what you can offer to their business, and outlines your career goals .  For example if you have recently left school, you can highlight the fact you have 8 GCSEs & 2 A levels , and are looking to use your existing skills and knowledge, develop them further, and pick up new skills mentioned in the job advert.

HOW TO WIRTE A SALES ASSISTANT WORK EXPERIENCE IN A CV

If you already have lots of retail experience the work experience section is probably the most important section of your CV.

Here are 4 top tips on how to highlight your previous experience:

• Add your most recent work experience first, including company name, your job title, dates of employment.
• List about 6 bullet points beginning with an action verb to highlight your responsibilities and/or achievements
• Quantify your achievements actual data – eg Achieved a 10% increase in sales
• Tailor this information to the job you are applying for as much as you can.

HOW TO WRITE WORK EXPERIENCE AS A SALES ASSISTANT WHEN YOU HAVE NO EXPERIENCE

Even if you have no experience, you should not ignore this section. Think about any volunteering or internships you’ve done via school or helping out friends or family that are in any way linked to retail or sales e.g. have you raised money for charity or are you a top depop seller?   Consider your educational achievements, interests or hobbies and see if you can find any relevant information to add to your work experience section.

HOW TO WRITE A SALES ASSISTANT EDUCATION SECTION IN A CV

If you have little work experience your education section is important.  You need to fall back on any qualifications you’ve attained to make a case for your suitability. Include bullet points focusing on relevant coursework and extracurricular activities relevant to the position of sales assistant.

As an experienced sales assistant, the names of the schools you attended, dates of entry, and qualifications are all you will need.

WRITING SALES ASSISTANT KEY SKILLS

Look at the job advert or job spec and list the skills outlined in it.  Then compare what hard and soft skills you have.   Cross-reference your skills with those included in the job description. It is good to include 6-10 relevant skills. If you have little or no work experience, you should expand on the skills you have including when and how you have used these skills.

WHAT TO PUT ON YOUR CV FOR RETAIL?

Stick to this tried and trusted CV structure below.  However, if you have little experience in retail you should emphasise your skills and education and place them before your work experience.

Personal Statement

• Work Experience
• Additional Sections

PERSONAL SUMMARY FOR CV RETAIL

It is best to leave this until you have finished the rest of your CV. Then you can summarise what you have written.  As the section heading suggests, it summarises your experience, achievements, skills, and education that are relevant to retail.

A personal summary is better when you have some experience. You can provide an overview of everything you’ve achieved quickly and easily. Here are some CV personal statement examples.

Example of a personal Statement for CV in Retail

“Enthusiastic & friendly sales assistant with 4 years experience. Aiming to increase the sales figures of Passion for Fashion by using proven skills in customer loyalty and sales. Improved overall customer review level by 3% and possess vast experience in handling complicated EPOS systems. Eager to implement sales techniques learned in my career to date to add to the high-quality service provided at Passion For Fashion.”

PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR RETAIL JOB WITH NO EXPERIENCE

A personal statement for applicants with minimal experience should include your transferrable skills and competencies. The aim is to convince the reader that the education and personal attributes you have will make you useful to their business.

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

“Dedicated, energetic sales assistant with a keen work ethic. Skilled in inventory management and merchandising. Looking to increase customer loyalty scores and overall revenue at Passion for Fashion. Built experience in retail by volunteering at Hospice Charity Shop accepting donations and merchandising stock, received praise for innovative window displays.”

RETAIL SKILLS FOR CV

In retail, you will be customer facing so will require a mix of hard and soft skills.  For example:

• Communication and customer service skills  to deal with client queries and make sure they receive good service.
• Attention to detail – ensure the products are displayed correctly and shop is always 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.

The top skills tip is:  Read the job description very carefully and match your skills against it .

There are 3 main categories of key skills:

• Transferable : Skills gained in one situation that can be used in other jobs or situations
• Job-Related : Skills that are specific to a particular job or industry that require training.
• Adaptive : Skills such as creativity, team working, positivity, speed of learning and flexibility.

When you are writing your CV for a retail sales assistant, there are many 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, team working, flexibility.

RETAIL SALES ASSISTANT CV TEMPLATE

You will be able to find many CV templates or CV examples online but here is a example CV layout you can use as a guide when writing your résumé.

Amy Anderson

Address: 4 Brookside Close, Coronation Road, Lisburn, BT24 9XT

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 075322111

With seven years’ experience in the retail sector, I have provided high-quality personal service to all customers. I quickly learned all aspects of the roles and made sure I gained in-depth stock knowledge to ensure I could handle all customer queries sucessfully. I am happy to work as part of a team, but also use my initiative when necessary. I work well under pressure and won Sales Assistant of the month 4 times in 2021.

• Motivated and driven to achieve goals and targets.
• Show initiative with an emphasis on customer satisfaction.
• Pay attention to detail, especially with visual merchandising & promotions.
• Complete transactions at the checkout with confidence due to good numeracy skills.
• Organised with good time management skills.
• Skilled in resolving conflict.
• Ability to work under extreme pressure.

Employment History

Sales Assistant at New Look May 2017 – Present Oakfield Road

Provided a personalised 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.

Customer Assistant at Lidl May 2015 – April 2017 Holywood Road

• Processed sales, exchanges, and refunds on a daily basis.
• Ensured shelves were fully stocked and matched visual merchandising guidelines.
• Tidied and made sure the shop floor was free of obstacles.
• Followed company guidelines on retail and security procedures.
• Helped customers to make purchasing decisions answering queries.
• Worked well under pressure; especially during weekend shifts when the store was busiest.

Education & Qualifications

August 2014

NVQ Qualification: City & Guilds; Retail Level 2

August 2012

7 GSCEs including English and Mathematics

Additional Information

• I enjoy going to the gym particularly Crossfit.
• I like to crochet and make of my own clothes.
• I keep up to date with the latest innovations in the world of retail.

SALES ASSISTANT CV TEMPLATE FREE

Download your Sales Assistant free CV Template UK and modify it accordingly.

WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT?

• View and apply for  Sales Assistant Jobs
• Set up a  Sales Assistant Job Alert
• Write a  Sales Assistant Cover Letter  to go with your CV
• Prepare for a successful interview with these   top interview questions
• For more info on CV writing check out our How to write a CV – The Complete Guide

In need of some more advice? Head on over to nijobfinder’s  career advice  area where you’ll find everything from tips on preparing for an interview to advice on starting your new job.

Are you searching for a new job? nijobfinder lists thousands of  NI jobs  on site at any one time, with new jobs added daily.

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How To Write A Stand-Out Retail CV

Wondering how to write a stand-out retail CV? 

Your typical CV objective is to be successful in landing you a specific job. When the goal is a retail job, it’s necessary to know how to write a retail CV.

A CV for a retail job differs from one for an office-based role, as it needs to be largely focussed on customer service skills and sales skills.

The retail industry is often quite competitive, with retail roles being highly sought after, especially in big cities. 

With COVID-19 resulting in the closure of thousands of stores, UK retail vacancies plummeted by almost 80% in the first month of the pandemic , and while recovery is making steady progress, there’s still an abundance of candidates vying for the same position.

Your retail CV needs to grab the attention of hiring managers and secure you an interview, where you’ll have the opportunity to show off your key skills.

Read on for how to write a good retail CV, including how specifically to write a retail sales assistant CV and a retail manager CV.

How is a retail CV different from a general CV?

Good retail CV examples will include a few of your hard and soft skills , while also focusing on your people skills and experience in the retail sector.

Depending on the retail position you’re applying for, the hiring manager will probably be looking for a retail CV that shows the candidate can handle the key responsibilities and technical skills that the job requires. 

Rather than qualifications, emphasise any relevant skills, key achievements, professional experience, or excellent customer service skills that you possess.

Qualifications can help, but it’s possible to work your way up in this industry. 

You need to catch the employer’s eye straight away, so a reverse chronological CV where your most recent experience is listed first may be best if your most recent roles are in retail.

Retail hiring managers tend to receive CVs in this format, so you’ll make it easy for them to read.

Get that CV written by us!

Early career cv, next step cv, advanced career cv, specialist cv, what qualities do i need to work in retail.

The key skills you want to include in the skills section of your retail CV, include:

• Patience – Working in retail can mean intense contact with people on a daily basis. You’ll need patience to deal with repetitive customer queries and agitated clients.
• Resilience – You’ll need to be resilient to deal with trying interactions on the shop floor. 
• Adaptability – Retail environments often require a lot of moving around departments wherever there is demand.
• Problem-solving – One of the most essential skills, you’ll need to think on your feet to resolve problems and respond to questions from customers.
• People skills – You’ll need to be able to converse and communicate well with both customers and your colleagues. 
• Positivity – You’ll need to remain positive when responding to multiple demands and put on a happy face for customers, even when tired and stressed.
• Prioritisation – With multiple demands, you’ll need to be able to make effective decisions when prioritising tasks.

By carefully reading a job description, you’ll be able to identify the retail skills needed. Be sure to include some of those in your retail CV. 

Retail CV personal statement

Underneath your name and personal data (email, phone and address), you need a personal profile.

A retail CV personal statement is a few lines to summarise your relevant experience and employment history.  

Look at the job description of the specific role you’re applying for and ensure you mention a few of the points in your personal statement if applicable.

Good retail CV examples should give recruiters a basic understanding of who you are, your transferable skills and your career goals. 

For example, if the job advert mentions you’ll be working on the tills, try to mention any sales skills or previous sales associate experience in your personal statement. 

Remember, recruiters only look at CVs for an average of 7 seconds , so you need to catch their eye immediately.

Try to keep your personal summary to two or three lines of text to prevent waffling.

Sometimes it helps to leave the personal summary until last, when you’ve finished writing your retail CV, so you can pick out the strongest points.

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Applying with no retail experience

Although it can be tricky applying for jobs with no experience to show on your CV, becoming a retail sales assistant is a position you can easily work towards.

You need to think of skills you’ve gained in other areas of life that may be relevant to the role. 

For example, if you’ve done volunteering or extracurricular activities that involved interacting with people, this would be useful to note.

Simply volunteering as a sales assistant at a charity shop can go a long way. 

It looks great on your CV and demonstrates that you have experience relevant to retail, such as operating tills and working with stock.

If you have no previous experience in retail, ensure you express your genuine interest and willingness to learn on your retail CV and cover letter.

Remember to include the contact details of any of your previous employers for referral purposes.

How to show off retail experience on a CV – the power of numbers

If you do have retail experience – great! 

This will look even more impressive if you can back up your experience with some figures.

For example, rather than saying that you’ve trained new employees, mention how many employees you’ve successfully trained.

If you rearranged a store and sales subsequently increased by 50%, mention it.

How to write a CV for retail – the essentials

Keep your retail CV format clean and easy to read – use classic fonts like Arial or Verdana so that your CV looks professional and doesn’t distract from the content on it.

Present your experience in bullet points to keep your CV template efficient. 

Use ‘I’ and action verbs like ‘I accomplished’, ‘I managed’ and ‘I operated’ to show you had the agency when completing the tasks.

For example, follow the below retail CV template: 

Shop Assistant 

Waitrose  |  London  |  March 2019 – March 2020

• I operated the welcome desk at the front of the store, greeting customers warmly as they entered the branch, giving directions to parts of the store, and handling customer complaints and queries.
• I also managed the meat and fish counter. This involved setting up the display in the morning by portioning the products, disinfecting the surfaces and labelling the meats and fish neatly and clearly.

Don’t waffle – keep the CV down to two pages or less. Cut out unnecessary words or points that are weaker than others.

Cut out information that’s not as useful for the role you’re applying to.

Create your CV in Word format and either send the document as a Word file, or export to PDF format to ‘freeze’ your formatting in place.

Retail Assistant CV

Include your hobbies and interests on your CV if you think this shows off your personality, or if it matches the retailer you’re applying to.

For example, if you’re applying for an outdoor clothing shop, it may help to show you’re interested in camping and the outdoors. 

Retail Manager CV

In your retail manager CV, you’ll need to show you can manage people effectively, while balancing multiple tasks simultaneously.

Quantifying this will help if you can get some facts and figures from your work experience.

You’ll need to emphasise your people skills, problem-solving skills and traits that  show you can handle great responsibility.

Sales Assistant CV

Your CV needs to show that you’re persuasive, so you’ll need to sell yourself on your CV like you would a product. 

Your personality needs to shine through in your CV, so a template is not going to cut it.

Quantify your successful previous sales with figures. You’ll also need to show how you’ve met or exceeded sales targets in the past.

How to write CVs for retail jobs: Conclusion

Jobs in retail are often sought-after, so you need a CV that’s going to set you apart.

Showcase your key achievements, hard and soft skills, and show that you have what it takes to exceed in any role. 

From sales assistant jobs, to managerial positions – don’t shy away from your career goals. 

If you’re still unsure, look up different examples of retail CVs for more inspiration.

Don’t throw away your dream job by making the mistake of using a generic retail CV. Why not let us write you a bespoke professionally written retail CV ?

Your perfect CV is waiting for you!

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