Ikea Resume Example & Writing Guide

If you love customer service and have an eye for home design, there’s no limit to where a position with Ikea might take you. Since jobs with this popular retail company are competitive, your Ikea resume will need to prove to a hiring manager that you deserve a coveted interview spot.

Luckily, Resume.io has got your back. As a leading global resource for job seekers in all occupations, we’ve developed more than 350 occupation-specific writing guides paired with resume examples. New ones are being added all the time.

This writing guide, along with our adaptable Ikea resume sample, is specifically designed to get you in the "just hired" door. Here's what we’ll cover:

• What Ikea employees do and the job market do
• How to write an Ikea resume, including the proper structure and best format
• Optimizing the impact of each resume section: header, summary, employment history, skills, and education
• Looking right for the Ikea job: professional resume layout and design tips

What does an Ikea worker do?

Ikea, the Swedish furniture store with international reach, isn’t just a great place to buy a couch — it might just be your next dream job. Ikea employs about 15,000 people in the U.S. and 130,000 worldwide for a variety of roles, from sales floor associates and warehouse workers to graphic designers and marketing specialists. 

As the world’s largest furniture company, Ikea employs more than 18,000 people in the U.S. and 231,000  worldwide — an increase of 80,000 since 2013. 

Ikea employees, called co-workers by the company, fill a variety of roles in many different departments. Some of these areas include:

• Administrative
• Food
• Sales
• Logistics
• HR
• IT
• Finance
• Interior Design
• Marketing
• Graphic Design

An Ikea employee who works as a sales associate on the showroom floor may complete some or all of the following duties:

• Assist customers with finding products
• Help customers with design questions
• Answer questions related to merchandise
• Stock shelves with products
• Label items for sales and update signage
• Reorganize showroom for seasonal changes
• Complete customer transactions
• Assist customers with online orders or pickups
• Help load purchases into customer cars

In addition to working at one of Ikea’s 482 stores in 31 countries, Ikea staff are employed in development centers, factories, distribution facilities, studios and office hubs. From the time a proposed new product is imagined, Ikea employees occupy positions related to prototyping, producing, transporting, managing and marketing that product before it ultimately reaches customers.

According to Talent.com, the average ikea salary average annual salary for U.S. Ikea employees is $38,318 per year or $18.42 per hour. Entry level positions start at $33,150 per year while most experienced workers make up to $43,466 per year. 

How to write an Ikea resume

Your Ikea resume will need all the standard components of a traditional resume including:

• A header that gives your resume a distinctive look by displaying your identifying information in an attractive manner
• A summary section that showcases your personality and motivations
• An employment history section that highlights relevant experiences
• A skills section that shows off your top attributes
• An education section that explains your career trajectory

In later chapters we’ll discuss how to write each of these critical resume sections and offer examples from our adaptable Ikea resume sample.

Since Ikea is such a desirable place to work, a generic resume just won’t cut it. To have the best chances of landing an interview, you’ll need to prove to the hiring manager that you have a strong interest in the company and its values.

One of the most important things you can do is to familiarize yourself with the brand. Visit the nearest Ikea store and walk through the showroom. Take in the products and experience as a whole, but then pay specific attention to the areas you’re applying to. If your dream job is in marketing, notice the signage and catalog. Want to work in the food section? Trying the meatballs is the least you can do. Since Ikea hires in so many different areas, understanding the brand is a start, but you should also express familiarity with your desired specialization.

So why all this extra effort? Once you’ve done your homework about Ikea, you can customize your resume to the job description. There are two vitally important reasons for a tailored resume. First, it helps you get past any automated tracking systems ( ATS) scanning for keywords. Second, it makes your interest and relevant experience clear from the moment a hiring manager begins to read your resume. For additional inspiration and tips, check out some related retail resume examples, including:

Choosing the best resume format for Ikea

When it comes to the best way to structure your Ikea resume content, your best bet is likely the reverse chronological format. Its main focus is the employment history section, where all past jobs are listed in reverse order, from most recent to earliest.Ikea summary example: pitching your personality.

But if you are new to the workforce or making a career change, the skills-focused functional resume format might be a suitable choice, or the hybrid (combination) format.

Resume header

Choose a design that’s attractive and distinctive for your resume header, since it’s usually what the reader will notice first on the page. The purpose is to prominently display your identifying information so it’s easy to find when recruiters want to get in touch later: your name, occupation/job title, address, phone number and email. It’s also become common to include your LinkedIn profile link.

Ikea resume summary example: pitching your personality

Ikea prides itself on hiring friendly, helpful employees who share the company’s vision and values. If that’s you, the summary of your Ikea resume is the best place to make it known. Ikea hiring managers are trying to assess whether you’re willing to stay and grow with the company and if you match the company culture. The three to five sentences of your summary give you the best opportunity to show off a bit of personality and creative writing. 

The summary — sometimes called the profile or personal statement — is likely the only chance you have on your resume to sell yourself directly to the hiring manager. Use descriptive language and action verbs to describe what makes you tick. If you’re applying for a more experienced role, make sure to highlight previous accomplishments using numbers and statistics to add weight to your words. Above all, your summary should mention why you want to work for Ikea and what you believe you bring to the table.

Use the sample text below from our Ikea resume example as a guide for crafting your summary.

Employment history example: the perfect starting point

How you formulate the employment history of your Ikea resume will largely depend on the exact role you’re applying for. If it’s an entry-level position, three work experiences that highlight transferable skills may be the best you can offer. If you’re looking for a senior management position, naturally your employment history should demonstrate a track-record of success in directing teams.

As mentioned previously, you are probably best off using the reverse chronological resume format to list your positions from most recent to earliest. Then compose three to five bullet points under each dated employer heading to mention the duties and skills most similar to the ones mentioned in the target Ikea job description. Offer numbers to quantify your accomplishments.

Below is an Ikea resume employment history example you might want to adapt to your situation.

Related article

How to ace your customer service job interview

So you have been fortunate enough to land a job interview. Here's a list of questions and scenarios you might hear during your interview.

CV skills example: the right traits

Again, the advertised Ikea job description will be your go-to guide as you write your CV's skills section. More nuanced abilities can be incorporated into the bullet points of your employment history section. The skills section itself is the right place to highlight the exact qualifications you have for the job. Try to include a balance of hard and soft skills. Ikea hiring managers will be especially focused on your ability to work with people, so skills like teamwork, troubleshooting, leadership and customer service are good options.

Here’s a sample of a skills list for your Ikea resume:

Ikea resume education example: a strong foundation

The education needed for a role at Ikea will largely depend on the specific position you are seeking. Naturally, graphic designers will need a bachelor’s degree in the field, while food service workers might land the job as an entry-level position. 

Whatever your postsecondary background, start with any degrees you have — or diplomas or certificates — and list the programs you’ve completed in reverse chronological order, from highest to lowest level. If you have education at the bachelor’s level or higher, you can leave off your high school education.

Here’s the education section from our Ikea resume sample:

Resume layout and design

Esthetics has a strong bearing on Ikea’s phenomenal retail success, so your resume design counts for a lot. A visually pleasing layout and design shows that you’re interested in the position and you understand the company’s branding. The layout doesn’t need to be complicated, however. Just be sure to keep it uncluttered and well-organized so hiring managers can quickly find the information they are looking for.

If you need to create a resume format without a lot of fuss, one of Resume.io's resume templates can give you the perfect starting point. Make sure to choose a design from one of our four style categories that aligns with Ikea’s image. In this case, a pop of color or bold font would likely work well.. Check out our modern resume template collection for ideas.

Key takeaways for an Ikea resume

1. Ikea is invested in the quality of its employees, so familiarizing yourself with the brand and its values is the best first step before writing your resume.
2. Pay particular attention to the summary section since it’s the only place on your resume where you can express some personality and speak directly to your desire to work for Ikea.
3. Even if you don’t have tons of relevant work experience you can use your employment history section to highlight transferable skills and the right personality traits.
4. Make sure your resume layout is well-organized and the document looks inviting to read.
5. Ikea is one workplace where a splash of color on your resume can be appropriate, so choose a good resume design.
6. Save time by using our recruiter-approved resume templates and online resume building tool.