As the retail industry upheaval from only brick-and-mortar to online shopping and then to a hybrid model, the job of a store manager has evolved with it. It’s the job of a store manager to ensure customer satisfaction first and foremost, but also to keep employee morale up. After all, the salespeople on the floor, phones and online chat, keep sales flowing.
As a store manager and professional salesperson, you know that first impressions make the difference between a sale or no sale. You know how to sell your product, but do you know how to sell yourself?
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This guide, along with our store manager resume example will cover the following topics:
- What does a store manager do?
- How to write a store manager resume (tips and tricks)
- The best format for a store manager resume
- Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education, skills)
- Professional resume layout and design hints.
What does a store manager do?
The buck, literally and figuratively, stops with the store manager. Everything that happens under the roof of the retail establishment is the responsibility of this job role. When you read our store manager resume sample, you will see that we include many of the following duties:
- Recruit, train, and supervise store employees
- Provide feedback, coaching and performance evaluations
- Improve the overall performance of a store
- Manage budgets and stock
- Oversee day-to-day tasks
- Ensure safety procedures are followed
- Uphold state and federal rules regarding wages, work hours and equal employment opportunities
- Set up key performance indicators (KPIs)
- And, perhaps most importantly, handle customer queries, concerns, and complaints.
Of course, store managers also need a healthy knowledge of their product marketplace as well.
Expand your view of “retail”
If you’re looking for a high-paying job as a store manager, you may want to instead think of yourself as a “retail manager.” These professionals tend to earn more than someone who works in a tradition brick-and-mortar store.
For example:
- District managers earn a median salary of $72,402
- Human resources managers, $60,619
- Operations managers, $56,888, but
- General retail store managers, $44,448
Source: Monster.com
Creating a store manager resume can be tough. If you need more ideas or inspiration, view our related retail resume samples here below:
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- Retail cashier resume sample
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- Auction house manager resume sample
- Antique Dealer resume sample
- Cashier resume sample
- Coffee shop manager resume sample
- Shop assistant resume sample
Store manager job market and outlook
The news is not great for managers working in retail stores. The total growth for all sales managers is expected to by 4%, average for all fields, the U.S. Labor Bureau predicts. But as the retail industry as a whole continues to adjust to consumer demands for online shopping and curbside pickup, the makeup of stores will also change.
Many stores will shrink or evolve into fulfillment centers, Total Retail predicts. Part of your job as a store manager will be to stay on top of trends in your industry and adjust quickly to changes in consumer demands for safer spaces and more convenient transactions.
Bright spots in the market
The retail industry grew 2.9% in 2020 despite pandemic shutdowns. Some sectors leapt by well more than that. According to Indigo9Digital, the top 5 growth niches are:
- Discount stores
- eCommerce
- Resale
- Home fitness
- Home improvement
How to write a store manager resume
The very first step in writing your store manager resume is understanding the correct resume format. Your CV should contain the following elements:
- The resume header
- The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
- The employment history section
- The resume skills section
- The education section.
Each of these sections has a targeted purpose, just like your sales pitches or employee training sessions. Notice that we said “pitches.” You know that customers are all different and you adjust your tone and style accordingly. Your resume should be the same. Each store you apply to has a different focus, style and function. If you want to manage a trendy teen clothing store, you need a resume that sounds fresh and young, but if you’re targeting a high-end jewelers, you need a more subdued tone. Of course, you always should aim for a professional impression.
Your first hurdle: The ATS
Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to scan and sort the hundreds of resumes they receive. Your resume must not only be easily scannable, but contain the keywords and phrases the ATS algorithms will use to rank you against other candidates. You can’t wow them with your charm if you can’t get over this hurdle.
So how do you do it? There is no magic bullet, but here are some tips:
- Review the job listing and highlight any skills and attributes mentioned that you possess
- Match those highlighted words and phrases to your resume – exactly
- Use the precise names of software, systems and any other professional tools
A final word: Make sure your writing sounds natural and not like you tried to cram in every word from the job listing.
Choosing the best resume format for a store manager
Most resumes are written in reverse chronological order (this is the case in most of our resume examples ). That’s because recruiters are most interested in where you are now and perhaps where you were just before that. This format also gives you a great way to highlight your current achievements and show your career progress. Your employment history section should follow this format unless you have a compelling reason to veer from it.
You may consider one of our other resume formats if you have switched careers or are just entering the job market. Functional resume formats are best left to those wanting to highlight niche or complex skills, such as technical professionals, scientists or other specialists because they contain expanded skills sections.
Store manager CV profile example
A store manager relies heavily on relationships with others, both customers and employees and the store manager CV profile should reflect that. The profile, or professional summary, is the place to inject some personality into your CV, directly in these 3-5 sentences. Why? This is your one chance to sell your prospective employer on your sparkling, yet no-nonsense, personality and your talent for growing sales and retaining employees.
Use one sentence to introduce yourself. Another one or two to describe your biggest successes or achievements and one or two more to describe your skills and what you will bring to the company.
Here is store manager resume example text for your profile section to get you started.
Experienced and results-oriented store manager with three years of managerial experience in retail environments. Motivated professional with strengths in supervising employees and promoting optimal customer service. Adept in employee relations, inventory organization, and visual merchandising. Prepared, organized, and trained in product knowledge and store regulations. Committed to creating an environment that is conducive to achieving increased sales and customer satisfaction.
Employment history sample: manage your career story
You have come a long way since your first retail job. Each position has taught you new skills or given you a chance to achieve. Congratulations! Now you get to use reverse chronological order to manage the impression recruiters will get of your career.
Each bullet point builds on the case for hiring you, so use strong action words and data and details to make your point. Consider using the CAR method: describe the challenge, tell what action you took and explain your results.
Anticipated customer trend and stocked product that led to a 20% sales hike.
Increased sales by 20%
This store manager resume sample text will give you some ideas for your own employment history section.
- Managed a successful store environment and a staff of 40+ employees.
- Created and administered semi-annual performance reviews.
- Maintained organized statistical and financial records.
- Ensured compliance with all health and safety regulations.
- Achieved increased financial performance three years in a row.
Skills example section
This at-a-glance section focuses recruiters’ eyes on your highest-level abilities, but they will also use it to glean what you think are the most important skills for the job. Make sure you use a mix of people skills and technical/business skills. This is a perfect place to get in those all-important keywords and phrases from the job listing and increase your chances of ranking high with the ATS.
What employers seek
Excellent communication skills, a knowledge of budgeting, scheduling and the product are all necessary skills, but what will distinguish you from other applicants? This list from HubWorks suggests traits that employers should look for these qualities in a retail manager:
- Create a happy workplace
- Knows how to develop employees
- Encourages employees’ ideas and suggestion
- Sets goals and rewards employees who reach them
- Acts as a mentor
- Shows interest in employees
- Leads by example
This resume example text shows basic store manager skills.
- Excellent Communication Skills
- Leadership Skills
- Project Management Skills
- Employee Management
- Commercial Awareness
Store manager resume education example
Store managers have often come up through the ranks and learned on the job, but some establishments may require at least an associate’s, or two-year, degree in business. Your education section is a simple listing of your degrees, certificates and any honors and accolades you have received. If you hold a degree higher than a bachelor’s degree, you may leave out your High School.
Below you will find a resume sample text that shows how to format your education information.
2001-2005 Villanova High School,High School Diploma Villanova, PA
Resume layout and design: first impressions
As a store manager, you are well aware that presentation makes a difference! That holds true for your resume as well. You want customers to be able to find what they seek without frustration; you want the same for recruiters. If your design is too busy or confusing, they will move on.
Keep it streamlined, neat and avoid graphics, bold colors or photos. Resume.io offers a variety of resume layout templates to fit your style, so feel free to use them.
Key takeaways for a store manager resume
- The retail industry is in the midst of a sea-change, but opportunities are out there
- You know how to sell, so use your skills to sell yourself
- Powerful descriptive language plus data and details make a much stronger case
- Use resume.io’s online resume builder and resume examples to get a jump-start on your job hunt.
