Primark CV Examples & UK Templates

Originally opening under the name Penneys in Dublin back in 1969, Primark has grown to be one of the best-known high street shops. The multinational business employs over 700,000 staff members across four continents. So, how can you get your foot in the door? If you’re looking for casual work, mastering your Primark CV is the answer. 

CV guide for a Primark CV

Boost your chance of success with the help of Resume.io. We have guides and CV examples that cover over 150 professions. To give you the competitive edge, you can use our CV builder to quickly create an engaging Primark CV from scratch. 

This CV guide and corresponding Primark CV example will cover the following:

• How to write a Primark CV
• Choosing the right CV format for Primark
• How to add your contact information
• Using summaries
• Adding your retail experience
• Listing education and relevant experience
• Picking the right CV design/layout
• What the retail job market looks like, and what salary you can expect

How to write a Primark CV

Before you can land yourself a job, you need to know what elements to include on your CV. As standard, you should feature the following components: 

• The CV header
• The CV summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The CV skills section
• The education section

When you’re applying for a job at Primark, the most important thing is to show your value. You need to let the hiring manager know that you have what it takes to thrive in a fast-paced retail environment. To get that message across, here are some general tips:

• Highlight your achievements. Rather than simply listing duties of past roles, make sure you show what value you offered the team. Talk about the impact that you have and, if possible, add facts and statistics to back up your claims.
• Tailor your CV to the job advert. Look at the criteria highlighted on the advert and include references to it throughout your application. This can seriously boost your chances.
• Ensure that you choose a simple, straightforward CV template. You don’t need an overly professional application but it does need to be clear. Above all else, make sure that the hiring manager can read the information you have shared.
• Optimise your CV using relevant keywords. This approach gives you the best chance of impressing both recruiters and CV scanning software. You can find the right words and phrases in the original job advert.

Choosing the right CV format for Primark

When you’re dressing a shop window, you need to attract customers. Your Primark CV format serves a similar purpose—it should attract the hiring manager. For that reason, it’s important that you get it right. Choosing the perfect layout is a must.

Most of the time, we recommend using the reverse chronological format. That means starting with your most recent experience and working your way back on the page. If you have had a few retail roles before now, this approach will showcase your prior experience front and centre. 

However, if you are new to the realm of retail, there are other options. You may choose to use a skills-based CV format instead. This format focuses on your transferable skills instead of your employment history. You can weave in any experience you’ve had in other sectors. 

Be sure to take a look at the countless CV templates in our CV builder and choose one that suits your needs. We have CV examples using each of the formats as well. 

When it comes to the design of your Primark CV, make sure you opt for a simple layout. The last thing you want to do is overwhelm the reader with too much creativity or a “busy” document.

Include your contact information

The aim of your Primark CV is to wow the recruiter. When you’ve done that, they will want to get in touch. Make it easy for them by including a clear header.

This section sits at the top or side of your CV and details your basic contact information. Here are the main things that you need to include within it: 

• Full name & title. Include your first and last name and the name of the role.
• Professional email address. Next up, include an email address that is suitable for work. Avoid addresses with nicknames or slang in them.
• Phone number. List a number that you can be reached on. Check that the answer phone message is suitable for the hiring manager to hear.
• Location. Only include your city and country. You don’t need to write your street address or postcode as it is outdated.
• LinkedIn. Having a LinkedIn account is not a must for Primark workers. However, if you do have one, feel free to include a hyperlink to it here.

Don’t include:

• Date of birth: This detail could potentially lead to age discrimination.
• Personal details: Don’t include your NI number,  marital status, passport number, etc.

Make use of a summary

Your CV summary sits at the top of your document and is the most freeform part of your application. This is where you can speak directly to the hiring manager. Use this 2-4 sentence paragraph to grab the reader’s attention and show them why they should hire you.

Including action verbs is a quick way to improve this section. Examples include excelled, delivered, drove, succeeded, and optimised. By including these words where you can, you show the hiring manager that you have what it takes to offer real, tangible results. 

Don’t just repeat information that can be found elsewhere on your CV. Instead, use results-based points to highlight the value that you bring to the role. For example, you could write “Driven retail manager with 5+ years of experience in overseeing a team of 50+ staff at a busy Primark shop.” This snippet gives the hiring manager a lot to work with.

You can find adaptable Primark example summaries below:

Outline your retail work experience

The next step in the process is showing off your retail experience so far. You should go back around 10-15 years max here. If you have had a long career in the retail sector, only highlight roles within this period. Once again, you need to use the reverse chronological order. 

Start by using each employer’s name as a header. Include the finer details, such as your dates of employment, and the location. When you have outlined these, you should then add bullet points below each header. These should be results-based points that show the impact you had in each role. Consider how your actions lead to a positive outcome for your former employer. 

You can leave out personal pronouns — such as “I” or “I’m” — and get straight down to it. The truth is that you don’t have much space to play with and you want to make the most of it. You can also include action verbs here to bring your bullet points to life. 

Keep in mind that you should show tangible outcomes. Avoid simply listing your previous job duties as follows: 

• “Greeted customers”
• “Replenished stock”
• “Offered sales support”

While these are tasks you carried out, they don’t tell the hiring manager much. Instead, you should include phrases that emphasise your specific talents as a retail worker, such as: 

• “Greeted 200+ customers a day and provided an excellent experience”
• “Replenished stock, organised shelves, and ensured all pricing was correct”
• “Offered customer support and upsold items leading to a 5% boost in sales”

Take a look at the Primark employment history CV sample below:

How to write a Primark CV with no experience 

If you are going for your first job, chances are you don’t have any direct experience. However, a shift-based role may be the perfect stepping stone for your career. You can write an entry-level CV that ticks all of the boxes without stress. 

Start by detailing any transferable skills you have. These are competencies that you can use in a range of roles. You may also want to mention what has drawn you to Primark specifically. 

Include any educational feats that make you well-suited to this role. For instance, you may be undertaking an A Level in Marketing and want to use the skills you have developed there. Be clear on what you hope to gain from this experience in your CV summary section. 

You should also list any volunteer positions you have held in the past, and what you learned in each case. You may have worked in a charity shop, for example. That experience will equip you with a broad skill set that you can use when it comes to working in a Primark shop. 

Following this advice is a quick way to write a stellar CV even when you lack direct experience. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and be honest about your experience level. 

Include the relevant key skills that make you a great Primark employee

To work in Primark, you will need a wide selection of skills. Your CV should include both hard and soft skills while demonstrating your value to the employer. 

Hard skills apply directly to the retail sector. You usually learn these on the job when you work in a shop. Examples include stock-taking, cash management, and inventory control. 

However, you also need a selection of soft skills to work in this type of role. These may include communication, time management, organisation, and teamwork, to name a few. 

Our CV builder automatically offers skills which you can choose from. You also have the option to add some of your own. 

Here’s what the skills box looks like in our CV template for Primark employees.

While you should mention your skills within your skills section, it doesn’t start and end there. You should also hint at these talents in other areas of your Primark CV. That way, you can add extra context to each of your competencies and show the hiring manager how you use them. 

Here are some examples of how you might do that: 

• Detail your visual merchandising experience by outlining how you planned out displays and used them to attract new customers.
• Show off your teamwork by noting that you were given an award for your collaboration with other workers.
• Include information about your customer service by writing about the stellar reviews and ratings you got from online feedback forms.

If you are struggling to decide which skills to include, don’t panic. You should go back to the original job posting and use it as inspiration.

Detail your education & relevant certifications

Your education section is a vital part of your Primark CV. However, it’s worth noting that you don’t generally need any specific qualifications to work on the shop floor. Still, you should include details of the education you have. This addition may help you to land an interview. 

Consider including university courses, college courses, GCSEs, or internships in this section. Be clear about how each of your qualifications has put you in a prime position to excel here. Let’s take a look at some of the elements you may want to include in this section: 

• High school qualifications: If you do not have any college or university qualifications, you should include your high school education. You don’t have to list every GCSE you got. You can simply give a number and your grade range. However, you may choose to include details, such as having English, Maths, and Science GCSEs.
• College qualifications: If you went to a college or sixth form after school, you can include the qualifications you gained. These may include A Levels, T Levels, or any other equivalents. Once again, be clear about the grades that you got.
• Degrees: Whether you have a degree or you’re working towards one, you can list it here. Include the institute, the year, and either your grade or projected grade.
• Internships: Have you completed a relevant internship? Primark offers a selection of schemes and internships for new workers. List this information in this section, too.
• Training: You may have training that is specific to retail that you learned on the job. Other examples include a Certificate in Understanding Retail Operations, a Certificate in Principles of Warehousing and Storage, or a Free Online Retail Certificate.

Pick the right CV layout and design for a Primark CV

Your number one priority is clarity when creating a Primark CV. For that reason, the CV layout you choose needs to be clear, concise, and have zero clutter on the page. 

Choose a plain font that is easy for the hiring manager to read. While you may be tempted to use a creative typeface, this move could actively work against you. Don’t make that mistake. You should also leave out any elements, such as pictures, graphics, or photographs. 

When it comes to colour, use it sparingly. Yes, you want to grab the reader’s attention but you should never go overboard. Choose one or two colour tones that suit your application. You can use these in your headers, section dividers, and other elements of your CV. 

We recommend using a simple yet professional CV template. That way, you instantly give the hiring manager the right impression about your application. Allow Resume.io to take care of this for you. Use our CV builder and focus on what matters—the content! 

Primark employee text-only CV example

Retail job market and outlook

The retail industry is growing slowly. The sector’s economic output in 2023 was £112.8 billion. That accounted for 4.9% of the country’s total economic output and was a 2.4% increase on the previous year. But wait a minute, what does that mean for jobs?

In 2022, there were 2.7 million jobs in the retail sector. There were also 14,040 retail businesses at the start of 2023. In short, there are plenty of roles in this industry. Since many of these positions will be casual and shift-based, you have a high chance of landing a role quickly. 

Of course, when you are looking for roles, your CV is your best tool. Ensure that you are making the most out of this document. Optimising your CV to meet the needs of the listing is a quick way to put yourself in a good position.

What type of salary you can expect at Primark

The wage you can expect as a Primark employee will depend on your exact role. According to Breakroom, here is how much the business pays employees, listed by position: 

• Retail assistant – £11.00 - £12.56 per hour
• Supervisor – £22,000 - £31,000 per year
• Manager – £26,500 - £39,500 per year
• Visual merchandiser – £10.14 - £12.56 per hour

How does that measure up? Primark’s top hourly wage for retail assistants is slightly above the national minimum wage, which is now £11.44 for individuals over the age of 21.

Key takeaways for building a Primark CV

If you’re looking for a role at Primark, it’s important to tailor your CV to this employer. The retailer has a specific set of values which you can use when writing your application. Make sure you use appropriate action verbs and add evidence to your claims. Following the advice we’ve outlined in this guide is a savvy way to get ahead of the competition and increase your odds. 

Ready to get started? Use our CV builder to effortlessly craft a winning application that piques the hiring manager’s interest.