Sales assistants can greatly affect the experience a customer has when they shop in a store. They are the person that greets the customer, helps them with their queries and serves them. To work in this type of role, your sales assistant CV will need to convey your friendly demeanour and commitment to customer service.
Resume.io is here to help. We have a wealth of resources for job seekers including dozens of occupation-specific CV examples and guides backed up by an intuitive CV builder.
This sales assistant CV example and guide will explore the following:
- What the role of a sales assistant entails, and what to expect
- How to structure and write your sales assistant CV
- The sections to include on your CV - summary, work history, education, skills (and others, if appropriate!)
- The best design for your CV
What does a sales assistant do?
Sales assistants are most commonly found in shops where they greet customers and help them find what they're looking for. They will also advise customers and deal with any complaints or questions they may have. Sales assistants are responsible for ensuring the customer has an enjoyable experience, that they make a purchase and that they return in the future.
A role as a sales assistant is popular amongst students, as they can usually accommodate flexible working patterns and are often looking for on-the-job training.
Sales assistant job market and outlook
The job market and outlook for sales assistants will greatly depend on the type of place you want to work in. During the pandemic, there was a wealth of jobs for sales assistants in supermarkets and other food stores, particularly during lockdown. However, many high street stores felt the wrath of Covid-19, with 17,500 chain store outlets closing in 2020 in the UK. There are still plenty of opportunities out there, so if you are looking for a sales assistant role, you will always find that there is work available.
How to write a sales assistant CV
It is advisable to plan out the structure of your sales assistant CV before you get started. There are five main sections on most CVs, although you may decide to add others. These are:
- CV header – situated at the top of your CV
- CV summary
- Employment history
- Skills
- Education
If you are applying for sales assistant roles in different industries, always ensure you make slight changes to your CV for your target audience. Hiring managers are always keen to understand the candidate’s desire to work in their organisation, and this should shine through in your application.
Choosing the best CV format for a sales assistant
When writing your sales assistant CV, reverse chronological order is always the best way to format it. That’s because this CV format centres on the employment history section where your most recent experience is at the top. Hiring managers and CV scanners prefer this format because it makes your previous experience clear.
However, if you are looking for your first job, you may consider the functional CV format which starts with your education and downplays the employment history section. The hybrid format is a combination of the functional and reverse chronological structures.
Watch out for the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) built into virtually all of today’s online hiring portals. These algorithms scan your CV for keywords and pass only the top-scoring onto the hiring manager for review. Avoid being filtered out by picking words and phrases emphasised by the employer in the job description and placing them on the appropriate sections of your CV.
CV summary example: the initial greeting
When we think of sales assistants, we think of that warm, friendly greeting we receive – whether face-to-face, by telephone or online. A sales assistant will always offer us an introduction.
The CV summary is a bit like the introduction, although longer and aimed at the hiring manager. Only a few sentences are necessary here, and you can summarise your key experience that is relevant to the role.
Your energy and enthusiasm for the company and the role should shine through in your introduction. Leave them with no doubt in their mind that you are eager to get the job. See how this is done on the summary from our CV sample.
Attentive and dedicated sales assistant with 8 years of experience in retail companies. Positive and friendly individual with a passion for ensuring customers receive the highest quality of customer service. Strong communication skills with the ability to upsell products and deliver an outstanding service that keeps customers returning time and again. Seeking role within a company that value their employees and offers a challenging but progressive environment.
For some additional guidance when writing your summary, take a look at our customer service CV sample or our retail CV sample.
Employment history sample: the background
Just as a sales assistant will want to find out the background to what the customer wants or needs, the hiring manager is looking to find out your background. The employment history is the section where you can delve into your experience to date, with your most recent experience at the top.
You don’t need to detail every responsibility you have, you can just detail the main ones and support them with examples, where possible. You can use bullet points on your CV to make it easier for the hiring manager to read.
This is an employment history CV sample that you can adapt to suit your sales assistant application.
Sales Assistant, TP Hughes, Edinburgh
Jun 2018 - Apr 2022
- Greeted customers as they entered the store and offered to assist them with locating items.
- Helped customers to ensure they found what they needed in the store and offered alternatives like online ordering where possible.
- Handled register transactions with accuracy and attention to detail, and upheld store return policy in challenging situations.
- Supported new team member by offering training.
Customer Care Assistant, Burger King, Edinburgh
Jan 2014 - Jun 2018
- Ensured high standards of cleanliness in dining area and toilets.
- Welcomed customers to the store and ensured they felt comfortable.
- Established and maintained positive communication with customers throughout their journey in the store.
- Served customers and ensured accuracy as well as supporting the running of events.
CV skills example: what makes you stand out?
As a sales assistant the soft skills are more significant than the hard skills. These include: strong communication, ability to build rapport and teamwork. A sales assistant ultimately needs to be a people person, whether that is on the phone or face-to-face. They need to find passion and excitement in communicating with others and helping to resolve problems.
With this in mind, what skills do you possess that will make you stand out from the others? Do you thrive on interactions? Is helping to resolve an issue something you relish? These are the points you want to get across on the skills section of your CV. Check out our CV example below.
- Microsoft Office
- Fast Learner
- Ability to Work in a Team
- Customer Service
- Ability to Work Under Pressure
- Excellent Communication Skills
Sales assistant CV education example
While sales assistants aren’t required to have formal education, any degrees or diplomas you possess will help explain your background to the hiring manager. If you haven’t yet completed your education, any degrees in progress should be mentioned here. This is also a place to add relevant coursework, awards or memberships that may be relevant. See our CV sample for the education section below.
HNC Business Management, Open University, Remote
Jan 2020 - Present
- Currently undertaking this 4 year part-time course
CV layout and design
The layout and design of your CV do the exact same job as the front window does for your shop – they convince the hiring manager to stop for a moment and see what you have to offer. As a sales assistant, there’s no need to go overboard with colour or complicated elements, however a well-organised layout can make you stand out against other candidates.
Make sure to choose one or two professional font styles and sizes and stick with them throughout your CV. You can also change your look depending on the position you’re applying to. An expertly-designed CV template can make this easy.
Key takeaways for a sales assistant CV
- Sales assistant jobs are plentiful at the moment, so this is a great time to prepare your CV.
- Make sure to write an energetic and job-specific summary that captures your key skills and qualities.
- Don’t forget to quantify your work experience in the employment history section.
- Our adaptable sales assistant CV sample can give you more insight into creating a great layout and design.
