Sales Associate resume examples & templates

Sales associate is an accessible entry-level role that is plentiful and available. To land your next sales associate position, check out this guide.

Resume guide for a sales associate resume

How to write a sales associate resume
• Choosing the right resume format for sales associates
• Include your contact information
• Make use of a summary
• Outline your sales associate work experience
• Include the relevant key skills that make you a great sales associate
• Detail your education & relevant sales associate certifications
• Pick the right resume layout and design for a sales associate resume

Sales associate job market and outlook
• What type of salary you can expect as a sales associate
• Full text adaptable resume example

Key takeaways for building a sales associate resume

Whether you're a student, retiree, or just looking to earn some extra cash, working as a sales associate has long been considered the most accessible entry-level position. What's more, you won't have to travel far from home to find one of these positions since sales associates work in just about every neighborhood store.

Even though sales associate jobs are plentiful, they're not all created equal. The best opportunities come with daytime hours, benefits, and a paycheck that's higher than minimum wage.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than half of all retail workers are between the ages of 16 to 34. After grocery stores, the majority of sales associates work in general merchandise stores, clothing stores, and department stores.

Resume guide for a sales associate resume

To land one of those sales associate positions, you'll need a resume that sets you apart from the crowd. Luckily, Resume.io has all the tools you need to make it happen, starting with this sales associate resume example.

This resume guide and corresponding sales associate resume example will cover the following:

Once every 2 weeks, our experts gather the best career & resume tips you can read in 15 minutes or less. Straight to your inbox!

Our newsletter is on its way. The best resume & job tips from our career experts will now be sent your inbox every 2 weeks!

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

How to write a sales associate resume

Resumes are highly formatted documents. The individuality comes in the text and design, not the structure. That means your resume 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

When you apply to a retail establishment, you need to address the products and style of that company within your resume. That means doing some research upfront so you can use the appropriate language and tone. Your resume is designed to answer the question, "Why should I hire you?" so tell the hiring manager the answer up front by showing off your knowledge of the establishment.

Choosing the right resume format for sales associates

If this is your first job, you may consider bumping your employment history section below your skills and education sections to focus on what you can do, but even if you don't choose to go that route, you should use the reverse chronological order resume format. This format mostly affects your employment history section, which should be arranged with your most recent experience first and working backward from there.

If you have no experience, you may consider one of the hybrid resume formats we suggest as chronological alternatives. This may also be of value to you if you are looking for part-time work to supplement your income or if you are changing careers or looking for a job after retirement from your first career.

Include your contact information

When you submit your resume, it's imperative that the hiring manager or recruiter can easily figure out how to contact you. That means including the following:

• Full name & title. List your first and last name. Use the title of the role you are pursuing.
• Professional email address. Use a clean format like [email protected]. Don’t use a quirky, unprofessional email address.
• Phone number. List a number where you can be readily contacted, with a professional voicemail greeting.
• Location. List only your city and state. Don’t list street address or zip code. It’s both outdated and unsafe. If you're willing to relocate, you an note 'Willing to Relocate' here as well.
• LinkedIn. If your LinkedIn profile is active, relevant, and shows your sales network, include it here.

• Date of birth: Not necessary and could potentially lead to age discrimination.
• Personal details: Marital status, social security number, passport number, etc.