Retail Sales Assistant CV Examples & Tips

Everything starts with the first sale. Then the ball starts rolling. To start a career in the retail sector, first you have to sell yourself. Let your sales skills shine through and be this season’s must-have.

Instead of stocking the shelves of your retail CV with the same items as everyone else, you’ll find out how to create a whole different brand. In this article, you will see an expert retail CV example including retails skills for a CV that secure your next interview. You'll also get tips on how to best sell your unique CV for retail based on numerous sales assistant CV examples.

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We created the sample on the right using our builder. See other good CV examples like this one.

Need a different CV example? Check these guides:

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• Pharmacy Assistant CV
• Primark CV
• Retail Manager CV
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• Shop Assistant CV
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Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our CV examples.

Retail assistant CV example

That’s what to include in your CV. Here’s a guide on how to write your own CV:

1. Write a retail CV personal statement

If someone wants the real detail, they will always have to look on the back of the box. It’s more reliable however to capture their attention with the big writing up front. Your CV personal statement is what the slogans on the front of any products are. But this time, the product is your sales assistant CV.

Here is the space to bring your boldest claim and most convincing selling point forward, and make sure your retail job CV gets a deeper read. Scour the job ad and determine what is the most important to the employer. Start with a strong adjective, sum up your experience, throw in retail job skills, and list 2 or 3 strong reasons to hire you.

Always leave your retail assistant CV personal statement until last. Once you have listed out all your skills and experience, and have read the job ad multiple times in the process, it will write itself (and that's why it's also called a CV summary).

Retail CV example: personal statement

A strong retail CV summary will convince the recruiter you’re the perfect candidate. Save time and choose a ready-made personal statement written by career experts and adjust it to your needs in the LiveCareer CV builder.

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2. List the right work experience in your sales assistant CV

For retail job CVs, the work experience section should come next. Record your relevant retail work experience under the following heading:

[Job Title]

[Employer Name, Location]

[Dates of Employment]

Underneath, list 3 to 7 bullet points outlining your achievements in retail assistant positions. Don’t make a boring laundry list of your responsibilities—everyone knows what they are. Focuse on how you excelled and put your experience in the perspective of metrics. There's a bunch of action words for a CV that might help you gain employers' attention.

For second and further positions in your retail assistant CV, limit yourself to less bullet points, 3 being optimum.

No previous experience? Don’t worry. Check out a CV template for those with no job experience, ideal for succeeding in the retail industry.

Retail assistant CV example: work experience section 

3. Include an education section in your retail CV

For retail assistant CVs, your education is less important than real, proven sales skills. So keep it short and sweet: include the name of the school, its location, and the years you attended. Mention individual subjects for your A-levels. For your GCSEs, you only need to mention Maths and English. That's enough in a CV for a retail assistant.

However, if you went to university, add its name, years attended, and the name of your degree. If you’re still studying, include an expected graduation date. On top of that, consider mentioning extracurricular activities if relevant.

Sales assistant CV example: education section

4. List relevant retail skills on your CV for retail

What makes a good CV? A thoughtfully prepared, relevant skills list, especially for a retail CV where customer service skills, communication skills, sales experience, and teamwork are crucial. Scan the job posting for what skills are most important to them. Don’t list banal things like punctuality. Focus on something that shows initiative and care, like product knowledge or upselling. It will show you really care about the results of your employer.

Aim for a mix of 5-10 soft skills and hard skills (like technical skills or problem-solving skills) in your retail assistant CV. Also, see top employability skills for inspiration.

Retail CV skills examples

5. Pick additional sections for your retail assistant CV

When completing a CV for retail, try to round it out with some additional selling points that will make you stand out from the competition. That's what a good CV for retail look like. Keep it relevant—many retail assistant CVs will contain boring hobby sections. 

Volunteering is great, as it shows that you can handle multiple responsibilities (and that you are used to working for free). 82% of managers would rather hire someone with volunteering experience. Languages are also always a worthwhile addition for a sales assistant CV.

Retail CV example: additional sections

6. Write a cover letter to support your retail CV

Most jobs will require a cover letter, and instead of a boring necessity, you should treat it as another opportunity to highlight your selling points. How to write a retail cover letter that sells?

Highlight your biggest achievement in the first paragraph to hook them in, present your relevant experience in the body of the letter, and include a strong, persuasive ending with a call to action. 

Retail assistant jobs CV: writing tips to keep in mind

Make you sure you stand out from the pile of sloppy retail assistant CVs by sticking to these simple CV format rules:

• Use simple, bolded headings for each section of your retail CV, and leave white space between them to create a skimmable CV structure.
• Apply a common CV font.
• Unless asked not to, save your retail CV as a PDF to protect the formatting.
• Should a CV be one page? Definitely, unless you've got years of retail experience under your belt.
• Avoid visual CV templates. They're less readable and might not be ATS-compliant. View best CV templates, including Word CV templates to find the one that suits you best.

One last CV tip. Don't lie on your CV. An experienced recruiter will quickly see through it. See what to do instead to make your CV sound impressive.

You don’t have to be a CV writing expert. In the LiveCareer CV builder you’ll find ready-made content for every industry and position, which you can then add with a single click.

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Does that answer your questions on how to write a retail CV? Got any job hunting tips and tricks you’d like to share? Did you enjoy our retail assistant CV sample? Use the comments section below. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

How we review the content at LiveCareer

Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.