Fashion Merchandiser Resume Examples and Tips
Fashion merchandising involves the marketing, distribution and management of fashion products. Fashion merchandisers need to be up to date with market trends, and have the ability to put together great marketing strategies, analyze data that helps to increase sales, plan and curate merchandise, and build and maintain relationships with manufacturers.
To make a standout fashion merchandiser resume, use our resume examples and tips below:
Featured Resume Example: Fashion Merchandiser
Name: ROBERT BLACKFIELD
Address: City, State, Zip Code
Phone: 000-000-0000
E-Mail: email@email.com
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Talented Fashion Designer well-versed in stocking merchandise and planning promotional displays. Demonstrated success in collaborating with store and advertising management to create and deploy successful merchandising strategies for seasonal and promotional needs.
WORK HISTORY
November 2018 to Current
Company Name, City, State
- Coordinate with Content, Product and three other teams to promote cohesive brand identity and customer-facing product story.
- Optimize and maintain weekly merchandising calendar and keep abreast of larger fashion industry landscape and trends.
- Plan, execute and interpret results of A/B tests to improve digital and on-site shopping experience.
Fashion Marketing
April 2015 to June 2018
Company Name, City, State
- Collaborated with Finance team to develop category pricing recommendations within budget.
- Pitched updated merchandising strategies based on seasonal hindsight and current trends.
- Produced monthly OTB forecasts for two categories, planned sales and inventory goals accordingly.
Digital Marketing Assistant
June 2011 to March 2015
Company Name, City, State
- Carried out pricing strategies in line with fiscal year financial goals.
- Partnered with Design to maximize unique functionality of mobile and desktop storefronts, supported cohesive shopping experience across both.
- Facilitated communication between six regional, in-store retail teams and corporate partners.
SKILLS
- Operational improvement
- Process improvement
- Project organization
- Personal wardrobe designs
- Accessorizing
- Fabric sourcing understanding
- Luxury apparel
- Sewing proficiency
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts Fashion Design,City, State
Top 4 Characteristics of a Best-in-Class Fashion Merchandiser Resume
- Summary In a brief summary statement, highlight top skills and experiences that fit with the specific fashion merchandiser position you’re applying to, explaining what makes you a good candidate. For example: “Creative and skilled fashion merchandiser well-versed with the complete garment life cycle, from initial concept to retail sales.”
- Skills Your resume skills section should be a blend of hard skills such as apparel pre-production, personnel management, inventory replenishment and product merchandising, and soft skills such as excellent time management, a team player approach and organizational skills. As with the summary, feature attributes that address the job’s specific needs, e.g., “construction specifications” or “competitive analysis.”
- Work history Show how you’ve used your best skills to successfully complete tasks and projects, with the emphasis on accomplishments rather than daily duties. For example: “Designed eye-catching window displays to draw attention to featured clothing items, increasing store traffic by 20%.” Notice how this example uses strong verbs and metrics to give the candidate’s achievements more weight.
- Education List your highest education credentials (e.g., bachelor’s degree in fashion), along with the name and location of the institution where you got them. Add any additional coursework, training or certifications related to fashion merchandising, such as training in product development or fashion design, or certification in Microsoft Office, Product Development/Fashion Design, or a graduate certificate in apparel merchandising.
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Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume
- DO optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems (ATS). Many employers now use (ats) to scan resumes, giving a passing grade to documents that are correctly formatted and have the right keywords. To pass ATS, make sure you use a straightforward resume template that won’t foul up the system with strange fonts or graphics, and use the right keywords in your resume. To assemble your keywords, scan the job posting, find prime requirements and tasks, and list skills and accomplishments of your own that match. For example, if the job calls for collaborating with sales and marketing teams on new product lines, list an experience from your own background in this area. Our article How to Write an ATS-friendly Resume provides more tips.
- DO use your summary as an elevator pitch. As a merchandiser, you know the importance of an “elevator pitch” — a quick summary to a potential buyer of why a product is worth having. Think of your summary as an elevator pitch in which the product is yourself. Tell employers about your best personal traits and areas of specialization, all within a few sentences. For example: “Fashion professional with 5+ years of experience in buying, merchandising and inventory management.”
- DO limit your resume length. A resume should be a concise document, and long-winded explanations of your experiences and abilities won’t cut the mustard with employers who have to rifle through hundreds of job applications. Aim for a length of two pages at most, focusing on your most relevant skills and accomplishments, using bullet points and short phrases instead of verbose sentences. Limit your work history to the past 10 years, and highlight achievements rather than everyday duties.
- DON’T underestimate the value of soft skills.While technical skills are crucial for a fashion merchandising position, intangible assets (“soft skills”) can help set you apart from other job candidates. Highlight important soft skills such as problem-solving, a strong work ethic, creativity, communication skills, teamwork and critical thinking. Don’t just restrict these traits to your skills section — show how you’ve used them in your work history section, and mention them in your summary (e.g., “Hard-working, creative Fashion Merchandiser…”). For more tips on in-demand soft skills, visit our Top Resume Skills page.
- DON’T forget to mention additional certifications or coursework. Any training that shows you’ve put extra time and work to improve your knowledge and skills can be a plus for your resume. Below are some examples of useful certifications for fashion merchandising — if you have enough of them, consider creating a separate “Training and Certifications” section for them just under your education section.
- Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM)
- Certified Purchasing Manager
- Certified Professional in Supply Management
- Certified Supply Chain Professional
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- DON’T forget to review your resume. Merchandising work demands attention to detail and accuracy — be sure you apply those same qualities to your resume. Proofread it a few times before you submit it, and make sure you’ve avoided any silly typos. This is also your chance to make sure your information is correct, accurate, and relates to the job you’re applying for. For extra help, you can create a resume using our resume builder, which has tools that do all the checking for you.
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