Buyer Resume: Examples and Tips
A buyer is tasked with procuring materials needed for production, and includes activities from preparing and processing requisitions, managing supplies, overseeing deliveries, maintaining records, researching market trends, and identifying opportunities for maximizing profits. To excel in this job, you need to be quick on their feet, an expert communicator, proficient in computer applications, and have negotiation and procurement skills.
Use these resume tips and our resume examples to create a resume that sells you as the right fit for a buyer position:
Table of Contents
Featured Resume Example: Buyer
Name: NELLY SMITH
Address: City, State, Zip Code
Phone: 000-000-0000
E-Mail: email@email.com
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Industrious Buyer adept at keeping costs under control while optimizing inventory for usage needs. Versed in recordkeeping and production requirements. Skilled research and forecasting abilities with strengths in communication and key relationship management.
SKILLS
- Supply inventory measuring
- Purchasing report updating
- Product status tracking
- Product delivery reconciliation
- Documentation requirements
- Corporate policies and procedures
- Vendor Coordination
- Team Leadership
- Strategic Planning
WORK HISTORY
BUYER
07/2016 to CURRENT
Company Name, City, State
- Purchased the highest quality products for the lowest possible price.
- Reviewed and organized records of items that were purchased and any costs relating to purchases.
- Negotiated with vendors and suppliers and administered contracts
BUYING AGENT
08/2011 to 11/2015
Company Name, City, State
- Built competitive bidding environment with broad range of suppliers
- Assessed changes and determined proper courses of action by collaborating with suppliers
- Documented purchasing activities, inventory reports and department records.
ASSISTANT BUYER
08/2007 to 12/2010
Company Name, City, State
- Analyzed customer needs and accordingly developed procurement requirements.
- Managed monthly purchase order shipments by deadline and cancellation dates.
- Prepared contract agreements and other documentation, as needed
EDUCATION
BBA| Marketing Management And Research
City, State
Top 4 Characteristics of a Best-in-Class Buyer Resume
- Summary In a concise two to three sentences, convey your best abilities and work experience. For example, “Detail-oriented buyer with 7 years of experience in the retail and fashion industry and a good knowledge of supply chain management.” Notice that this example displays your areas of expertise, as well as some important personal traits (“detail-oriented”).
- Skills Feature your top 8-10 top skills, including both professional skills (such as report management and creation, inventory management, knowledge of software, and logistics process expertise) and soft skills (such as attention to detail, negotiation abilities, and multitasking abilities).
- Work History For each prior job you’ve had, come up with three to five bullet points that describe your best accomplishments and most important responsibilities. For example: “Reviewed bid proposals and negotiated contracts with 14 vendors,” or “Monitored the cost, schedule and scope of semiconductor materials projects.”
- Education Feature your top academic credential (e.g., high school diploma or college degree), along with any additional training or certifications you have in related areas, such as project management, finance or marketing.
See Why My Perfect Resume is a 5-Star Resume Builder
Find the Right Template for your Resume
Give your resume the professional presentation it deserves by using one of these employer-ready templates:
Original
For a striking yet polished look, use this template, which divides your document into easily readable quadrants, leaving plenty of room to expand on your qualifications.
Essence
This two-column layout provides plenty of space for your skills. The subtle color header differentiates the document from standard black-and-white resumes.
Structured
Elegant resume fonts and lines result in a sleek appearance, while the placement of section headings on the left makes for easy navigation.
For more layouts you can use, visit our free resume templates page.
Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume
- DO customize your resume for each job. “One size fits all” is definitely not the way to go with a resume. Change up your resume details for each job you apply for. Look for skills and requirements the particular job demands, and customize your summary, skills and work history sections to match as well as you can. For example, if the job requires using product research to fuel future strategies, list skills that play into this need, or a similar responsibility from a previous job. For more pointers, see How to Create a Targeted Resume.
- DO use your summary as an elevator pitch. To get into the good graces of a prospective seller or buyer, you need a good pitch — think of your summary as a pitch for your abilities as an employee. Get across your total experience and primary areas of expertise, as well as your top skills. For example: “Hard-charging Buyer well-versed in creating systems to efficiently manage records and contracts. Natural communicator with expertise in Fraxion and biology solutions.” See our article How to Write a Perfect Summary Statement for more suggestions.
- DO proofread your resume. Just as a purchasing order or contract must be precise, so should be your resume. Review your document a few times, to make sure you’re not upended by silly grammar or spelling errors. This is also your chance to double-check your details, and make sure you’re not missing anything. For extra help, use our Resume Builder built-in review tools.
- DON’T neglect to quantify your accomplishments. Using numbers and metrics to illustrate your achievements makes it easier for hiring managers to understand the impact you bring to a company. For example: “Implemented merchandise price changes based on research, resulting in 18% profit increase,” or “Trained and audited activities of 15 employees in purchasing department.”
- DON’T skimp on soft skills. While professional knowledge and training is important for purchasing work, the way you interact with people and tackle your duties is also important. Feature important soft skills such as attention to detail, a problem-solving approach, strong organizational and time management abilities, and negotiation skills. Give examples in your work history section that show how you’ve used these skills. Our Top Resume Skills page features plenty more soft skill examples.
- DON’T forget to use action verbs. Which sounds more energetic and proactive — to say you were “tasked with” something, or you “managed” something? Using action verbs presents you as a person who takes charge. Use verbs such as organized, managed, negotiated, led, monitored, communicated, addressed, executed, operated and oversaw to describe your work duties and accomplishments.