Sales Associate Resume: Example and Tips

Sales associates serve as liaisons between a company and their customers, resolving customer complaints, fielding queries, devising sales plans and monitoring inventory. Previous experience as a sales representative, or a degree in a related area such as customer service or marketing are usually required for this position.

Make sure your own resume sells yourself as the right candidate for this job, using our expert tips and resume examples.

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Sales Associate Functional Resume Sample

Top 4 Characteristics of a Best-in-Class Sales Associate Resume

  1. Summary Give a brief overview about your capabilities and the impact of your skills. First, go through the job description, and note what recruiters are looking for (e.g., expertise in customer relationship management). Then select two to three professional high points which demonstrate the skills that match those requirements. For example: “Goal-oriented sales associate with 6 years of work experience in customer relationship management. Introduced cost-savings measures that saved a company $56,000 last quarter.”
  2. Skills Sales Associate responsibilities include inventory management and sales monitoring, so include technical skills that address these areas, such as cash management, monitoring inventory and product promotions. Don’t forget to also include intangible (or “soft”) skills that also play a key role, such as client negotiations, conflict resolution, people skills and the ability to stay calm in high-pressure situations.
  3. Work history Describe your prior professional experience in terms of how you’ve made a positive impact with previous companies. Remember to back up these accomplishments with quantifiable metrics which help recruiters more detail about your effectiveness. For example: “Introduced measures to improve transport efficiency and inventory storage to save the company 50 man hours and reduce stock loss by 2%.”
  4. Education While no specific educational requirements are necessary for sales associates, list any volunteer or extracurricular activities you’ve had that relate to a sales position. Be sure to include any certifications or training you’ve had in sales or customer service (e.g., training as a Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP)).

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Find the Right Template for your Resume

Project the right image with your resume, using these three customizable, professionally-designed templates perfect for the sales associate position in our resume builder.

Impactful

This creative layout catches the eye with its two-column layout, allowing your work experience and skills to stand out.

Bold

This striking template uses an impactful resume font for the job seeker’s name, while leaving plenty of room to customize your resume with any combination of accomplishments and qualifications.

Charismatic

This vibrant design features a structured breakdown of your skills, work history, and education, while cleverly utilizing whitespace to create an uncluttered appearance.

Select the right template for your needs using MyPerfectResume’s resume template page.

Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume

  • Keep your resume succinct A resume should feature your most impressive achievements, as well as the skills that show how you bring value to a company; what it should not do is tell your whole life story. So keep your resume to one page, and only include qualifications and accomplishments which are relevant to the prospective role. The one exception? A job that requires lots of work experience, which necessitates a detailed work history section that might exceed one page.
  • Quantify the impact of your work Your accomplishments gain credibility when supported by real data. Adding quantifiable metrics to your key responsibilities will give hiring managers a much more detailed view of your capabilities. For instance, instead of mentioning “Team leader for xyz project,” write “Led and trained a five-member team on project that grew company revenue by 20%.”
  • Optimize your resume for each job opportunity One common mistake job applicants make is using one resume for all job applications. Read the fine print of job postings, and you’ll see that every role has its own unique requirements. Create different versions of your resume, emphasizing skills and work experiences you have that are relevant to each particular job.
  • Don’t forget to include keywords Today, many employers subject resumes to applicant tracking systems (ATS), scans which grade resumes depending on whether they have the right keywords. To ensure you pass these scans, go through job descriptions and resume examples like ours to find key words and phrases you should use (e.g., CRM software knowledge, or lead generation and marketing activities). Match these keywords with your own skills and experiences, and incorporate them throughout your resume.
  • Don’t just list your responsibilities and duties To create a lasting impact on recruiters, don’t limit yourself to simply listing your work duties. Prioritize your top accomplishments, based on what the new job requires, and feature them instead of a laundry list of tasks. Above all, you should show your future employer how your work has benefited every organization you’ve worked for, or earned you recognition.
  • Don’t include personal/irrelevant information There’s a fine line between showcasing your accomplishments and overloading your resume. Stick to awards or personal interests that highlight critical skills such as leadership or creativity. Be sure not to go overboard on your personal information, either; restrict your contact information to a professional email address (no zany usernames here), and don’t divulge personal phone numbers or full mailing addresses.