How To Write a Sales Assistant CV in 10 Steps

Having a quality CV can help increase your chances of getting a job interview and ultimately a new position. When applying for a sales assistant role, creating a CV allows you to show that you're the most qualified candidate for the position through your skills and experience. Following the proper format can help your document look polished and professional. In this article, we discuss what a sales assistant CV is, review the steps to create one and give a template and example to help you create your own.

What is a CV?

CV stands for curriculum vitae. This is a document that gives an in-depth explanation of your work, education and other relevant professional experience. CVs are one of the most common job application documents in Europe and globally. They're typically part of a greater application packet that may include things such as a cover letter, education transcripts or reference letters. While CVs can be just one page, they're typically longer than some other application documents. Most CVs are between two and four pages.

What is a sales assistant?

A sales assistant is a retail professional who advises and educates customers about their company's current inventory. They often help buyers decide about the right purchases and provide suggestions and recommendations about the functionality of new products. Almost every retail establishment employs people in this role. Some other job responsibilities of a sales assistant may include:

• Arranging displays to increase sales performance

• Managing customer service duties, such as answering phone calls and accepting returns

• Processing payments and transactions

• Promoting special offers

• Stocking shelves and reviewing inventory

What is a sales assistant CV?

A sales assistant CV is a CV written specifically for those who apply to sales assistant positions in a variety of organisations. These documents highlight your unique industry experience. You can create a sales assistant CV no matter your level of involvement in the field.

Related: How to become a sales assistant (in-depth guide and salary)

What items should you include in your sales assistant CV?

There are a few basic items and sections to include on your sales assistant CV to make the document worthwhile to potential employers. They include:

• Contact information

• List of skills

• Personal interests

• Professional summary

• Previous and current education history

• Previous and current work experience

How to write a sales assistant CV

Use these steps to learn how to write a sales assistant CV:

1. Choose a layout

Before you add any of your personal information, choose how you'd like to format your document. Listing your education and work experience in reverse chronological order is standard practice with application documents. This means that you list your most recent job or degree as close at the top of the corresponding section and list subsequent ones underneath in descending order. You also have the option to list your most relevant experience at the top of the section, followed by all your other positions and degrees in reverse chronological order.

Related: How to Structure a Cover Letter (With Example)

2. Write your header

Your header is the section that tells the potential employer who you are and how they can reach you if they'd like to get more information or schedule an interview. Include your name, address, phone number and email address to provide them with accurate contact information. This section also includes your personal summary, which states brief important information about your career or what you're looking for in your job search. The personal summary can be a short phrase up to several sentences.

Related: What To Include in Your CV

3. Craft a professional summary

Your professional summary gives hiring managers an overview of what they'll read throughout the rest of your CV. It lists important attributes like specific content knowledge and skills. Consider using the job listing as a guide when creating your professional summary to include keywords that show your qualifications.

Read More: How to write a summary (Plus steps, tips and examples)

4. Include work experience

Your work experience section is one of the most important on the CV because it shows potential employers what kind of job responsibilities you've completed in the past and how your strengths could add to their company. There is no limit on how many previous positions you can add, but include any current jobs you have and those most relevant to the duties of the new position. Some elements to list for each position include:

• Job title

• Company name

• Company location

• Start and end dates

• Description of duties

Related: How to create a modern CV template (with tips and examples)

5. Add education experience

Including your education experience on a CV shows hiring managers that you have formal training in your desired employment area. There is no limit to how many degrees you can add, but include your highest level of completed education and any degree most relevant to the position. In this section, you may also include any professional development courses or other related training you've taken that match the position. Some elements to include for each item are:

• Degree name

• School name

• School location

• Dates attended or expected graduation date

• Relevant accomplishments

Related: How many jobs to list on your CV (guide with examples)

6. List skills

Including a list of skills can help hiring managers understand your knowledge and abilities beyond a specific job role. You can include both hard and soft skills in your list. Hard skills are those such as technical knowledge or industry-specific information. Soft skills are interpersonal abilities that help you succeed at work. Some relevant skills for sales assistants include:

• Attention to detail

• Calm demeanour

• Collaboration

• Customer service

• Knowledge of basic math operations

• Knowledge of technology hardware and software

• Merchandising

• Patience

• Persuasion

• Sensitivity

• Verbal communication

Related: What do you include on a sales skills CV?

7. Add language skills

Including this section on your CV may be optional but it can be beneficial for sales assistants and any other positions in retail. Those who speak multiple languages can communicate with a variety of customers. If you speak languages aside from your native one, include the language name and your fluency or proficiency level on your CV.

Read more: How To Include Languages On Your CV

8. Share hobbies or interests

Sharing your interests or hobbies both within your job field and on your personal time may help hiring managers discover if you're a good social or cultural fit for their organisation. You can add bullet points or a paragraph about activities you like to do, sports you like to play or areas of research within your field that you'd like to explore.

Related: How to read more books (20 tips and why it is a great hobby)

9. Add references

If a job description asks for references, you can add them to your CV. It's common to list between one and three, depending on the requirements in the listing. Most companies prefer professional references rather than personal ones, such as professors, former coworkers, supervisors or volunteer leaders. Be sure to ask permission of your references before listing their contact information in your document.

Read More: What Are Personal References and Why Do You Need Them?

10. Proofread your document

Before you send your CV to a potential employer, check your spelling and grammar to make the document is as polished as possible. Review all phone numbers, street addresses and names for accuracy. Consider having a friend or family member review your CV before you send it to catch any mistakes you may have missed. If your listing doesn't ask for a reference, you can add a line that states references available upon request to let hiring managers know they can ask for them later in the interview process. For each listing, include:

• Reference name

• Reference job title

• Institution name

• Institution location

• Reference phone number

• Reference email address

Sales assistant CV template

Use this template to help you understand the structure of a sales assistant CV:

[Your full name]
[Personal summary]
[Your street address]
[Your email address]
[Your phone number]

Professional summary

[Interesting attribute] sales assistant professional with [number of years] years of experience in [specific job duty 1] and [specific job duty 2] for [relevant industry]. Skilled in [skill 1], [skill 2] and [skill 3].

Work experience

[Job title]
[Company name], [Company location], [Start date]–[End date]

• [Job responsibility 1]

• [Job responsibility 2]

• [Job responsibility 3]

• [Job responsibility 4]

Education

[Degree name]
[School name], [School location], [Dates attended or expected graduation date]

• [Relevant accomplishment 1]

• [Relevant accomplishment 2]

Industry skills

• [Skill 1]

• [Skill 2]

• [Skill 3]

• [Skill 4]

• [Skill 5]

Language skills
[Language name], [Fluency or proficiency level]

Hobbies and interests
[Paragraph or bulleted list describing your personal and professional interests]

References
[Reference name], [Reference job title]
[Reference institution], [Institution location]
[Reference phone number]
[Reference email address]

Sales assistant CV example

Use this sales assistant CV example to give you ideas for how to write your own:

Georgia Augustus
Dedicated sales assistant
360 Albert Road, London, NW15 2K3
gaugustus@mail.com
020-7127-02378

Professional summary

Dedicated sales assistant professional with four years of experience in retail and product marketing for the fashion industry. Skilled in customer service, product placement and sales generation.

Work experience

Sales assistant
Reynolds Boutique, London
December 2016–Present

• Greet customers when they enter the boutique

• Show how products work

• Take inventory and monitor the sales floor

• Answer customer questions and recommend merchandise

Education

Bachelor of Business Administration
Tower University, London, 2012–2015

• Dean's List recipient

• Staff writer for the Big Ben Gazette

Industry skills

• Basic finance knowledge

• Knowledge of point of sale systems

• Customer service

• Excellent verbal communication

• Pleasant disposition

Language skills
French, Fluent
German, Proficient

Hobbies and interests
When I am not working, I enjoy thrift shopping. I pursue fashion hobbies outside of my job, including making my own clothing and consulting friends and family members on style choices.

References
References available upon request.

Disclaimer: The model shown is for illustration purposes only, and may require additional formatting to meet accepted standards.

Related:

• What does a sales assistant do? (And how to become one)