Retail Manager Resume Example

If you've ever been inside a store, you already know that store has a retail manager. If you're a retail manager, and you're looking to improve your resume, you've come to the right place.

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, retail and sales manager positions are at a 4% growth rate. The handbook projects that, currently, there are over 433,800 jobs.

So, if you're in the market of becoming a retail manager at a new location or place of business, there are lots of places currently hiring, and with our help, your resume will get you where you want to be.

In this article, we are going to go over 7 steps that will take your retail manager resume to the next level.

Here are the steps we are going to cover:

1. Formatting your resume
2. Writing a resume summary
3. Describing your work experience
4. Listing your key skills
5. Including your education
6. Listing certifications
7. Including languages

1. Impress hiring managers with the format of your retail manager resume

Retail manager positions are growing at a steady rate. Therefore, you may experience some competition when applying for a new retail manager position.

With that said, it is important to correctly format your resume.

Be sure to include the following sections in your resume:

• Contact information
• Work experience
• Skills
• Education
• Languages
• Certifications

Tip: If you're a part of any associations or organizations that are relevant to the field of retail management, if you've got the space, feel free to create sections for them in your resume.

Now, there are three ways to choose from to correctly format your resume:

1. Reverse-chronological, which emphasizes your previous work experience
2. Functional, which highlights your key skills
3. Hybrid, which combines the previous formats

As a retail manager, ideally, your resume will be in a reverse-chronological format so that your previous work experience is highlighted.

Tip: Just because your work experience is the center of your resume doesn't mean you can't include key skills. In fact, you should include them in your resume, too, even if just on the side.

We also recommend you include keywords from the actual job listing you're applying for so that your resume and application are picked up by keyword detectors that some companies use to sift through applications.

Take a look at our guide on how to format your resume if you want to learn more.

2. Write a professional resume summary

Resume summaries are not necessary elements to resumes, but they sure can make a difference in the application process if you have one.

A resume summary is a 1-2 sentence blurb that summarizes the important stuff on your resume. Including a resume summary shows hiring managers that you don't want to waste their time. It also makes your resume look more professional, which can help you land the job.

Now, when it comes to writing a resume summary, it's important to include the following:

• Years of experience
• Kind of experience
• Any key achievements you want to mention

Tip: Sometimes, it's easier to write your resume summary after you have already written your resume. That way, you can pick and choose what you want to include.

Here's an example of what your resume summary can look like as a retail manager:

Sales-oriented retail manager with 3 years of experience. Exceeded sales forecasts by 15% every quarter and achieved a 30% increase in customer satisfaction.

Need more help writing a professional resume summary? Our guide on writing resume summaries has tons of examples.

3. Describe your work experience in a way that impresses

Perhaps the most important part of your resume as a retail manager is your work experience. Therefore, what you include and how you describe it is crucial.

When it comes to working experience, it is important to go in reverse-chronological order. This shows hiring managers your most recent job experience and what you learned or mastered in that job.

When listing your work experience, it is also important to include the following:

• Company name
• Job title
• Time worked
• Job location
• Job description

All in all, perhaps the most important of the aforementioned elements as a retail manager would be the job descriptions.

Tip: When listing your work experience, it's also important to highlight the specifics you did on the job and use good verbs.

If you're unsure of what descriptions to include, don't worry.

Here are some job descriptions you can include in your resume under work experience as a retail manager:

• Tracked and analyzed sales and customer trends in order to maximize sales and revenue while minimizing expenses in all 3 locations.
• Prepared daily work schedules for and assigned tasks to 30+ employees, scheduled deliveries, and enforced company policy.
• Recruited, trained, supervised, and appraised staff.
• Managed budgets.
• Maintained statistical and financial records.
• Dealt with customer queries and complaints.
• Oversaw pricing and stock control.
• Ensured compliance with health and safety legislation.
• Prepared promotional materials and displays.
• Liaised with head office.

Tip: Be sure to include key achievements on the job as well.

As for key achievements, here are some description examples you can use:

• Grew sales by 25% through implementing an endless aisle.
• Introduced mobile payments and mobile shopping that increased sales by 30%.
• Implemented systems of mystery shoppers whose feedback lead to a 20% increase in satisfaction among both customers and employees.

If you're applying for the retail manager position, but only have previous experience as an assistant retail manager, we've got your back, too.

Here are some job description examples for assistant retail managers:

• Assist the store manager, performing all job tasks as assigned.
• Completed store opening and closing procedures multiple times per week.
• Kept the store organized, clean, and attractive to customers.
• Oversaw the store sales team and other staff members.
• Supervised employees.
• Delegated tasks.
• Evaluated employee performance.
• Managing staff problems.
• Designed work schedules.
• Managed inventory.
• Staged store sales displays.
• Operated the register to complete sales and collect payments.

Want more tips and tricks on how to write your work experience description? Check out our guide on describing your work experience.

4. List your key skills

As we mentioned earlier, key skills are important to include on your resume. They can show hiring managers where your experience lies and what you can do even outside of your work experience.

Here are some examples of key skills you can include in your resume as a retail manager:

• Operations Management
• Negotiation
• Communication
• Time Management
• POC Systems

Tip: You can also include languages and other interpersonal skills as your key skills as well.

Having trouble identifying your skills? We have a guide with 100+ key skills you can include in your resume.

5. Include your education

In order to become a retail manager, you do need a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree. With that said, hiring managers are looking at the education on your resume.

Therefore, it is important to have one and to make it look professional.

Here is how you should be listing your education in your resume:

Miami Dade College

Miami, FL

2012 — 2016

Bachelor of Science in Business Management

GPA: 3.4/4.0

As you can see, the following elements are implemented into the education section of your resume:

• Name of school
• School location
• Time attended
• Degree
• GPA

Tip: Only include your GPA if it is above average.

Need more helping listing your education? Don't know if to include your high school education or any technical schools? We have a guide that will help you list your education in 2021 with examples and tips.

6. List certifications on your resume

While not entirely necessary, having relevant retail certifications may be what makes hiring managers think you're the perfect candidate for the job. This is because having certifications shows them that you're passionate about what you do as a retail manager.

Oftentimes, you can get certifications directly through online programs or through your job.

Here are some examples of certifications for retail managers:

• Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA)
• National Retail Federation (NRF)

If you're looking for more certifications to include in your resume or want to know how to correctly list them, check out our guide.

7. Include languages on your resume

Living anywhere, you might just get tourism or individuals coming in from different places from around the world. Therefore, impress hiring managers by including languages on your resume.

Tip: If you don't have the space to highlight your known languages on their own, as we mentioned earlier, be sure to add them to your key skills.

Here are some languages you can include on your resume if you know them:

• English
• Spanish
• French
• Italian
• German
• Russian
• Chinese
• Japanese
• Romanian

Tip: Next to the languages you know on your resume, add if you're fluent, intermediate or a beginner in the language to show hiring managers just how well you know the specific language.

Need more help writing the perfect resume? We have a guide that can help you do just that.

Key Takeaways

Now, you're one step closer to running the aisles and being the retail manager for the company you've always wanted to work for.

Here's a quick overview of everything we've covered:

1. Format your resume
2. Write a resume summary
3. Describe your work experience
4. List your key skills
5. Include your education
6. List certifications
7. Include languages

Good luck!