Sales Assistant Resume Example

A Sales Assistant is an entry level position on a sales team. They assist customers with orders, answer questions about products, and support senior sales members with negotiations and disputes. 

This career has lots of possibilities for growth, including working your way up to a managerial position or moving into marketing. Therefore, it’s important to create a strong resume that will jumpstart your career!

In this article, we’ll discuss

1. Which format is right for your resume
2. How to write a resume summary 
3. Describing your work experience
4. Including your education 
5. Listing your certifications
6. Choosing the right template

Sales Assistant Sample Resume 

Senior Sales Assistant, Fragrances by Francis

• Promoted featured items using giveaways, BOGO, and cashback techniques
• Checked inventory and filled out inventory slips to reorder merchandise
• Trained 7 new sales associates in store products, selling techniques, and company procedures
• Collaborated with retail representatives to boost sales by 13% using product presentations
• Advised junior sales assistants on upselling techniques
• Ensured products were displayed in order to increase appeal
• Answered customer questions regarding inventory, sales, and promotions
• Awarded Employee of the Month 2x for exceeding sales quotas
• Produced daily sales reports using Alteryx Analytics, Tableau Desktop, and GoodData software
• Worked with Sales Managers to improve the efficiency of the sales process by 20% training junior assistants on updated selling techniques and by reorganizing product displays

Sales Assistant, Mae Spring Flowers

• Supported and promoted special sales items and other promotional campaigns
• Displayed merchandise in a visually pleasing manner
• Provided logistical and administrative aid to senior staff members
• Managed customer questions and needs with efficiency
• Analyzed and properly processed item returns
• Offered product recommendations, resulting in a 15% in sales
• Assisted customers with finding alternative merchandise according to their needs

Cashier, Greenery Grocer

• Greeted all customers in a friendly and helpful manner
• Operated the cash register and recorded all sales
• Assisted in merchandising, such as stocking and pricing items
• Ensured the store was clean and organized
• Communicated customer concerns to upper management
• Resolved customer conflicts with compassion and timeliness
• Verified cash balances at the beginning and end of each shift
• Carefully and accurately rang up items and neatly packed customer bags

1. Choose the Right Format for a Sales Assistant Resume

The first step to drafting your resume is deciding which resume format to use. This depends on your career experience and skillset. 

You have 3 main options for resume:

1. Reverse-Chronological -- this is the most commonly used resume format. With this structure, place your most recent jobs first, followed by the next most recent job, and ending with your oldest position. 

Tip: only include jobs relevant to the position to which you’re applying, so leave out any former jobs that don’t fit. 

2. Functional -- this format is best for people who have been out of the workforce for a while, perhaps because they had to care for children or an elderly parent. This format lists your specific skills and qualifications. 

Have headers like “Customer Service” and “Administrative Support” with their respective skills listed in bullet points below. At the very end, include a brief snapshot of your work experience.  

3. Hybrid / Combination -- this format is a mix of both Functional and Reverse-Chronological. It provides more detailed work experience descriptions that would typically be seen in the latter, while still offering a bulleted list of skills.  

Tip: When in doubt, choose the Reverse-Chronological resume format. 

For Sales Assistants, hiring managers want to glance at your resume and get a sense of the following:

• Excellent customer service
• Knowledge of the products. This doesn’t mean you need to memorize all of the stores’ offerings before you apply. Instead, let’s say you’re applying for a job selling insurance. Managers want to see if you have relevant experience from selling similar items.  
• Administrative duties

The best format for a Sales Assistant to demonstrate all of these points is the Reverse-Chronological resume format, since managers want to see your former work experience to gauge if you’re right for the job. 

2. Write a strong Sales Assistant resume summary

A resume summary is one or two sentences at the top of your paper that summarizes your entire resume. It’s the punch line that gets the resume reviewer wanting to know more. 

For a Sales Assistant career, include the following points in your summary

• Length of your experience
• Customer Service Skills
• An adjective or two conveying your personality, such as “confident,” “charismatic,” or “patient"

The best strategy in this section is to only include info that is relevant to the job. For example, you wouldn’t mention your animal care skills, because that doesn’t pertain to the position to which you’re applying. 

Here is an example of a bad resume summary: Previous sales experience with excellent customer service skills. 

Here is an example of a good resume summary: 4+ years of experience supporting customers and assisting managers with administrative work. Charismatic and outgoing with a passion for communicating the benefits of products. 

Another idea is to quantify your former contributions. So, if you improved customer retention in the store by a certain percentage, include that! Or, if you streamlined the checkout process, increased profits, or reduced product theft. 

Checkout our guide for more information on how to write a resume summary.

3. Describe your work experience as a Sales Assistant

The next step to drafting your resume is to list your work experience. This includes the name of your position, the name of the location at which you worked, and the time period in which you worked. 

Furthermore, write your resume experience in a way that anyone in your industry will understand. In other words, don't use company-specific language. 

For example, let’s say your former job called the cash register “the money box.” Most hiring managers won’t know what that means, so stick with the common term instead. 

Sales Assistant Skills

• Customer Service
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Time Management
• Ability to handle stress
• Critical Thinking
• Active Listening
• Inventory Management
• Stocking and Supplying
• POS Systems
• Store Operations
• Recordkeeping
• Order Fulfillment  
• Charisma

For more ideas on which skills to include, check out our guide on 100+ Key Skills for a Resume in 2021. 

4. Include an Education Section 

Sales Assistants do not need a formal education such as a high school diploma or college degree -- unless you’re interested in selling items like cars or jewelry. This is because, for the most part, Sales Assistants receive on-the job training, either by senior employees or by the organization’s formal training program.

However, if you’re planning on moving up to a managerial or marketing role, then you will need a formal education of some sort, typically a college degree in business, management, or a similar field. 

But, if you have an education, be sure to include it! This gives hiring managers a sense of who you are and makes you more competitive for the position. 

5. Mention Certifications Relevant to the job

Sales Assistants generally do not require certifications. But, if you happen to have some related to the field -- such as experience in social media, negotiations, or technology that most stores use -- include it!

Here are some examples of sales certifications:

• RISE Up Sales Certifications has different levels, ranging from entry-level employees to senior sales representatives. It helps sales representatives understand the basics of store operations, inventory control, merchandising, sales, and customer service
• Certified Inside Sales Professional (CISP) for sales executives and account managers
• Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP) sales executives, CEOs and sales professionals. This certification helps professionals develop sales habits, create and use a "personal identity," and develop communications and influencer skills.
• Certified Sales Leadership Professional (CSLP) consists of e-learning courses, in-person workshops, an exam and role-related requirements.
• HubSpot Inbound Sales is for sales professionals who identify potential buyers, create strategies for reaching those buyers, and build custom presentations.

For more information on certifications, check out our guide on how to include certifications on your resume the right way.

6. Pick the right template

Now it’s time for the fun part -- picking the aesthetics of your resume! 

Here at EasyResume, we offer 4 different templates. 

• Creative: these resumes are bold and colorful with eye-catching fonts to help you stand out from the crowd. This is best for those in creative fields like marketing and art. 
• Simple: these resumes follow a clear, straightforward format that highlight you and your experiences. This is best for those in fields that prefer austerity, such as the healthcare and finance industries. 
• Modern: these resumes have sleek designs that are fresh and bold with elegant fonts and clean lines. This is best for individuals applying to startups or to companies with a young audience or product.
• Professional: these resumes have a clean, crisp look that incorporates only one or two accent colors. The focus is solely on the text, pulling the recruiter into your experiences and accomplishments. This is best for individuals applying to straight-laced companies that mandate a suit-and-tie dress code. 

Your resume template should reflect the job to which you’re applying. For Sales Assistants, stick with a simple, modern, or professional template. 

7. Takeaways

We’ve reached the end of the article! Now for the hard part, actually creating the resume. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

• Research the job description to locate keywords
• Use a Reverse-Chronological resume layout
• Write your resume summary, including years of experience, a snapshot of your personality, and any quantifiable contributions you’ve made
• Include your education and relevant certifications
• Write your experience section in a way that any outsider could understand. Talk more about the how and why of your responsibilities. 
• Pick a resume template that fits the position to which you’re applying, such as Modern or Professional 

Start from one of our resume examples to save time.

Good luck with the interview!

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