How to Write a Retail CV, with Tips and Examples

Key Sections of a Retail CV

While the content of your retail CV will depend heavily on your experience and the seniority of the role you’re applying for, the sections of the CV will remain largely the same. For any retail CV, you should include a CV header, a summary or CV objective, a work experience section, a list of educational achievements and a skills section. You could also include several optional sections, if these help you to prove your worth to employers.

Retail jobs start from entry-level, requiring no prior experience or qualifications, through to senior positions in management. Depending on your career stage and the role you’re applying for, you can choose from various CV formats. The most common CV format for experienced retail employees is the reverse-chronological CV, which focuses most attention on your work experience. If, however, you lack relevant retail work experience, you might prefer to use a functional CV format. This places greater emphasis on your skills and education.

However you decide to structure your CV for retail applications, make sure it includes these sections:

CV header

Start your CV with a header that includes your name, email address, phone number and location. There’s usually no need to include your full address or any personal demographic details. In the UK, it’s also not typically necessary to add a personal photo. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can add this to your CV header.

CV summary or objective

A CV summary provides a brief overview of your relevant skills and experience. A CV objective is similar, but it also includes details of your career ambitions and your reasons for applying for the job. Choose which of these is right for you, and draft two or three sentences to introduce yourself and encourage the hiring manager to read on. Focus on a couple of key skills and achievements that sum you up best, and demonstrate your best qualities to help you stand out from the crowd.

Take a look at an example retail CV summary below:

Work experience

The importance of your work experience section will depend on the role you’re applying for, and your levels of relevant work experience. For entry-level roles, employers may not be too concerned about whether you’ve worked in retail before. However, for supervisory or managerial positions, it’s essential to show your relevant experience.

Add each previous job in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent role, and working backwards. For each entry, add your job title, the company name, its location and the dates you worked there. Under each job, add several bullet points outlining your key responsibilities and achievements. Consult the job description for the type of experience and skills the employer is seeking, and use strong action words in each bullet point that reflect these.

For example:

Education

The educational requirements of retail jobs can vary significantly. For junior and part-time retail assistant positions, there aren’t usually too many requirements, while for managerial posts, you may need to have a degree or a Higher National Diploma (HND).

Whatever the requirements, list your highest or most relevant qualifications in your CV education section, including the name and level of the award, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study. Below this, you could add some bullet points explaining any specialist areas of study, any awards you won or any societies or clubs you were a member of.

Here’s an example CV education section for retail applicants:

Skills

For many retail jobs, skills are the most important and relevant factor in your chances of success. Employers will want to see you have the necessary transferable skills to thrive in the role. These tend to include interpersonal skills related to sales and customer service, while hard skills such as inventory management and the use of sales software and hardware can also be valuable. You might choose to list all your skills in a single list, or divide them into hard and soft skills.

For a customer-facing retail job, the following skills are desirable:

• Customer service
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Problem-solving
• Attention to detail
• Commercial awareness
• Working under pressure
• Teamwork

Optional sections

If you’re struggling to prove your credentials through the standard CV sections, you could add several optional sections to bolster your chances. These include certifications and training, foreign language skills, volunteer work and hobbies and interests. Mention any of these if they’re relevant to the role, (for example, customer service training or volunteering at a local food bank). Experiences that you list in these sections can help you prove your skills, while also showing employers that you’re proactive and take the initiative to develop your career.

Key Tips for a Successful Retail CV

Read the tips below to understand how to turn your retail CV into a strong contender for any position:

• Choose a suitable format: use either a reverse-chronological or a functional CV format, depending on your experience and the role you’re applying for. If you want to emphasise your relevant work experience, reverse-chronological is more suitable, while a functional structure emphasises your skills. Whichever format you select, follow a clear structure and label each section clearly, to help make your CV readable and increase your chances of passing any ATS stage.
• Tailor your CV: it’s crucial to tailor your CV to each job you apply for. Read the job description and be sure to include keywords that reflect the experience and skills the employer is seeking. This helps keep your CV fresh as your career progresses, as well as showing the employer you’ve thought about your application. This approach can also increase your chances of passing the ATS stage of the recruitment process.
• Quantify your achievements: rather than simply listing your responsibilities in your work experience section, try to add evidence to demonstrate the impact you made. These could be sales figures, customer satisfaction scores or personal accolades such as awards or appraisal results. If you managed staff, you might also wish to mention the size of the team you supervised.
• Keep it concise: hiring managers often have to read hundreds of CVs for every vacancy, so they might only spend a few seconds reviewing your application. Use clear, simple language and keep your CV to a maximum of two pages. If you can say everything you need to say on a single side of A4, this is even better. 
• Proofread your CV: review your CV and correct any errors in spelling or grammar. If you submit a CV with errors, this can seriously jeopardise your chances of success.
• Use an eye-catching CV design: enhance your CV by using online CV templates that add subtle design elements, including colour accents, different fonts, columns and icons. This can help your CV to make a strong impression with hiring managers.

Takeaways for a Winning Retail CV

When writing a retail CV, ensure that it reflects the job description and showcases your experience in sales, customer service and other essential retail skills. Choose a CV format that suits your experience levels, and tailor your CV for each vacancy you apply for. Sign up to CVwizard to access templates and CV samples that can help you to produce an eye-catching CV for retail applications. On CVwizard you can also find a library of useful articles to help improve your job applications and land your perfect role.