Craft a solid resume with this Retail Sales Associate job description.

Retail Sales Associates are vital to a store's operations. As a Retail Sales Associate, you represent the brand you work for and play a crucial role in supporting consumer interactions that lead to the store's success. 

To land a Retail Sales Associate job, you'll need a resume that packs a punch. One way to craft a job-winning resume is to review examples of Retail Sales Associate job descriptions, like the one provided below.

Why refer to a Retail Sales Associate job description?

​​You need to know what to include in your professional resume to ensure it will support your goals. By reviewing job description examples, job seekers can more easily identify what hard and soft skills, work experience, and credentials matter most to an employer for a particular role.  

As you review each Retail Sales Associate job description, make note of the requirements listed for each one, as well as commonalities across them. You can use this information to consider your skills and experience that align with what you're seeing. With these insights, you now have a great place to start creating content for your Retail Sales Associate resume! 

Retail Sales Associate job description example

Job descriptions are often formatted to include the job title, a general description with major and minor duties and responsibilities, and a list of job requirements, including education and work experience. Who the position will report to is also included in most instances.

Here's an example of a Retail Sales Associate job description with common terminology, skills, responsibilities, and requirements for the role. 

Retail Sales Associate job description

The Retail Sales Associate is responsible for all sales activities and sales associate job duties, from greeting customers, answering questions, offering assistance, suggesting items, lending opinions, and providing product information. 

Individual responsibilities as a Retail Sales Associate include demonstrating outstanding customer service and selling skills, keeping the selling floor stocked with merchandise, addressing customer complaints, assisting in the display of merchandise, organizing the selling floor, stock areas, and other responsibilities as assigned.

The Retail Sales Associate must process payments by totaling purchases, operating cash registers and financial transactions, processing checks, cash, and store or other credit cards. They must also be able to deal with customer refunds courteously and professionally. 

The Retail Sales Associate maintains a professional attitude with sincerity and enthusiasm, reflecting the store's commitment to our customers. 

The Associate develops product knowledge by reading current vendor tags and pamphlets and attending training classes in order to communicate it to the customer. Sales associates must stay current with promotional events and sales.

This role reports to the General Manager of the specific store where the Retail Sales Associate is hired to work. 

Retail Sales Associate job requirements:

  • Basic understanding of sales principles and customer service practices

  • Proficient in verbal and written English language

  • Knowledge of customer and market dynamics and requirements

  • Solid communication and interpersonal skills

  • Stellar time management and organizational skills

  • Ability to read, write, and effectively communicate with customers, peers, and management

  • Telephone etiquette

  • Ability to multitask, while being attentive to customers and remaining flexible to the needs of the business

  • Ability to work as part of a team and take initiative independent of direct supervision

  • Physical demands: This position involves constant moving, talking, hearing, reaching, grabbing, and standing for at least two consecutive hours. May occasionally involve stooping, kneeling, crouching, and climbing ladders. 

  • Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment

  • Customer service focus

  • Enthusiastic, friendly, and energetic with a genuine desire to provide outstanding service

  • Available to work a variety of hours, which may include early mornings, evenings, weekends, and overnight shifts

Required/preferred experience and education:

  • Previous retail experience or similar experience on the sales floor a plus

  • High school diploma or equivalent; college degree preferred

  • BS degree in Marketing or related field would be a plus

Retail Sales Associate skills & proficiencies

It's not standard to see a long list of standalone skills in a job description, as they're often embedded in the job duties, responsibilities, and requirements, as shown in the example above. However, it can be helpful for job candidates to see a list of the skills employers look for, since recognizing these skills and proficiencies can help you craft a compelling resume that showcases your capabilities. 

Here is a list of some of the top soft and hard skills necessary for a Retail Sales Associate to succeed:

  • Excellent Customer Service

  • Organization

  • Sales

  • Merchandising

  • Product Knowledge

  • Basic Math

  • Dependability

  • Attention to Detail

  • Time Management

  • Team Player

  • Written and Verbal Communication

  • Interpersonal Skills

  • Information Technology

  • Visual Merchandising

  • Operations

  • Ordering

  • Payroll

  • Product Rotation

  • Product Sourcing

  • Purchasing

  • Receiving

  • Shipping

  • Marketing

  • Trend Awareness

  • Multi-tasking

  • Problem-solving

  • Critical Thinking

  • Point of Sale (POS) Systems

  • Conflict Resolution

Update  your resume for each application 

As a job candidate, your unique set of skills and experiences are valuable assets that employers look for. You now have an example of a Retail Sales Associate job description and skills list to help you begin crafting your resume. 

As you research employer Retail Sales Associate job descriptions online and find a few you'd like to apply to, be sure to tailor your resume for each one. You don't need to do an entire rewrite. Instead, adjust your resume to include any new or different keywords – like skills and experiences – found in each one, and remove any irrelevant content from your resume. 

Does your resume include your skills and experience to best align with the Retail Sales Associate job description you're applying to? Why not submit it for a free resume review to find out?

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