How to Write a Resume for a Retail Job

How to Write a Resume for a Retail Job Retail ResumesRetailers typically wear many hats. Many retailing professionals are generalists, and their skills and experience can easily transfer into many different career options -- both in and out of retail.Skills That Will Get You NoticedA retailer often performs many transferable functions. Some of these are career fields in themselves others play major roles in different careers. These include Administrative functions Advertising Budgeting Buying Customer service Design Display Hiring/firing Information technology Merchandising Planning Public relations Receiving Scheduling Selling Shipping Stock work Store management Supervising TrainingThe key is to pinpoint the desirable skills for your target job, and then craft a resume that will market you for that new job.Shaping Your ResumeOnce you know the kind of job you want, you need to customize your resume to sell yourself to the e mployer.Not all resumes look alike. Functional resumes emphasize what you can do rather than what positions you have held. Choose this type if youre changing from sales clerk to buyer, for example, because this format shows off your transferable skills better and takes the focus off your old job titles. Chronological resumes summarize your work experience year by year. These are good if youre staying in the saatkorn field, especially if youve been upwardly mobile. You can also use a combination of functional and chronological resumes.Action verbs give your resume power and direction. Try to begin all statements with an action verb. Here are good ones for various retail skillsManagement Administered Improved Coordinated Analyzed Evaluated Directed Developed SupervisedTechnical Calculated Designed ProgrammedAdministrative Catalogued Generated Organized Processed SystemizedCreative Conceptualized Created Designed Established Fashioned InventedFinancial Analyzed Balanced Budgeted Forecasted Marketed Planned ProjectedInterpersonal Assessed Coached Diagnosed Facilitated Persuaded RepresentedResearch Evaluated Identified OrganizedRemove everything that starts with responsibilities included in your resume, says Yana Parker, author of The Damn Good Resume Guide. Replace that with on-the-job accomplishments.Heres one good way to do this Fill your resume with PAR statements. PAR stands for Problem-Action-Result. Heres how it works State the problem that existed in your workplace. Describe what you did about it. Specify the beneficial results.Heres an example Increased lagging department sales 17 percent to 23 percent each quarter in one year by redesigning displays, improving advertising and enhancing customer service.Resumes are your way of advertising yourself to potential employers. Make sure that your impression is a positive one. Resumes are des igned to capture a potential employers interest, so they will want to vorstellungsgesprch you. A good resume helps the employer predict how well you might perform in your desired future job, and how well you may fit within the companys style and philosophy.Learn more about retail careers.