You will have to deal with hiring, firing, training, scheduling, and implementation of company policies, all while maintaining every other skill it takes to work in customer service and sales.
While most people who work in retail understand that the customer is key, a retail manager knows that everything comes down to the staff.
If you want happy customers, it starts with how you run your store through employee selection, training, and of course, management.
It takes an intuitive and skilled individual to manage a retail store effectively.
Creating a retail manager resume that captures all of your relevant characteristics and qualifications is essential to get hired or receive a promotion.
Let’s get started!
Summary
- Resume Template
- Formatting
- Writing Your Resume Summary
- Areas of Expertise
- Writing Your Work Experience
- Writing Your Education Section
- Additional Sections
- Resume Points to Remember
- Resume “Don’ts” to Remember
- Some Helpful Tools
Let’s begin with a sample retail menager resume to demonstrate how all the resume pieces fit together. Then we will break each section down to really drill into how to write the best retail manager resume you possibly can.
Retail Manager Resume (Text Version)
Contact Info:
Phillip Maxwell
[email protected]
(404) 212-7538
Atlanta, GA 30311
linkedin.com/pmaxwell
Summary Statement:
Retail Manager: Enthusiastic, driven and personable retail leader with 8 years of experience. Efficiently manages store operations and establishes a positive and supportive work environment for all employees and customers. Provides training and development activities to maximize employee performance and retention and consistently exceed company KPIs.
Key Accomplishments/Areas of Expertise
- Management
- Relationship Building
- Customer Service
- Interpersonal Communication
- Sales
- Innovation
- Teamwork
- Organization
- Decision-making
- Problem Solving
- Expenses Management
- Hiring/Training
- Staff Retention
- Motivation
Professional Experience:
Target
Store Manager | Atlanta, GA | May 2016–Present
- Effectively level up operations to become a Top 25 store nationwide
- Manage hiring process leading to a 20% decrease in staff turnover
- Meet company KPIs by implementing goals to increase revenue by 15%
- Ensure quality customer service, increasing store reviews by 10%
Ross
Manager | Atlanta, GA | June 2013–April 2016
- Adhered to budgets, exceeding revenue goals by 5% monthly
- Coordinated staff schedules for efficiency, increased staff retention by 10%
- Created opportunities for professional development for team members
Walmart
Assistant Manager | Atlanta, GA | January 2012–May 2013
- Created employee incentives to maximize store sales goals
- Promoted a collaborative work culture to increase employee engagement
- Used technology to manage inventory more efficiently
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
December 2011
Formatting
You’ve likely heard the advice, “dress for the job you want.”
Whether or not this holds true when it comes to wardrobe, it does have validity when it comes to resume formatting.
The format of your retail manager resume dictates what it will look like at first glance, regardless of what you write on the page.
If you want to land a job as a retail manager, your resume must appear neat and professional.
Much like business apparel, there are many formatting options to choose from when it comes to writing your resume.
However, there are also standard practices that your retail manager resume is expected to follow regardless of what format you choose.
When it comes to font selection, you should always use something legible and, therefore, easy to read and understand quickly.
Utilizing bullet points to list key details is beneficial in creating separation between sentences.
Proper spacing throughout the entire resume encourages hiring managers to continue reading by guiding their eyes down the page.
While keeping things orderly and structured creates a professional appearance, a suitable resume format should also take into consideration the information the resume contains.
Hiring managers only spend about six seconds reviewing resumes, which isn’t enough time to read an entire page.
Always list your qualifications and relevant information in prime locations near the top of the page or in isolated sections that draw attention.
Reverse chronological order is typically the best way to list achievements and work experience because often, your most relevant work is your most recent.
Stick to these basics and your resume will definitely stand out above the rest.
Start With Your Resume Summary
Depending on how long you have been a part of the workforce, you might be familiar with the first section of your resume being an “objective” instead of a summary.
While objectives were once the standard introduction section of most resumes, they have since become an outdated segment to include.
In many instances, resume objectives put forward information that is already apparent and unnecessary to state.
Resume summaries, however, describe details regarding who you are as a candidate and some of the broader reasons why you would be an asset to the company you are applying to.
When writing a resume summary, it’s important to include strong keywords and specific details to grab a hiring manager’s attention right away.
While it is essential to include impactful details, a resume summary should always be kept brief — no longer than two to three sentences.
Yes!
Enthusiastic, driven, and personable retail leader with 8 years of experience. Efficiently manages store operations and establishes a positive and supportive work environment for all employees and customers. Provides training and development activities to maximize employee performance and retention and consistently exceed company KPIs.
No!
Great, driven, and easy-going retail leader. Watch all store operations and establish a great work environment for all employees, along with training and development activities, to maximize employee performance and exceed company standards.
The first example implements effective and varied keywords to describe the candidate precisely and depicts a leader who stands out and creates results.
The second example uses general and repetitive language to describe the candidate, failing to set them apart from the crowd.
PRO TIP: When writing your retail manager resume summary, it can be challenging to decide what details are important to include and which are unnecessary to mention. Before writing this section, ask yourself, “what does an effective and likable retail manager do for their staff and store?” “What are the responsibilities a retail manager has?” Then ask yourself, “How do I meet or exceed these standards?” Starting with broader questions and working your way in helps to narrow things down so that the more valuable information can surface.
Key Accomplishments/Skills & Qualifications
While introductions are important, they don’t tend to offer the essential information that most hiring managers want to see right away.
So once the formalities are done, it is time to write a section in your retail manager resume that is a bit more attention-grabbing.
As with any profession, there are job requirements that come with managing a retail business.
Hiring managers assess your ability to tackle job requirements by looking at the different qualifications and skills you have.
It is necessary to create a section on your retail manager resume that is easily noticeable and simplistic in listing the skills you have related to retail management.
Key Accomplishments/Areas of Expertise
- Management
- Relationship Building
- Customer Service
- Interpersonal Communication
- Sales
- Innovation
- Teamwork
- Organization
- Decision-making
- Problem Solving
- Expenses Management
- Hiring/Training
- Staff Retention
- Motivation
Make sure that as you decide what skills to include in your own list, you also consider both hard skills and soft skills.
Hard skills are:
- Technical skills
- Taught and practiced
- Quantifiable
- Job-specific
Soft skills are:
- People skills
- Personality traits, innate
- Not always teachable
- Not easily quantified
When it comes to retail management, hard skills and soft skills are equally important.
Just because you understand sales, budgeting, and store products doesn’t mean you will be a good leader if you can’t also communicate, motivate, or innovate.
The same is also true in reverse.
Hard and soft skills go hand in hand — a strong leader knows that so much more goes into running a store than just increasing revenue.
PRO TIP: If you are responding to a position that has an online job posting, make sure that you take the time to reference it as you are writing your retail manager resume. Most companies will say what kinds of skills and qualifications they are looking for in the candidate they seek. Your goal is to create a resume that shows hiring managers that you meet their criteria and can handle the position.
Writing Your Work Experience
While every section of your retail manager resume is important and deserves significant attention to detail, your work experience section often takes up the most space and receives the most attention.
Hiring managers look at a candidate’s job history to see whether or not they have the experience to match the skills they claim to have.
If you already have a fair amount of experience working as a retail manager, your goal should be to narrow down what jobs are the most relevant and impactful to the job you are trying to obtain.
If you are working your way up and don’t yet have the title of Retail Manager under your belt, your goal is to decide what jobs show off the most relevant skills to this new position.
Supervising positions, other positions in retail work, or management in other industries will all have job responsibilities that relate to retail management.
Typically, it is beneficial to list your work experience in reverse chronological order because it is more common for your recent work to be your most impressive.
Including about three jobs in this section is a good rule of thumb to follow. Describing each one in three to five bullet points should cover the necessary details.
Yes!
Target | Store Manager | Atlanta, GA | May 2016–Present
- Effectively level up operations to become a Top 25 store nationwide
- Manage hiring process leading to a 20% decrease in staff turnover
- Meet company KPIs by implementing goals to increase revenue by 15%
- Ensure quality customer service, increasing store reviews by 10%
No!
Target | Store Manager | Atlanta, GA | May 2016–Present
- Manage all store functions and daily operations
- Manage hiring process for candidates
- Starting strategies to fulfill company KPIs
- Quality customer service to all guests
The first example includes descriptions of various job tasks that the candidate has fulfilled in their current position while utilizing specific outcomes and accomplishments.
The second example lists various job tasks while using language that is repetitive, non-specific, and lacks details to uniquely separate the candidate from others.
PRO TIP: It is always crucial to quantify and qualify details on your retail manager resume. When referencing sales and productivity, it is a good idea to lend specific numerical information to create a more impactful bullet point. Be sure to include details regarding how you created those numbers to add more legitimacy to your accomplishments.
(If you lack work experience, see below for a helpful section.)
What are bots?
When writing your retail manager resume, always remember to consider who is going to be reviewing it.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), or bots, are becoming increasingly common in today’s hiring process.
While owners and managers still review resumes that candidates turn in, there are often too many to go through — and not enough time.
So, in many cases, before a resume gets to an owner or manager for review, a bot scans through it in search of keywords (distinct adjectives) and power words (action verbs) that show promise for the candidate.
Some resume experts suggest writing your job descriptions in paragraphs as opposed to bullet points in order to incorporate more keywords into your resume.
While it is important to impress a bot by being intentional about your use of keywords and power words, it is also essential to maintain a professional visual appearance on your retail manager resume.
At Big Interview, we suggest sticking with bullet points while being intentional about the inclusion of keywords and power words so that you can impress both bots and humans alike.
Standard Bullet Point Format:
Ross | Manager | Atlanta, GA | June 2013–April 2016
- Adhered to budgets, exceeding revenue goals by 5% monthly
- Coordinated staff schedules for efficiency, increased staff retention by 10%
- Created opportunities for professional development for team members
Paragraph Format:
Ross | Manager | Atlanta, GA | June 2013–April 2016
Controlled all store finances and adhered to outlined budgets in order to exceed revenue goals each month by 5%. Coordinate staff schedules and training to ensure an efficient and enjoyable work environment to increase staff retention by 10%. Provided leadership to team members by creating opportunities for ongoing professional development leading to a score of 9/10 for employee satisfaction.
Ross | Manager | Atlanta, GA | June 2013–April 2016
Controlled all store finances and adhered to outlined budgets in order to exceed revenue goals each month by 5%. Coordinate staff schedules and training to ensure an efficient and enjoyable work environment to increase staff retention by 10%. Provided leadership to team members by creating opportunities for ongoing professional development leading to a score of 9/10 for employee satisfaction.
- Employee of the Month (2 times)
- Hired/Trained 15+ associates
Writing Your Education Section
Regardless of how long you have been a part of the workforce, it is still common practice to include your education section in your retail manager resume.
List your degrees in order of impressiveness (e.g., master’s, bachelor’s, associate, etc.).
For each degree of education, include the full title of the degree, the year you graduated, and the school you attended.
Example:
Education:
Bachelor of Business Administration
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
December 2011
If you have any certifications or licenses related to retail management, you can either include them in this section or list them in a separate section directly below or above your education.
Example:
Certifications:
Retail Management Certification — Udemy
2012
Possible Sections to Include
If you have additional accomplishments or qualifications to include that don’t fit in the more standard resume sections, you can make a new section to accommodate them.
Some additional sections to consider including are:
- Awards and honors
- Publications
- Noteworthy Projects
- Social Media Influence
- Speaking Engagements
- Hobbies/Interests
- Volunteer Work
What If You Have No Experience?
If you are a recent graduate or you are recently switching career fields, you might be wondering what adjustments to make to your retail manager resume that will fit your background.
It is important to note that retail management is not an entry-level position — to work your way into this position, it will require either retail experience, management experience, or both.
If you have management experience in a different industry, it is possible to earn a position as a retail manager.
As far as format is concerned, there aren’t many necessary adjustments to make; you should, however, focus on how you write your job descriptions.
Make sure that you are writing bullet points that cover job tasks and skills that are transferable across industries.
For example, if you are a restaurant manager, stay away from discussing details regarding food service skills and stick with describing your staff management and customer satisfaction achievements.
If you already work in the retail industry and you are looking to become a manager, the advice is much the same.
Write your job descriptions by listing information that is relevant to retail, while pulling out any areas of your job where you have shown true management potential.
For example, you could include details like training staff members, and any achievements that you have accomplished to bring more business to a store you work in.
Working your way up in an industry or switching career fields can be challenging, but it is possible with the right attitude and perspective.
Resume Points to Remember
Review your work
Always take the time necessary to review your resume and revise it. The revision process is not something to breeze through either — take the time to read things aloud so that you can catch any mistakes before you hand your resume in.
Name and contact
This might sound like a simple thing to remember; however, it is common for candidates to get so wrapped up in writing their best resume only to forget the most straightforward details of all. Make sure that you aren’t overlooking something as silly as your name and contact information.
Study up
When writing your resume, take the time to read up on the company or look at the job posting you are responding to. It is important to list the skills and qualifications that are most compatible with the job you are applying to and not just the things that come to mind when you are writing your resume.
Try to Avoid
Repetition
Your resume is no place to repeat yourself, especially when it comes to power words. Make sure that you are starting each bullet point you write with a unique power word or keyword to keep things fresh and specific.
Rambling on
A resume should only come out to one page in length once all is said and done. Hiring managers don’t have much time to review all the applications they receive, and they won’t be impressed with a resume that failed to narrow down the details.
“I” and “me”
While you are going to write your resume in the first person, you should not include the words “I” and “me.” It might sound strange at first, but it is a common resume standard that should never be broken — it can sound off-putting if you do.
(See below for a helpful table of some suggested power words.)
Helpful Tools:
Retail Manager Resume Power Words
- Administered
- Founded
- Adept
- Formulated
- Built
- Implemented
- Created
- Improved
- Consolidated
- Initiated
- Coordinated
- Launched
- Developed
- Pioneered
- Designed
- Organized
Retail Manager Resume Skills List
| Hard Skills | Soft Skills |
| Budgeting | Leadership |
| Salesforce | Customer Service |
| Hiring/Training | Problem Solving |
| Staff Retention | Motivation |
| In-store Logistics | Delegation |
