Create a Winning Retail CV
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by Kim Isaacs, MA, CPRW, NCRW
In the world of retail, one-thing matters: Performance. Whether you are a manager, salesperson, merchandiser, cashier, shop assistant, HR professional or perform one of the numerous other retail jobs, your CV needs to demonstrate how you have contributed to your company's bottom line success.
What You Bring to the Table
High performers are most welcome in a retail environment. Competition is fierce in today's global and e-business economy, so companies with the best talent are often ahead of the game. When developing your CV, keep in mind that retail hiring managers want to know, "What can this person do for us?" So show that you have the skills, accomplishments, training and work ethic to positively contribute to your potential employer's corporate goals and mission.
Lead with a Clear Career Goal and Highlight Your Credentials
Make it easy for busy hiring managers to determine your job target and key qualifications. By including a Career Summary section, you immediately grab the reader's attention and highlight your most important attributes. To create your summary, review job postings to get a good feel for what hiring managers find desirable. Write a list of your matching credentials and incorporate these into the summary. Try to stay away from listing vague skills or cliches, such as "excellent communication and interpersonal skills". Instead, provide hard facts about your work history or training that would entice a hiring manager to call. Here's the introduction for a senior-level retail manager:
Regional manager with a reputation for building management teams focused on achieving revenue goals and high customer satisfaction levels. Designed and implemented programs that have improved operational efficiencies, profit margins, employee morale and sales revenues within diverse industries. Track record of driving business operations to profitability in turnaround and high growth situations.
