Most businesses need a store to sell their products. Running these businesses requires a store manager who handles the businessโs day-to-day operations. A retail store manager manages multiple aspects of a store, such as inventory, staffing, security, and customer service. As a retail manager, you will provide direction, train new employees and handle the storeโs day-to-day business. A retail store managerโs position is essential in a business. Therefore, to get a job as a retail store manager, you should write a great resume that makes you stand out.
A retail store managerโs resume summarizes your previous duties, accomplishments, skills, abilities, education, and experience. It also highlights how the career field has prepared you for the position. A well-written resume will grab the attention of hiring managers and take you to the next level in the hiring process. This article has discussed various topics that will enable you to write an effective resume.
The topics are:
- What is a retail store manager resume, and why do you need it
- How to write a retail store manager resume and what to include in it
- How to write a retail store manager resume that will beat an application tracking system (ATS)
- The doโs and donโts of writing a retail store manager resume
The retail store managerโs resume is a document you submit to introduce yourself as a retail store manager. It is composed of several sections. The sections include your job title, company name, dates of employment, and other experiences gained in previous companies. In addition to specific work history, it often highlights skills that demonstrate your leadership abilities and strengths in certain areas, such as dealing with people or following directions. It also describes awards or recognition you received during your career.
What is a Retail Store Manager Resume, and Why do you Need it?
A retail store manager’s resume is an opportunity to market yourself to potential employers. By highlighting your education, work background, and potential career strengths, you can grab recruitersโ attention and hopefully get the job.
How to Beat an ATS?
An applicant tracking system automates the hiring process and helps HR teams efficiently manage all parts of the hiring process (from posting to hiring). Most companies use ATS to scan and sort through the resumes they receive.
However, if you want to beat the ATS when applying, remember to:
- Review job postings and highlight the skills and attributes listed.
- Match these highlighted words and phrases precisely to your resume
- Use exact names for software, systems, and other professional tools
- Ensure your sentences sound natural and original. Also, avoid copying sentences from the job advertisement.
Moreover, the following are the steps you must follow when writing a resume. They include choosing the right format and including all the required information in your resume.
Below is an explanation of each step to follow when writing your resume:
Step 1: Choose a suitable format
The first step is choosing a format. You must ensure that you have a good layout of your resume that will help you attract the attention of employers. You can choose a chronological, hybrid, or functional format for your resume depending on what seems appropriate for the retail store manager position.
Below are these three types of formats explained briefly:
Reverse chronological resume
A reverse chronological resume shows your current or most recent job at the top. Most resumes are written in this order since recruiters are most interested in where you are now and where you might have recently been. A reverse chronological format is suitable if you have more than a few years of experience as a retail store manager.
Functional resume
A functional format is used for jobs that regard skills higher than experience. This format allows you to highlight your skills in the first section of your resume. In addition, a functional resume format is more flexible, making it suitable for various work situations. It is suitable for applicants who are fresh graduates or have no working experience.
Hybrid resume
A hybrid resume emphasizes both work experience and skills. This type of resume is characterized by a skills summary at the top, work experience, and additional skills. The hybrid resume combines the information included in the chronological and functional resume.
Step 2: Write a header and your personal information
The header is the first section that must be included in your resume. The header is the title of your resume. This is where you write your name. The heading should be the most prominent text on your resume. Use between 16 and 20 font sizes, depending on your template. There must be one space between the first and last names. This is important as consistent spacing gives the impression of professionalism.
After writing the header, your personal information follows. First, provide general information about yourself, such as your address, phone number, and email. Below is the general information that needs to be included in the header:
Contact information
You must provide a working mobile number where you can be reached anytime. If you have multiple mobile phone numbers, provide the number you use the most. Write your phone number starting with a (+) followed by your countryโs code. For example, (+256) 712345678
Email address
The email you give should be one that you are actively using. Recruiters often use your email address as an official communication channel to contact you. Therefore, you should avoid using unprofessional names like slickrick@xyz.com.
Postal address
It would be best to mention your city, not where you are from. Recruiters want to know where you currently live and whether you can relocate. Therefore, when writing your address, including the city and state will suffice.
Example:
KELVIN GRANT
+1(447) 334 9908
kelvingates@email.com
Manhattan, NY
Step 3: Customize the resume title
Your profile title tells recruiters about the position you are targeting. It also tells the recruiter your level of expertise in your area of โโwork. Therefore, giving accurate information in your resume is the only way to be shortlisted. Also, the profile title should be the second most significant text on your resume. When writing a resume title, use a font size of 14-16.
Example:
KELVIN GRANT
+1(447) 334 9908
kelvingates@email.com
Manhattan, NY
Store Manager
Step 4: Include a Profile Statement
A profile statement is a summary of yourself that you can place at the top of your resume. This is your only chance to market your personality and skills to potential employers. In addition, it shows the recruiter some of your qualifications and attributes. Profile statements are generally broad, and the information in the profile statement is explained further in the body of the resume. You must use five sentences to introduce yourself, describe your most significant achievements, and describe your skills and how you will contribute to the companyโs success.
Example:
Self-motivated and organized retail store manager with 5+ years of experience handling various marketing and sales tasks. Managed to balance my time between all positions assigned to me, with ease of learning new responsibilities at every new job. Maintained instructions from management during work hours.
Step 5: Highlight your professional career history
The next thing you should include in your resume is the experience section that is more specific to the position you are applying for. Professional experience is a section in which you can write in detail about your previous positions and the skills you acquired. In addition, you must highlight how your skills were beneficial when managing a retail store and what results you achieved.
Use bucketing and bolding method
The bucketing and bolding method is the best way to make your resume stand out. It means creating categories and emphasizing what you have achieved in your career. The bucketing and bolding method shifts the readerโs focus to the aspects of your resume that you want recruiters to focus on.
Example:
Professional experience
Store manager
Kimsa Supermarket
Jan 2020-Feb 2022
Problem Solving & Market Intelligence
- Strategically planned ad campaigns to drive increased sales by 25%
- Developed and implemented strategic market analysis initiatives
- Assisted with the implementation of new initiatives to increase the storeโs revenue by 20%
Strategic Planning, Branding & Marketing
- Conducted feasibility studies on location expansion
- Drafted plans to reposition stores as designer fashion outlets and initiate the rollout of sustainable value-chain initiatives across India and Nepal.
Step 6: Add educational details to your retail store manager resume
You will also need to include some information about your educational background. This includes specialized degrees, certificates or diplomas, and other educational details relevant to the position. The information you provide should be accurate as it reflects your educational background.
When mentioning your educational background, remember to write the following:
- The name of the school/college attended
- The course attended
- The location of the school/college
- The entry and graduation dates (month and year) for each course.
Example:
Education
Bachelor of Commerce
Kensington University
New York, NY | Sep 2016-Sep 2020
Graduated with a first-class degree in 2020
Step 7: Compose a skills section
You need to list all the skills that are relevant to your position in this section. An efficient way to highlight your skills is to mark them in bold. Marking your skills in bold will catch recruitersโ attention and make them focus on the skills section when reading your resume. Another best way to get the attention of recruiters is to include the keywords used in the job advertisement. Emphasizing these keywords and mentioning them in your skills section will increase your chances of being recognized by recruiters.
Example:
Key skills
- Organization
- Negotiation
- Problem-solving
- Customer retention
- Sales and Marketing
- Store Management Recruitment.
Step 8: Include the certification section
In this section, you must include any special certifications you have obtained throughout your career. Your certification should be particular to the retail store manager position. Having certifications shows that you are interested in learning new skills.
When mentioning your certificates, include the following information:
- The certificate names
- The name of the institution you got it from
- The duration of each certificate.
Example:
Certifications
Communication Skills | ABCD University | Jan 2022-Feb 2022
Machine Learning | EFGH University | Feb 2022-March 2022
Step 9: Create an award and recognition section
Finally, you must include any awards and recognitions you earned during your career. You can include different awards or recognitions, such as customer service awards, scholarships, community service awards, and other awards. Awards and recognition listed in this section must be relevant to the position of interest or should add value to your resume. Group the awards and recognition in a separate section. Having a separate section for your awards increases the chances that recruiters will notice them. Alternatively, you can create a โKey Achievementsโ subheading in the Professional Experience Section of each profile and move all awards/recognitions there.
Example:
Professional experience
Kimsa Supermarket
Store Manager
Jan 2020-Feb 2022
Kimsa Supermarket is an upcoming supermarket based in Nairobi with over five outlets across Kenya
Annual sales improvement
- Exceeded annual sales projections by $80,000 in my first year as store manager
Cost reduction
- Analyzed data, including income statements, and drafted store budgets that reduced costs by 15%
Key Achievement
- Improved customer retention by 20% by delivering goods on time.
Free Templates: Retail Manager Resume
A template is a document with various formats and designs that you can use to create a new retail store manager resume with detailed elements. The primary purpose of a template is to make your job easier and reduce any chance of errors in formatting or content. Using a resume template is much easier than writing from scratch.
It also enables you to create an effective resume that will make recruiters recognize you as the best fit for a store managerโs position. This website has free, downloadable, and customizable templates of a retail store managerโs resume that you can use.
Some Essential Doโs and Donโts
A retail store managerโs resume can make a difference between getting the job and failing to get it. Therefore, knowing the doโs and donโts when creating your resume is essential.
Below are some doโs and donโts to keep in mind when creating your retail store manager resume:
Doโs
The do’s include the following:
- Optimize your resume for ATS: If you want to pass the ATS, you should take the keywords and phrases from the job description and use them in your resume. Also, a straightforward resume layout increases the chances of passing the ATS.
- Use action verbs: Using intense action verbs when describing your accomplishments creates a positive impression on employers. It portrays you as someone who cares about accomplishments. Examples of action verbs are implemented, assigned, achieved, etc.
- Proofread: You should proofread your retail store manager’s resume carefully and ensure that all the spelling, grammar, and layout are correct. You can also have someone else proofread it to ensure all the information is correct.
Donโts
The don’ts include the following:
- Do not make it too long: You should always limit your resume to one page. However, if you are applying for a job that requires a lot of experience, use up to two pages. This is because recruiters spend only seconds reviewing most resumes. Likewise, limiting your work history limits your resume to under two pages.
- Do not write irrelevant information: The information you include in your resume should be relevant to the position you are applying for. Commonly, people tend to include irrelevant information in their resumes, hence getting their resumes rejected. Irrelevant information can include race, sex, etc.
- Do not lie: Be honest about your experience and skills. Including false information to make yourself look better can be tempting, but this is not a good idea. Employers will almost always verify the information on your resume and ensure that it is accurate. Furthermore, the job opportunity may cost you if they find that you have lied about something.
Bottom Line
A retail store manager’s resume is a practical document when applying for employment in the retail industry. This summary of education, experience, and qualities makes it easier for recruiters to see why you are the best fit. The retail industry constantly looks for people with the right experience and skills. Therefore, you should try to make yourself stand out from other applicants. Most importantly, be honest and include relevant information when writing your resume.