For many, retail jobs are the first opportunity to gain work experience, but many college students and recent grads are unsure of how to incorporate this valuable experience onto the résumé, especially if retail is not their long term career goal. Here are some sample résumé phrases that may help:
- Learned full range of ______ product line in order to provide effective assistance to customers
- Oversaw store opening and closing, including till float reconciliation
- Consistently surpassed monthly sales goals by providing friendly, professional customer service to wide range of patrons
- Trained new employees and acted as mentor to new staff
- Offered suggestions for re-arranging checkout areas and stock room, resulting in increased efficiency and safer work environment
- Managed customer complaints and concerns discreetly and professionally
- Coordinated all visual displays, signage positioning and stocking merchandise
- Assisted customers with returns and exchanges
- Answered questions about different sporting goods; assisted customers in selecting merchandise that best suited their needs
- Familiar with various cash registers, scanners and POS systems
- Traveled to weekly flea and craft markets; developed strong rapport with organizers and regular customers to successfully brand eco-candle
- Worked effectively with non-native English speakers
Keep in mind that the phrases above are just examples and are provided to remind you of your many accomplishments as a student. Revise, edit and tailor the phrases as your needs require.
It’s not uncommon for college students to work in jobs that are completely unrelated to their long-term career goals. Yet these experiences are often valuable additions to a résumé. The Resume Phrases by Common Off-campus Jobs series offers sample résumé phrases for experiences often gained through common off-campus student jobs. These sample phrases are intended to inspire students and recent grads to describe their college experience more thoroughly.
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