Sales Assistant CV Example & Writing Guide for 2025

How to write a sales assistant CV

Sales assistants use their product knowledge and customer service skills to help shoppers make the right buying decisions.

While most sales assistant roles don’t require formal qualifications, your CV still needs to show employers you can handle the key responsibilities of the job.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to write a CV that highlights your skills and shows you’d make a well-rounded, capable sales assistant.

1. Highlight product knowledge and personalised recommendations

Employers are looking for sales assistants who know their company’s products and excel at helping customers find the right fit — whether it’s clothes, electronics, or beauty products.

So, on your CV, emphasise your

• knowledge of product ranges & features
• ability to help customers find the right product for their needs
• being able to advise on sizing, specifications, or benefits
• habit of staying up to date with new stock arrivals & promotions

Here’s a CV work experience section bullet point that does this effectively:

• Provided personalised product recommendations, resulting in a 15% increase in add-on accessory sales for mobile phone customers

2. Demonstrate till operation, cash handling, and card payments experience

Accuracy at the till is essential. Mistakes with cash, card transactions, or refunds can waste time and cost your employer money, so use your CV to show you’re able to competently handle payments, balance tills, and follow correct procedures.

Here’s an example bullet point (if you have prior experience using tills, handling cash, and cashing up at the end of a task):

• Processed cash and card transactions accurately, handling up to £5,000 in daily sales with zero discrepancies during till reconciliation

And here’s another example that someone with absolutely no experience in sales might use on their CV for their first job:

• Developed numeracy and accuracy by managing cash and giving change on a school tuck shop rota, ensuring correct payments and building trust with teachers and students

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3. Show you can professionally deal with customer complaints and returns

Handling complaints and returns well is vital for customer retention. So employers need calm, professional staff who can solve problems and protect the shop’s reputation.

If you have experience, you can provide examples of times you’ve resolved complaints effectively, maintained a positive attitude in a tricky situation, or escalated issues to a supervisor.

Here’s an example of this ability concisely stated in a bullet point:

• Resolved customer complaints about faulty products promptly and professionally, offering alternative solutions and ensuring 100% positive outcomes without escalation

4. Prove your ability to maintain store standards: tidiness, displays, and compliance

A tidy, well-presented store encourages sales and reflects positively on the brand. So if you make it appear on your CV as if you take pride in keeping displays appealing, aisles clear, and stock compliant with safety and promotional guidelines, employers will want to hire you.

Mention how you’ve taken part in daily tidying and cleaning routines, re-stocked shelves, and maintained health and safety compliance.

It’s easy to put these hard skills into a list on your CV like this:

Key Skills

• Visual merchandising
• Stock replenishment
• Health & safety compliance
• Store presentation & tidiness

5. Clarify you can handle click & collect, online orders, and multichannel retail tasks

Sales assistants aren’t just responsible for sales on the shop floor.

Many customers now use click & collect and online ordering services offered by retailers, so employers will want you to be able to handle these revenue streams efficiently.

A good place to add that experience is in your CV personal profile, an optional introduction, which if used, is the first part of your CV that an employer will read.

Immediately seeing that you’re familiar with the latest sales methods will impress employers and make them more likely to want to give you an interview.

CV personal profile

Adaptable sales assistant with experience supporting click & collect and online order processes, ensuring smooth customer experiences both in-store and online. Skilled at managing stock availability, preparing orders for collection, and handling customer queries efficiently. Known for working well under pressure and maintaining attention to detail in a fast-paced retail environment. Committed to providing Asda customers with friendly, reliable service that encourages repeat business.

Sales assistant jobs outlook for 2025 — things to know

According to the UK Earnings Explorer provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), sales and retail assistants in the UK earn an average annual salary of £21,530.

Additionally, there are similar pay levels for both men and women in this type of role.