Never sold in a shop — what should the CV say so I still get called?

List relevant work you really did: online advising, livestream selling, cashiering at a food stall, or helping sell at a market — one line per job with the products. Do not write “experienced in sales” in general when you never stood at a counter.

Should I put sales figures I achieved in a sales CV?

Only figures that are real and verifiable at a trial, for example “met the counter target for 3 months in a row”, instead of inventing an absolute number. The manager will ask in the interview how you achieved that figure.

How should I state shifts so I am not assigned shifts I cannot work?

State the shifts you can work exactly: morning, evening, split shifts, weekends, holidays — and state clearly which shifts you cannot work. Writing “can work any shift” and then dropping shifts is the fastest way to lose the job in this group.

Sold many different products — should I list them all or just one group?

Put the product group matching the role you are applying for first, and list the other groups in one short line. Applying for fashion while listing electronics, food and mother-and-baby at length leaves the manager unsure which counter you are strong at.

Should I list soft skills like communication and persuasion in a sales CV?

No separate soft-skills section is needed. Communication and persuasion show through real work: advising by customer need, handling returns, closing sales — one line per job is enough evidence.

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Job seekers8 min read

CV for in-store retail sales staff: write it so managers call you

Keep it to 1–2 pages: one line with your main job and product range, 3–5 point-of-sale jobs written as concrete action verbs, past employers (one main job per place), your service area plus shifts, and your contact details. Skip vague lines like “good communicator, great at selling, enthusiastic” with no specific product, counter job or rotatable shift attached.

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How store managers read a CV

Unlike office CVs, an in-store sales CV is read closely in exactly two places: the products really sold and the real work done at the point of sale. Managers look for four answers: which products can you sell, which counter jobs have you done, can you rotate the shop's shifts, and can you keep cash, stock and displays to standard after each shift. Missing any one of the four usually puts the CV behind others, even if you are truly quick and serious. So put the products and point-of-sale jobs right after the role line, then past employers, with service area, shifts and honesty about cash and stock at the end of the main part.

One role line: main job + products + work mode

Open the CV with exactly one line: the main job, the products, and the work mode. Examples: “Women's fashion sales assistant, advising and closing sales in-store, rotating shifts in the inner city.” For a minimart: “Minimart sales assistant, displaying, cashiering and stocktaking, evening and weekend shifts.” For electronics: “Electronics sales adviser, basic technical advice and instalment sales, in-store in the inner city.” One such line tells the manager at once whether you fit the counter and shift needed. The most common mistake is writing it too generally (“applying for sales work”) or naming the job without the products and work mode — both force the manager to ask, and when staff are urgently needed, people who need asking are usually skipped first.

Products and point-of-sale jobs: one job per line, only real work

This section is mandatory for in-store sales CVs. List the jobs you did at the point of sale, one line each, written with concrete action verbs plus the products sold. For advising: advise on women's fashion by body shape and customer budget, suggest outfits, handle size exchanges; advise on cosmetics by skin type, read basic ingredients, suggest a suitable routine. For display and cashiering: display counters to the planogram, change prices, attach promotion tags; take cash and bank transfers, issue invoices, reconcile at the end of the shift. For stocktaking and counter stock: count counter stock at the end of the shift, report items running low, receive goods from the warehouse, check expiry dates for food. For closing sales and after-sales care: close sales at the counter, record orders, call to confirm orders, handle exchanges and returns by shop policy. Claiming a product or job you never handled to “make the CV look good” shows up in the very first shift and costs you the role and your reputation with customers and the shop.

Difficult customers, returns and rotating shifts: be specific

Handling difficult customers, returns and rotating shifts sets this CV apart — state how you work: greet the customer within the first 30 seconds, ask their needs before suggesting; when a customer complains, listen fully, apologise for the shop's actual fault, and exchange or return by policy rather than promising beyond policy; and for shifts, state clearly whether you can rotate split shifts, evenings, weekends or holidays, and whether you can work an early opening shift. If you handled a customer demanding a refund, faulty goods or a rush at peak hours, say how you handled it and reported to the manager. Managers schedule by counter and peak hours — stating shifts that do not match, only discovered after a customer complains, wastes everyone's time. State your real shifts from the start, even if you can only work some of them, rather than writing vaguely and dropping shifts when the shop is busy.

Past employers: workplace + dates + main job, no long descriptions

For each shop, minimart or retail chain you worked in, three facts are enough: the workplace type (fashion shop, cosmetics shop, electronics shop, minimart, mother-and-baby shop — no need to name the old place or give its address if you prefer not to), the dates (month/year from–to), and one or two main jobs you did there. No long description, no list of every small job. A new manager cares whether you really sold that product — one line stating the main job answers that. If you worked in many places for short periods, do not hide them: list them all, one main job per place. Short stints are not automatically a weakness when the products and service area are clear; hiding them and being found out at a trial is.

Cash, stock and displays: only real, verifiable facts

For cash and stock, state what you did: reconciled the till in full at the end of each shift with no cash difference, counted counter stock to match the books, and reported faulty and near-expiry goods by process. For displays, state what you did: arranged counters to the planogram, kept counters clean and stocked during the shift, and changed prices promptly for promotions. For tools, state what you used: POS machines, barcode scanners, point-of-sale software — name the systems you used and which ones need the shop to train you further. Do not claim products you never sold, no hobbies, no elaborate portrait photo. Managers mostly call or message — the phone number must be one you actually use and answer during office hours. Photos of displays you arranged should only be sent when the manager asks, and only real photos of your own work.

Contact details and next step

At the end, only three things are needed: full name, phone number, and the area you live in and work in. No detailed home address, no hobbies, no elaborate portrait photo. Next, create an account and upload your CV so shops, supermarkets and recruiters can find it: register as a candidate on timviecde.vn (/register). Note: with an unverified email you cannot upload a CV or receive selection emails — verify your email right after registering, before uploading.

Do this next

One role line: the main job you want + products + work mode.
3–5 point-of-sale jobs written as concrete action verbs; products sold and rotatable shifts stated clearly.
Service area, shifts and start date stated; a phone number you actually use and answer.

Common questions

Never sold in a shop — what should the CV say so I still get called?: List relevant work you really did: online advising, livestream selling, cashiering at a food stall, or helping sell at a market — one line per job with the products. Do not write “experienced in sales” in general when you never stood at a counter.
Should I put sales figures I achieved in a sales CV?: Only figures that are real and verifiable at a trial, for example “met the counter target for 3 months in a row”, instead of inventing an absolute number. The manager will ask in the interview how you achieved that figure.
How should I state shifts so I am not assigned shifts I cannot work?: State the shifts you can work exactly: morning, evening, split shifts, weekends, holidays — and state clearly which shifts you cannot work. Writing “can work any shift” and then dropping shifts is the fastest way to lose the job in this group.
Sold many different products — should I list them all or just one group?: Put the product group matching the role you are applying for first, and list the other groups in one short line. Applying for fashion while listing electronics, food and mother-and-baby at length leaves the manager unsure which counter you are strong at.
Should I list soft skills like communication and persuasion in a sales CV?: No separate soft-skills section is needed. Communication and persuasion show through real work: advising by customer need, handling returns, closing sales — one line per job is enough evidence.

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