INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wholesale & Manufacturing Sales positions are at a 5% growth rate, which is slower than average. With that said, there are currently 1,625,700 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 77,600 to 1,703,300 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Wholesale & Manufacturing Sales jobs was $65,420 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $31,950, and the highest 10% more than $129,200.
Our conclusion? The Wholesale & Manufacturing Sales job market is wide open for candidates.
Top retail director sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Writing a job-winning experience section: Retail Director resume edition
Retail director resume experience section: dos and don'ts
- List 4-6 bullet points per position;
- Include only relevant job experience;
- Make sure to highlight your strongest skills by focusing on the challenges you’ve faced and the results you’ve achieved;
- Don’t use buzzwords that carry no meaning;
- Don’t share confidential information about your previous employers.
If you prefer to be led by example, check out some great Retail Director resume experience section snippets below!
- Attending and chairing the executive meetings
- Managing and motivating a team to increase sales and ensure efficiency.
- Managing stock levels and making key decisions about stock control
- Analyzing sales figures and forecasting future sales
- Analyzing and interpreting trends to facilitate planning using information technology to record sales figures, for data analysis and forward planning.
- Providing or organizing training and development, conducting appraisals and performance reviews.
- Established and maintained long-term relationships with senior licensed apparel buyers at major retailers including Hot Topic, Spencer's, Target, F21, Fashion Nova, PacSun, Rue 21, and Urban Outfitters
- Developed and implemented new product lines and successfully opened new retail accounts, resulting in a 20% increase in sales revenue
- Created and managed sales tools for the retail team, leading to a 30% increase in sales productivity and efficiency
- Developed and executed retail go-to-market strategies for multiple successful music artists, leading to a 15% increase in artist merchandise sales
- Achieved financial targets by effectively managing budgets, inventory, and supply chain operations
- Established and maintained strong relationships with key decision-makers at major retailers, resulting in a 25% increase in sales volume
- Developed and implemented new sales strategies and processes that led to a 40% increase in sales productivity and efficiency
- Managed a team of sales representatives and provided training and coaching to improve performance
- Successfully launched new product lines and opened new retail accounts, resulting in a 30% increase in revenue
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to identify and capitalize on market trends and opportunities
- Increased sales by 20% through implementation of new merchandising strategies
- Developed and executed a training program resulting in a 30% increase in employee productivity
- Maintained strong relationships with suppliers and retailers resulting in an 80% renewal rate for contracts
- Managed project work to completion, on-time, and within budget, resulting in a 95% customer satisfaction rating
- Implemented cost-saving measures resulting in a 15% reduction in expenses
- Improved employee retention by 25% through the implementation of an employee recognition program
- Achieved a 90% customer satisfaction rating through effective customer service management
- Implemented inventory management strategies resulting in a 20% reduction in out-of-stock items
- Increased sales by 25% through the development and execution of new marketing campaigns
- Implemented training programs resulting in a 30% increase in employee productivity
- Maintained strong relationships with suppliers and retailers resulting in an 85% renewal rate for contracts
- Managed store renovations resulting in a 90% customer satisfaction rating
PRO TIP
Check the Retail Director job description for inspiration. Look for similarities between your employer’s values and your experience.
Action verbs for your retail director resume
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An impressive skills section for your retail director resume
Writing a skills section that stands out:
- Check the job advert for keywords that you can use: this will help you pass ATS;
- Focus on relevant and valuable skills that will support your application;
- Make sure to include both hard and technical skills, leaving soft skills for other sections of your Retail Director resume;
- Don’t list skills you don’t have.
Top skills for your retail director resume
Salesforce
MS Office
CRM
Forecasting
Cold Calling
Business Development
Customer Service
Project Management
Relationship Building
Time Management
Storytelling
Research / Information Gathering.
Critical Thinking
Problem Solving.
Tech Savvy
Networking
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
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Retail director resume header: Tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your retail director resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
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PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have non-discrimination policies about what kind of information can be included on your Retail Director resume. This might include a photo (which is often included in a resume header and might be on personal web pages you link to). You can always email the company’s HR department to ask about their policies before you apply.
The retail director resume summary: tips and tricks
Making a strong first impression.
- Keep your summary section short and easy to read; avoid long sentences;
- Highlight your total years of experience in the field;
- Mention 1-2 of your biggest achievements and strengths;
- Add a couple of keywords from the job advert.
Resume summary formula:
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Your summary should act as an elevator speech, briefly promoting how you will benefit the employer if hired. Pitch your strengths in the summary and expand on them in your Retail Director experience section. Give examples like how your work benefited each employer.
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Retail director resume: A strong education section
What to include in your education section.
- Your highest education degree (incl. major, duration, name of institution);
- A bit more about the certifications you’ve got (if they are relevant to what you’re applying for);
- Some extracurricular activities that have helped you develop and strengthen your skills;
- If you’re an entry-level applicant: Relevant courses and projects.
Top Certifications for your retail director resume
Customer Service - Retail
An introductory course about understanding retail in customer service and its the developments and trends.
SAP for Retail Essentials: Learn SAP Retail Introduction
Easy to Follow SAP Retail Introduction: Both Core and Advanced Retail overview in just 6 hours with 4 hours of demos
Curso Retail Advance
¿Cómo tener una introducción avanzada en la Gestión del Retail?
Digitalization at Retail Banking: Investments Assessment
Digital at sales, cross-sale, loyalty increase and costs, risks decrease. Practical cases and profitability assessment
Introduction to Retailing
The First Step Towards Becoming Rich
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PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Retail Director. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Retail director resume: how to choose the right format
The content of your resume is necessary for showcasing your expertise, skills, and education. Great formatting, on the other hand, is essential for highlighting your attention to detail, creativity, and ability to stand out.
There are three basic resume formats to choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Which one of these you choose depends on a couple of things, but most importantly: the industry and your level of experience.
The reverse-chronological resume format, for example, is great if you’re a Retail Director with many years of experience and no career gaps. It doesn’t really matter if your company of choice is a multinational corporation or an early-stage startup – this resume format is considered to be a safe bet.
If you’re someone with little or no experience, however, we advise you to go for a functional skills-based resume format. It focuses on skills, competencies, and education, rather than experience. This makes it great for entry-level applicants, career changers, and graduate students.
And if you’re tired of traditional formats and want to go over the top when it comes to your application, the combination or hybrid resume format is here to help. Here, you can focus on both your experience and your skills, there’s even space for you to highlight your most spectacular personality traits. If you want to give a modern feel to your Retail Director resume, this resume format is just what you need. Add a ‘my life philosophy’ section for additional bonus points!
Looking for ways to perfect your Retail Director resume layout and style?
- Don’t risk it: choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for traditional resume fonts (sized 10-12p);
- Match the length of your Retail Director resume with your years of experience – choose a one-page template if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- To be on the safe side, save your resume in PDF. This will help you avoid formatting issues and unauthorized editing.
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PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Retail Director resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Your retail director resume: other sections to include
Tired of resumes that focus only on your professional side? Want to show you’re an actual human being with a real personality that goes beyond your work experience? Then add some other sections to your Retail Director resume!
Depending on the industry, company, and position, you can go for a more creative or less creative approach. Choose 1-2 of the following:
Making your retail director resume shine
In a pile of boring black and white resumes, a creative Retail Director application feels like a breath of fresh air. And trust us, recruiters love this.
There are two ways to add a splash of creativity to your resume. You can either go for a creative layout (bright colors, modern fonts, etc.) or add some creative sections (e.g. ‘what my typical day looks like’).
It’s up to you! Just make sure to keep the position, company, and industry in mind. Otherwise, you risk going over the top. And that’s not always a good idea.
What makes a great retail director resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
