💸 I want to work in retail but have no experience. How can I make my CV stand out?

You can totally land a job in retail… even with no experience. Retail is an industry that hires largely on your soft skills and potential.

So how can you bag yourself an interview in retail with no experience?

Start by scanning the job advert for keywords 👀 and include these words in your CV. These are some of the most common skills found in retail job adverts:

📢 Customer service

📢 Confidence

📢 Team-work

📢 Communication

📢 Hard-working

Next, carefully write your CV summary in 2-5 sentences using the key words.

Example summary:

‘I’m a confident person seeking work in a fast-paced role working in retail. I enjoy working as part of a team and going the extra mile to deliver excellent customer service.’

What experience should you include in your CV?

👉 Any work experience, even if it’s not in retail.

👉 Volunteer work

👉 Hobbies that demonstrate your key skills

👉 Personal achievements such as academic projects, sports achievements, talents

👉 Key skills and examples e.g. 

Team-work – worked as a team of 4 to produce final year university project over a 6 month period

Leadership – captain of the local football team for 1 year

Communication – regular public speaking presenting projects to peers and lecturers

Finally, include a cover letter!

This is your chance to go into more detail about why you want to work in retail and what you can bring to the company.

Structure your cover letter in this way:

📌 Paragraph 1 – purpose of the letter, position you’re applying for

📌 Paragraph 2 – what skills and experience you have that’s suited to retail

📌 Paragraph 3 – why you want to work for that specific employer

Good luck with your applications and remember…I’m here to help you find the right job. 

You can use your Sonic CV created on our app on other job boards and career sites. Just click on ‘My Sonic CV’ and then Download CV. 💕