CV Writing

Retail careers: writing your CV

If you are looking for retail jobs in the UK, or you are interested in furthering an existing retail career, the first thing you need is a great CV. A CV is one of the most important documents you will create during your career, so it is a good idea to invest both time and effort in producing a good quality CV, specifically targeted at retail jobs.

The retail sector is a competitive industry, so you need to make sure that CV stands out from the crowd. You need to think of your search for retail work as a marketing campaign in which you are the product and your CV is the product literature. We have compiled some helpful tips on how to write a great CV, but remember there is no 'right' way of producing a CV; different styles and formats will appeal to different people.

Helpful tips on writing a CV for retail jobs:

• Always include a profile at the beginning of the CV – this is your opportunity to write a paragraph introducing yourself. It should provide potential retail employers with a brief description of your personality, which outlines your key strengths. Think of this as the introduction to a book – it should intrigue the reader and make them want to find out more about you.
• Include a section on key achievements. This should inform the reader about your tangible accomplishments in both your retail career and your personal life and describe how you have used specific skills and competencies in your previous roles.
• Describe your work history using bullet points; try to make each sentence a strong achievement (do not write out your job description).
• If you have a recent career history, make that the first thing on your CV. Include your education and training at the end of the CV. If you are a graduate or are just starting out in your career, include your education and relevant training courses at the beginning of the CV.
• Include a section on your main interests – this allows the reader to get a personal feel of what you like to do outside of work.
• There is no need to include personal details, i.e. marriage status, age etc. If a driving licence is important to the job, you may want to state that you have a clean driving licence.
• Remember to limit the CV to no more than 2 pages.
• If you decide to employ a CV writing company, make sure that they fully understand that you are interested in a retail career. Spend at least an hour with them so that they can get a feel for who you are, what your unique selling points are, your career ambitions and personal achievements, your personality traits and the kind of retailers you want to appeal to.
• Always show your CV to other people and ask them for their comments. Would they want to see you for an interview after reading your CV? When preparing a CV, constructive and objective criticism is of the utmost importance.

Contact Detail2Retail

Whether you are starting a search for retail jobs in London, Manchester or the wider UK, or you are simply interested in getting some advice on starting a retail career, contact the team of retail recruitment specialists at Detail2Retail on 0845 274 3444 or submit your CV today.