The sales industry is a driving force that grows revenue and fosters relationships between businesses and consumers. The industry is filled with a wide range of different sales jobs, from entry-level positions to executive leadership. Each sales role takes on the task of connecting products and services with their target markets.
Most sales professionals begin in entry-level roles like sales associate or representative, where they learn fundamental and essential skills. As they gain experience, they advance into roles such as account manager, or sales leadership positions or they will often move into a specialised industry or sales methodology. Career advancement in the sales industry involves taking on larger accounts, more complex sales cycles and leadership responsibilities.
Your CV provides you with an opportunity to sell your skills and market yourself as someone a hiring business would want to meet with. It is a vital part of the job search and is key to getting your foot in the door or a chance to rise in the ranks.
But what makes a great Sales CV?
Personal Details
Start with general information including your full name, general location, mobile number and your personal email address. If relevant to the sales job you are applying for, include links to your digital portfolio.
Brief Personal Statement
Writing a brief personal statement on your sales CV is an important step. Your personal statement should be a concise paragraph that highlights your key sales skills and previous sales experiences which are all relevant details to the role you are currently applying for. Think of the statement as a short introduction to who you are, your career or education, and your skills and goals all summed up into a brief introductory pitch.
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Work Experience
Adding your work experience to your CV, is one of the main sections that potential employers will focus on. Begin with your most recent experience, whether this is your current sales role or another role from a different industry. Add this in working from your most current role first, ensure you include your job titles, company names, time period of employment, and key responsibilities.
Including numbers and figures is also important in a CV to secure a good sales job. Focus on details such as how much revenue you generated, what percentage of your target that you hit etc. These data-backed metrics will stand out to employers.
For example, if you were working previously as an account manager you would say:
Account Manager – Company name
January 2023 – Present
- Key Responsibilities
- Data backed metrics
- Achievements
What else should you add to a Sales CV?
Education
Academic and professional qualifications should be added to your sales CV in order of most recent to oldest. Ensure you include the institution's name, the qualification you earned and the dates of your attendance and completion. Make sure also to include any courses, training or professional developments that you have completed if it's relevant to the role.
Hobbies/Interests
Adding in your interests and hobbies is not a required feature of a CV, but a short section of your interests/hobbies can be useful for employers to read. It helps them to gain a sense of your personality and it adds a personal touch to a typically formal piece of writing.
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