How to Write a Great Sales Resume with No Experience
It’s never too early to start applying for your first sales job. Whether you're a student or a recent graduate, you can land an entry-level sales job with no experience. You only need some tips on how to write a good resume for your first job. It should present you to sales recruiters and potential employers as the perfect candidate. So, how do you write a sales resume with no experience?
Resume Writing Tips for Your First Sales Job
Applying for jobs before graduation with no sales experience doesn’t have to be intimidating. Even the best salespeople started their journey inexperienced. We all have to start somewhere. The process of writing a resume begins long before you put your pen on paper. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you write a good resume for the first time:
Step 1: Keyword Search
If you’re applying for a sales job in Dallas, you can rely on sales recruitment agencies in Dallas to connect you with the best employers. Many students and recent graduates apply for part-time, temp-to-hire, and entry-level sales jobs in cities like Dallas. To weed out unqualified applicants, some sales recruiting agencies in Dallas use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to crawl resumes searching for specific keywords that match the job’s description. Go through the job description and make a list of frequently mentioned skills and requirements. When you’re writing your resume, use the recruiter’s exact words in the skills and education section to help them see your value. It can help you beat the ATS system and get your first sales job interview. Although you don’t have experience, using keywords to describe your skills and education can also impress employers and entice them to give you the job.
Step 2: Choose the Right Resume Format
When you’re writing a resume for your first sales job, use a functional format to draw attention to your skills and education. The trick is to entice recruiters to your strengths and draw their attention away from your non-existent experience. Put your education and skills closer to the top of your resume. Here is a simplified example of how to make a resume for your first job with the format:
[Insert Your Name]
[Insert Your Street Address]
[Insert Your Town/City, US Code]
[Insert Your Phone Number]
[Insert Your Email]
Objective: Write a powerful statement that captures your skills and strengths in one sentence.
SKILLS
Emphasize your soft and hard skills and relevant coursework.
EDUCATION
Highlight your education, certificates, and achievements.
EXPERIENCE
Frame your volunteer work, extracurriculars, part-time jobs, and internships as your experience. If you were recognized by the Dean, lecturers, or students, highlight these achievements in this section.
Using this format to create a resume as a college student can help you impress recruiters and potential employers. It can grab their attention and show them why you deserve the job. This format can deliver a winning resume for first-time job-seekers with no experience.
Step 3: How to Write a Resume for the First Time with Examples
Crafting the content of your resume is the most crucial step. In this step, you'll write a powerful resume objective and persuasively describe your skills, education, and any experience.
1. Crafting Your Resume Objective
The resume objective or statement is a summary of your skills and strengths. It should be clear, compelling, and summarize the skills and strengths that make you the ideal candidate for the sales job in one sentence. Here is an example of a persuasive resume objective statement:
“Motivated team player and highly reliable university student seeking to contribute strongly as a customer service representative demanding objection-handling tact, charisma, and an exemplary professionalism.”
Leverage your objective statement to grab recruiters’ attention and impress.
2. How to Demonstrate Your Skills in a Resume
A compelling first-time resume should show how your skills will help you succeed as a salesman. Mention the most relevant skills based on the job description using keywords to show hiring managers and recruiters that you are a good fit for the job. Here is an example of how to write the skills section of your sales resume:
SKILLS
Sales Skills: A born salesman with strong objection-handling, prospecting, lead generation skills, and interpersonal strengths to sell products across multiple sectors.
Communication: Charismatic communicator and artful storyteller with outstanding abilities in building long-lasting relationships with prospects, customers, and peers.
Organization Skills: Exemplary time-management and organizational abilities.
Computer Skills: Highly proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and leveraging social media for marketing and sales.
Key Strengths: Helpful and productive team member, good listener, adaptable, acknowledging peer accomplishment, and effective and independent decision-making.
Including your soft and hard skills on your first resume can emphasize your strengths and help you stand out from the crowd. If you’re learning to use the latest sales software or a second language, you can highlight these skills on your resume. For example, “I am learning to use XXX software to build my skills cache and gain sales experience.”
3. How to Emphasize Relevant Education on a Resume
To write a CV for a job with no experience, emphasize your education using relevant certificates, coursework, and other academic achievements. Sometimes, your GPA may be the only thing that sets you apart from other applicants. If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, you can include it on your resume to add value. Here is an example of how to write your resume’s education section as a college student:
EDUCATION
BSc, Business Studies (Anticipated June 2022); 3.77 GPA
Additional Coursework: Business Management and Financial Planning
Any Town University, Any Town, AT
Before applying for your first sales job, analyze the keywords on the job description to determine the most relevant degrees, certificates, or coursework.
4. How to Describe Your Experience in a Resume
Though you lack professional experience, you can use your achievements to showcase relevant experience. Volunteer work and extracurricular activities can showcase real-world experience, provide context, and increase your value as a salesperson. Here is an example of how to use your achievements in extracurricular activities to demonstrate relevant experience:
EXPERIENCE
Student, Business Studies (2019-Present) Currently pursuing a four-year business study course and laying a solid foundation for an eventual career in software sales.
Completed coursework includes statistics, business management, and financial planning.
Actively lead group work and projects while helping and mentoring peers.
Selected as the captain of the volleyball team and gained problem-solving and conflict-resolution expertise.
Volunteered to mentor and guide first-year students in orientation sessions.
You can also draw on personal achievements and struggles to highlight your experience. If you sing in the church choir, use this achievement to showcase your experience working as a team.
You can use this step-by-step guide to write a compelling resume to help you land your first sales job with no experience. If you follow these resume writing tips for first-time job-seekers, your sales CV should look something like this:
John Doe
123 Main Street
Any Town, US 12345
(123) 456-7890
johndoe@aol.com
Objective:
Motivated team player and highly reliable university student seeking to contribute strongly as a customer service representative demanding objection-handling tact, charisma, and exemplary professionalism.
SKILLS
Sales Skills: A born salesman with strong objection-handling, prospecting, lead generation skills, and interpersonal strengths to sell products across multiple sectors.
Communication: Charismatic communicator and artful storyteller with outstanding abilities in building long-lasting relationships with prospects, customers, and peers.
Organization Skills: Exemplary time-management and organizational abilities.
Computer Skills: Highly proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and leveraging social media for marketing and sales.
Key Strengths: Helpful and productive team member, good listener, adaptable, acknowledging peer accomplishment, and effective and independent decision-making.
EDUCATION
BSc, Business Studies (Anticipated June 2022); 3.77 GPA
Additional Coursework: Business Management and Financial Planning
Any Town University, Any Town, AT
EXPERIENCE
Any Town University, Any Town
Student, Business Studies (2019-Present) Currently pursuing a four-year business study course and laying a solid foundation for an eventual career in software sales.
Completed coursework includes statistics, business management, and financial planning.
Actively lead group work and projects while helping and mentoring peers.
Selected as the captain of the volleyball team and gained problem-solving and conflict-resolution expertise.
Volunteered to mentor and guide first-year students in orientation sessions.