How to Create a Supermarket Resume (With Tips and Example)

Supermarkets hire for a wide variety of jobs, such as cashiers, shopping trolley attendants, food preparers, inventory control specialists and store managers. Whether you're looking for an entry-level role or an advanced management position, you may be able to find an opportunity that suits your career goals. If you're thinking about applying for these roles, you can consider learning how to tailor a resume for this field. In this article, we explain why it's important to create a supermarket resume, provide a guide to help you make one, list some tips and share an example.

Why is having a supermarket resume important?

If you're looking for a job in a supermarket, you can tailor a supermarket resume to the position you desire to ensure that you're ready to apply as soon as it becomes available. Whether you apply by responding to an online job ad or by simply walking into your neighbourhood supermarket, developing a resume for this specific career field is a great way to show hiring managers you're enthusiastic about working for them.

It also ensures that you incorporate relevant keywords to make it through the applicant tracking system (ATS) that supermarket owners often use to screen applications before reviewing them in person.

Related:

• What Does a Checkout Operator Do? (With Definition)

• Top 10 Jobs with Food (Including Salaries and Duties)

How to write a supermarket resume

Here's a simple guide to help you write an effective resume as you begin your supermarket job search:

1. Write a professional summary

Almost all resumes begin with a career objective or professional summary. Career objectives are a good choice for entry-level employees because they focus on future goals. Professional summaries are better suited for individuals who want to highlight the experience that they already have working in supermarkets. What you choose to incorporate into these introductory sentences depends on your previous work experience, career goals and skill set. For example, you might discuss your experience as a supermarket clerk stocking shelves, removing expired food items, processing payment transactions and helping customers find what they need.

Before you write this section, read the job description carefully so you can identify what type of information may appeal to the employer. If you're applying for your first supermarket job, you can talk with a few people who are already working in a similar role to learn more about the work they do every day. Then, incorporate what you learn into your career objective to convince the employer that you're the right person for the job.

Read more: What to Know About Writing Resume Objectives (With Examples and Tips)

2. Provide your work experience

Highlight your previous roles in reverse chronological order, focusing on the most relevant experiences if you have a lengthy list of positions. State the specific job title, employer's name, company location and dates of your employment for each role. Then provide a bulleted list of your main job duties, responsibilities and achievements underneath each job title. Highlight tasks that show you can perform well in a supermarket setting. Some details that you may be able to demonstrate, depending on your work history, include:

• Processing cash, credit or debit card payment transactions

• Increasing sales and generating revenue

• Interacting with customers

• Maintaining inventory records

• Accounting and bookkeeping

• Resolving customer complaints and overcoming challenges

Read more: What Are Job Qualifications? (With Types and Examples)

3. Add your skills and expertise

Write a list that showcases a few skills you haven't written about in other areas of your resume yet. You can review the job description again or research what type of skills employers typically require for your desired position to help you come up with ideas. A few basic skills that professionals who work in supermarkets can benefit from mastering include:

• Customer service

• Written and verbal communication

• Teamwork

• Sales software knowledge

• Attention to detail

• Product knowledge

• Organisation

• Dependability

• Timeliness

• Interpersonal skills

Read more: How to Write a Skills-Based Resume

4. Discuss your education

You can also mention your educational background and any relevant qualifications you may have that can help you excel in your desired role. You can start by creating a separate section to list any degrees you've earned throughout your academic career.

The section can begin with the highest level of education you've completed, stating the name of the degree, what you studied and which institution you attended. If you're currently pursuing a degree, you can list this information with your expected graduation year so employers know that you're at university.

5. Add your volunteer experience

Incorporating your relevant volunteer experience can be beneficial, especially if you're seeking an entry-level role. For example, you may have worked as a cashier at a concession stand for a local fundraiser or helped stock items at a food pantry in your area.

Mentioning these details on your resume can show prospective employers that you have the capabilities to be successful if they hire you. It can also show them you care about giving back to your community and helping other people, which are excellent traits to have when working with customers and team members.

Read more: How to Include Volunteer Work on Your Resume (With Examples)

Tips to create a resume for a supermarket position

Here are some extra tips to help you create a professional resume when applying for supermarket roles:

• Use simple and concise language. Throughout your resume, you can use short sentences, bullet points and lists to describe your work experience, skills and education to help prospective employers identify your qualifications quickly. This can also help you stay within the recommended one-page length for your resume.

• Choose easy-to-read fonts. Popular fonts for resumes include Arial, Times New Roman and Helvetica. Selecting a standard font like one of these can make your resume look more professional.

• Ask for feedback. You can ask a close friend, family member or trustworthy colleague to review your application materials and share their insights. This can help you identify areas for improvement so you can make your resume even better.

• Develop supporting documents. In addition to creating a resume, consider writing a cover letter for your desired supermarket position so you can expand on your skills, work experience and career goals.

• Upload to job boards. Once you've finished creating your resume, you can post it onto relevant job boards and professional networking sites to connect online with prospective employers.

Example of a resume for a supermarket position

Below is an example of a professional resume you can review before making your own:

Maxwell Greene
Sydney, NSW 2000 | maxwell.greene@email.com | +61 7 9980 3324

Professional Summary

Attentive and hard-working student with previous supermarket and customer service experience. Seeking an entry-level cashier job where I can apply my excellent interpersonal skills to improve the customer experience. Known for being responsible and detail-oriented.

Work Experience

Supermarket bagger, June 2021–Current
Prairie Town Supermarket, Sydney, NSW

• Packing groceries in secure bags to ensure customers can transport their purchases safely

• Exceeding average bagging time per customer by approximately one minute and 30 seconds for each transaction

• Greeting customers when they enter the checkout line and encourage them to visit the store again

• Answering customer questions about products and store policies

• Replacing damaged products with new items before customers checkout to make sure they receive the highest quality groceries

Dishwasher, August 2020–June 2021
Alfredo's Pizzeria, Sydney, NSW

• Washed, sanitised and dried over 500 dishes per shift

• Organised clean dishes to make them easy for cooks and wait staff to find

• Bussed and cleaned tables to keep the dining area tidy for guests

Skills

Customer service | Dependability | Organisation | Timeliness | Problem-solving

Education

Higher School School Certificate, expected 2023
Lawrence Falls High School, Sydney, NSW

Volunteer Experience

Student volunteer, April 2019–August 2020
Helping Neighbours Food Pantry, Sydney, NSW

• Stocked shelves with donated items, accounting for all products on inventory tracking sheets

• Removed expired items from shelves to maintain safe food products for guests

• Helped guests bag donated items and transport them to their vehicles