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How to Describe Your Transferable Skills: Retail & Service Industry

Qualities and skills that develop through restaurant/bar/ serving jobs

  • customer relations
  • time management
  • problem solving
  • multi-tasking
  • attention to detail
  • ability to work under tight timelines
  • self-reliance
  • resilience
  • leadership
  • interpersonal
  • initiative

Some suggestions for your job description

  • Maintained high standards of customer service during high-volume, fast-paced operations
  • Communicated clearly and positively with coworkers and management
  • Mastered point-of-service (POS) computer system for automated order taking
  • Handled currency and credit transactions quickly and accurately
  • Followed procedures for safe food preparation, assembly, and presentation
  • Assisted management with inventory control and stock ordering
  • Built loyal clientele through friendly interactions and consistent appreciation
  • Resolved complaints promptly and professionally
  • Cross-trained and coordinated scheduling with team members to ensure seamless service
  • Took initiative to find extra tasks when scheduled duties were completed
  • Mentored and trained new hires
  • Handled multiple requests for service calmly and promptly
  • Increased revenue for the organization by upselling
  • Demonstrated accuracy and speed when handling currency and credit transactions
  • Took initiative to find extra tasks when scheduled duties were completed
  • Handled multiple requests for service calmly and promptly
  • Increased revenue for the organization by upselling
  • Prioritized and handled multiple orders

Express your achievements as measured results

Quantifying and qualifying your achievements will demonstrate how you contributed to your company and grab the hiring manager’s attention. (Estimating is acceptable if you do not have the exact figures.)

Examples of server accomplishments include:

The number of customers handled daily, average sales you generated, number of trainees or team members you led, tables turned per shift, number of error-free transactions per shift and 100 percent compliance to health and safety standards.

Describing Your Skills:  Retail Industry

Some transferable skills commonly demonstrated in retail positions:

  • customer relations
  • time management
  • problemsolving
  • multi-tasking
  • attention to detail
  • ability to work under tight timelines
  • self-reliance
  • organizational
  • resilience
  • leadership
  • interpersonal
  • initiative

Some phrases and suggestions:

  • ​Assisted management with administrative tasks related to inventory control and stock ordering
  • Took initiative to find extra tasks when scheduled duties were completed
  • Mentored and trained new hires
  • Handled multiple requests for service calmly and promptly
  • Increased revenue for the organization by upselling
  • Collected, reviewed and approved employee attendance records
  • Prepared employee performance reviews for approval by human resources department.
  • Prioritized and handled multiple orders
  • Opened and closed cash registers, performed tasks such as balancing cash drawers and making deposits
  • Maintained records related to sales
  • Collaborated with team to create new sales initiatives
  • Consistently met targets established by management

Quantify your sales performance

  • Be specific about what you achieved and when you achieved it. Include important performance metrics like total sales, average sale ($) and items per sale within a certain time period (either quarterly or yearly).  For example: “Outsold nearest sales associate by 30 percent or more during fourth quarter in 2014.” 
  • If you were ever the subject of an email or notice of achievement such as a comment on a big sale or award for customer service or enthusiasm, include this achievement 
  • Include the benchmark for each metric
  • Add context to your achievements by including the store’s benchmark or minimum requirements for each performance metric. 

Display your commitment to learning

  • If you attended any optional or mandatory product knowledge seminars during your employment, be sure to list how many and any key, transferable highlights from them.

List your leadership, supervisory or management experience

  • Were you responsible for training new hires? Did you lead a number of sales associates during peak times? Were you in charge of closing or opening the store? Were you a member of the store’s health and safety committee?
  • If you were called to perform tasks that made you a leader on the sales floor, include the most notable ones and any relevant details about each role on your resume.

Describe how your ideas were executed

Did you have an idea that positively affected sales, store procedures or your store’s layout? Describe your idea, how it was implemented and what the results were. Be brief and specific.