Visual Merchandiser Resume Example
Pursuing a career as a visual merchandiser provides opportunities for career progression and responsibilities involving coordinating with marketing and designing store layouts. A strong resume for visual merchandiser applications showcases your skills, experience and achievements and helps you stand out from other candidates. In this article, we'll explain how to write a winning resume for visual merchandiser applications that best showcases your skills and experience.
After reading this article, you'll feel confident creating a visual merchandiser resume that effectively showcases your relevant skills and experience. The guide will show you practical examples of how to structure your resume to show off your best and most relevant skills and career achievements. It will also show you how to tailor your resume according to the job description and your unique skill set. Read on to access expert insights from Jobseeker that will help you create a winning visual merchandiser resume.
Main sections of a visual merchandiser resume
A successful visual merchandiser resume will typically include each of the sections listed below, with some optional sections. For junior candidates with little work experience, other sections of the resume take on more prominence and might be placed before the work experience section. These could include education, skills, projects, hobbies and volunteer work.
Your resume layout and structure may differ depending on your experience levels, but make sure your resume includes the following:
Header and Personal Information
Your visual merchandiser resume header should contain your name and contact details. These include your email address and phone number. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can also add that, to give employers the chance to learn more about your skills and experience. It's not necessary to include a photo or any other personal information. Be aware of the amount of space your resume header takes up. You don't want your contact details to take space away from the main content of your resume, so keep this section as brief as possible.
Make sure your email address appears as professional as possible, and doesn't include anything like nicknames, inappropriate language or personal information. If it does, set up a new email account with an address based on your name or initials, and use that for your job applications. Always double-check your contact details are up-to-date before sending your resume.
Evelyn Rivera
evelyn.rivera@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield, IL
linkedin․com/in/evelyn–rivera123
Resume Profile
The next section is the resume summary. The section might also be called 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. This is a brief introduction to you, your key skills and your career achievements and ambitions. While a resume summary focuses on your career achievements and experience, a resume objective typically focuses on your ambitions for the future. Additionally, make sure your resume summary reflects the job description and focuses on qualities that are relevant to working as a visual merchandiser.
Alternatively, use this summary to introduce your personal career ambitions and explain why visual merchandiser roles are a good fit for you at this stage of your career.
A strong resume summary focuses on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for visual merchandiser roles in a clear, quantifiable way. It also gives an insight into your personal qualities, to help the reader understand why you're a suitable candidate. Take a look at some strong examples of how to approach a visual merchandiser resume summary in the graphic below.
Creative and detail-oriented Visual Merchandiser with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Merchandising and extensive experience as a Retail Visual Merchandising Specialist. Proven track record in developing innovative display strategies, enhancing customer engagement, and driving sales through visually compelling store layouts. Skilled in trend analysis, space planning, and brand representation to create immersive shopping experiences. Adept at collaborating with cross-functional teams to elevate brand presence and meet business objectives
Visual merchandiser with a background in creating displays and working in retail settings. Have done work related to store layouts and customer engagement. Familiar with looking at trends and planning spaces to make shopping experiences better. Worked with different teams to help improve brand visibility and achieve business goals
Conversely, an ineffective resume summary would include generic, unspecific information on your skills and experience, while failing to provide any useful information on what makes you a unique and interesting candidate. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your visual merchandiser resume summary.
Hard and Soft Skills
Listing your key skills can help to prove your suitability for visual merchandiser jobs. These could be color theory knowledge, problem-solving abilities or various other relevant skills. Additionally, read the job description to make sure your skills match those required for visual merchandiser positions. You could also include some unique skills that help you stand out as a candidate.
How to include hard skills on your visual merchandiser resume
Hard skills are the key technical skills required for visual merchandiser positions. They include specific industry knowledge and abilities that you could learn on the job, or through a specialist qualification. Furthermore, your hard skills list helps to show employers how competent and experienced you are at key visual merchandiser duties and responsibilities. If possible, add four or five hard skills that reflect the requirements of the job description. These will boost your chances of success in your applications.
You'll make more impact with your resume hard skills list if you focus on technical skills that reflect your unique expertise and specialism, and that match the key requirements in the job description. See the graphic below for some tips on hard skills for a visual merchandiser resume.
- Display design expertise
- CAD software proficiency
- Retail trend analysis
Soft skills on your visual merchandiser resume
Your soft skills are the core qualities and personal characteristics that make you a good employee. They tend to apply to multiple professions and jobs, though the soft skills you'll require may change as you move from junior to senior positions. Indeed, transferable skills are growing in importance in the modern world of work, so make sure you include several of these in your resume. Aim to include approximately five soft skills that reflect the skills listed in the job description.
A good soft skills section would include skills that match the job description, and also reflect your key strengths and qualities. See the graphic below for an indication of what to include in a strong soft skills section for a visual merchandiser resume.
- Creativity and innovation
- Attention to detail
- Team collaboration skills
Education
Your resume's education section provides space for you to list your highest and most relevant qualifications for visual merchandiser roles.
Typically, working as a visual merchandiser requires a university or college degree, which you'll need to list on your resume. If you're working in this sector, it's usually a good idea to highlight your Bachelor of Arts in Visual Merchandising degree or other relevant qualifications. Focus on qualifications that showcase your display design expertise or CAD software proficiency.
Enter the name and level of the qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study or graduation. You can also add some bullet points outlining any high grades, awards you won or specialist subjects you studied. Adding this information will show the employer your dedication to learning and your areas of specialist knowledge.
Additionally, mentioning any leadership roles or any societies and clubs you participated in while studying shows proactivity and initiative.
Bachelor of Arts in Visual Merchandising, 2017 - 2020
University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN
Certifications
In your certifications section, list any professional certifications or licenses that are relevant to working as a visual merchandiser. You could list accreditations for certain professional roles or licenses for certain activities that help to make you a strong candidate. Therefore, add any necessary licenses and certifications in this section, along with valid dates so employers can see you're still qualified for the job.
See below for some suggestions of relevant certifications for a visual merchandiser resume:
- Visual Merchandising Certification, 2022
- Retail Design Certification, 2022
- Fashion Styling Certification, 2022
Work Experience
Your resume work experience section is the chance to show your relevant previous jobs and career achievements as a visual merchandiser. List each relevant role in reverse-chronological order starting with your current or most recent role. Add your job title, the organization name, its location and the dates you worked there.
In addition, include a few bullet points under each job, highlighting your key achievements so the hiring manager can see how they led to successful outcomes. Back up each point with evidence to show how you meet the job description.
The best resume work experience sections focus only on the most relevant previous jobs, and link each bullet point back to a skill or experience listed in the job description. It's also critical to provide evidence that shows the value you added to each role in a quantifiable way, such as project outcomes, key performance indicators or feedback from customers, colleagues or managers. See below for some good examples of what to include in your resume work experience section.
Retail Visual Merchandising Specialist, January 2022 - Present
Lumina Display Solutions, Irving
- Increased in-store sales by 25% through innovative window displays and strategic product placement
- Successfully led a team to execute a nationwide store redesign, enhancing brand consistency across 50+ locations
- Developed and implemented a seasonal merchandising strategy that boosted customer engagement and reduced inventory turnover by 15%
Retail Visual Merchandising Specialist, January 2022 - Present
Lumina Display Solutions, Irving
- Improved sales through creative visual merchandising techniques and effective team collaboration
- Led projects to enhance store aesthetics and customer experience
- Developed strategies to optimize product presentation and increase customer interest
In the graphic above, you'll see some examples of less effective resume work experience sections. Ineffective work experience sections tend to focus too much on everyday responsibilities over skills and achievements. If you use vague descriptions of activities and fail to back up your achievements with evidence, you're likely to fail to make an impact on the reader.
Resume tip:
If you have limited formal experience, highlight other achievements, like completing training programs, certifications, or successful personal projects. (1) Present this information in a clear and concise format with easy-to-read sections and plenty of white space. (2)
Optional Information
To provide further information on your suitability for the role, you could add some optional sections to a visual merchandiser resume. Pick from the optional sections below to help show the employer you have the skills and experience for the job.
Personal Hobbies and Interests
Add any hobbies and interests that reinforce your credentials for the position. Hobbies can help you show different sides of your personality and make your resume more memorable to hiring managers. They're ideal to include if you're a junior candidate who might lack real world visual merchandiser experience. Don't include hobbies and interests in your resume unless they showcase a specific interest or aspect of your personality. You'll want them to add something to your application that you can't add elsewhere.
Volunteer Work
Voluntary work can help you develop useful skills, so it's a valuable addition to your visual merchandiser resume. List your volunteer job title, the organization you volunteered for, its location and the dates of your involvement, alongside a brief explanation of your responsibilities in the role.
References
Standard visual merchandiser resumes don't tend to include references, but you might find them requested occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Include a maximum of three professional references, being sure to check with your referees before including them in your resume.
References are available upon request.
Best words to use in a visual merchandiser resume
Using strong action verbs in your work experience bullet points can make a stronger impression on employers and show the value you added to your previous roles. Choose from the list of words below to make the best possible impression.
- Designed
- Executed
- Implemented
- Arranged
- Coordinated
- Developed
- Optimized
- Enhanced
- Strategized
- Collaborated
Jobseeker's resume templates were created by careers experts to help you produce a professional resume in minutes. You can also find cover letter templates to complete an eye-catching job application that gets you noticed.
Example resume for visual merchandiser applications
The visual merchandiser resume example below incorporates all the information from above into a full-designed resume template, so you can see how a final resume will look:
742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield, IL
•
evelyn.rivera@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/evelyn–rivera123
Creative and detail-oriented Visual Merchandiser with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Merchandising and extensive experience as a Retail Visual Merchandising Specialist. Proven track record in designing engaging and high-impact in-store displays that drive customer engagement and sales. Skilled in trend analysis, space planning, and the implementation of cohesive brand strategies. Strong collaborative abilities with cross-functional teams to enhance store aesthetics and maximize product visibility.
Retail Visual Merchandising Specialist
2020
-2022
VistaVibe Designs (Boise)
- Increased store sales by 25% through strategic product placement and innovative visual displays
- Led a team to win "Best Window Display" award in regional retail competition, enhancing brand visibility
- Successfully implemented seasonal visual merchandising plans, resulting in a 30% boost in customer traffic and engagement
Display design expertise
CAD software proficiency
Retail trend analysis
Creativity and innovation
Attention to detail
Team collaboration skills
Visual Merchandising Certification
Retail Design Certification
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Key tips for a visual merchandiser resume
- Read your resume carefully before sending it, to avoid errors that could prove costly to your chances.
- Action verbs can help show the actions you've taken and the impact you've made in visual merchandiser jobs (e.g. 'optimized', 'enhanced', 'strategized').
- Include key skills throughout your resume that reflect the job description, and include a dedicated skills section.
- List your qualifications in your education section, including any necessary degrees or certifications, along with high grades.
- Quantify your career achievements by including evidence of your impact throughout your resume.
- Don't mention hobbies or interests unless they help you prove a skill required for the role, that you haven't included elsewhere.
- Don't add work experience that's unrelated to the role you're applying for, as it isn't likely to help your chances of success.
- Don't use jargon or acronyms when you can use simple, straightforward language to say the same thing.
- Don't clutter your document by trying to add too many details. Focus on core visual merchandiser skills and achievements that are relevant to the role.
- Don't use complex formatting that makes your visual merchandiser resume harder to read or less scannable by software such as applicant tracking systems (ATS).
How to make your resume ATS compliant
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are one of the key ways recruiters and employers manage the hiring process. The systems can screen candidates by scanning and ranking resumes based on each candidate's likely suitability for the vacancy. When drafting your visual merchandiser resume, there are a few guidelines to follow to give you the best chance of passing the ATS screening stage and progressing with your application.
Follow these simple rules when writing your resume, to make sure it's ATS compliant:
- Choose a resume structure that matches the traditional, reverse-chronological layout or alternatively, the functional resume structure. This should make your resume more readable for ATS applications.
- Include keywords throughout your resume that align with the job description. ATS software tends to compare your resume to the job description for points of similarity, so careful, considered use of keywords should help your chances of success.
- Include clear headings that make it easy to identify each section of your resume. This will help any ATS software navigate your resume during the scanning process.
- Adopt a clean, unfussy design that gives your content enough white space to breathe. Use professional, readable fonts and subtle use of color and other design elements.
- Use concise language to keep the length of your resume to between one and two pages. This will make it easier to scan for ATS applications.
For tips and ideas to help you draft a professional resume to get noticed by employers, read our expert career articles and check out our detailed resume examples.
Frequently Asked Questions for a visual merchandiser resume
Alongside your visual merchandiser resume, it's important to produce a professional cover letter that creates a similar positive impact on the reader.
In some situations, a full, professional cover letter may not be necessary. Check the job advert and decide whether to write a formal cover letter, or if a brief email is more suitable.
For a full, traditional cover letter, follow formal letter-writing conventions with your header, address line and greetings. The main text of the letter tends to be split into three short paragraphs. Firstly, introduce yourself, confirm the role you're applying for and explain why you're applying for the visual merchandiser role. In the second paragraph, highlight your skills and experience that are most relevant to the job description. The third paragraph gives you the opportunity to express your enthusiasm for the role and your gratitude to the employer, while leaving a call to action which encourages them to make contact with you.
For help creating an eye-catching cover letter that impresses recruiters and hiring managers, use Jobseeker's professional cover letter templates.
For an experienced visual merchandiser application, the objective of your resume is to showcase the many achievements in your career to date. As an experienced candidate, your visual merchandiser resume might include a work experience section that goes back beyond the standard 10 to 15 years. This will give you the chance to highlight your extensive experience and achievements. Add any optional sections that reinforce your image as a knowledgeable, respected professional in your field. This might include awards and other recognition, successful projects or a dedicated achievements section.
You can use a resume headline to introduce your document and set the tone for your visual merchandiser applications. A well-constructed resume headline can help your resume rank highly with ATS screening tools by referencing some of the key information from the job description. Write a short, concise resume headline incorporating the job title, one or two key skills that match the job description and a reference to your reputation or track record.
Here's an example of a strong resume headline:
- Aspiring Visual Merchandising Specialist
- Creative Retail Display Specialist
- Expert Senior Visual Merchandiser Specialist
The best format for your resume depends on two key factors. Firstly, the amount of relevant work experience you have. Secondly, the type of role and its level of seniority. For roles where you're lacking experience, such as graduate jobs or career changes, you could use a functional or skills-based resume format. This places your skills and education above your work experience. If, however, you have experience in your chosen profession, a traditional, reverse chronological resume format might be the way to go. This showcases your relevant skills and achievements in your work experience section.
Takeaways for a winning visual merchandiser resume
If you want to catch the eye of employers and recruiters, you need a professional resume that showcases your best skills and career achievements. Select a resume format that suits your experience levels and the job you're applying for, and make sure you tailor your resume for each application.
Jobseeker has a wealth of resume tools, including resume templates and examples, to help you create a winning job application. Sign up today to get started. A stylish, professional cover letter can make all the difference to your job prospects. See Jobseeker's cover letter examples, written by careers experts, to help you craft an eye-catching application.
Sources:
(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx
(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/
