Visual Merchandising Resume Samples & Writing Tips

Aesthetically designed showcases attract people’s attention and make them want to buy products. The visual merchandiser’s activities go beyond simple window dressing. This specialist plans shopping areas and merch displays, selects comfort lighting and music, uses various advertising and navigation elements, and chooses a color scheme for the shop front. The main goal is to create a unique atmosphere and good vibes, which ultimately has a striking effect and helps buyers find what they need.

The visual merchandiser profession is one of four in-demand fashion-related and design careers in retail, the others being creative technologist, graphic designer, and architectural designer. This industry shines due to new styles and designs, making brilliant visual merchandisers valuable assets for a business.

Just as store visual design helps sell products, your resume should sell you as a candidate. Whether you’re an experienced professional or an aspiring visual merchandiser, resume writing is a critical step in both situations. It can win you an interview and sometimes even a job if prepared correctly, while poorly-written documents can damage your reputation and ruin the first impression of you.

In this article, we will share the most effective strategies and tips for your resume and provide you with 2 impressive visual merchandising resume samples so that you can create a job-winning document and get the most out of it.

Types of Visual Merchandising Resumes

When starting a job search, a candidate is primarily concerned with writing a resume. The first step is to choose a resume format. It’s crucial because the structure influences how the recruiter will perceive the applicant’s skills and abilities. There are several ways to arrange the information on a resume and present it to your potential employer. We’ll take a closer look at the three most commonly used ones.

Chronological

A chronological resume describes your experience in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent position or the one you are currently assuming. This type of resume format suits those visual merchandisers looking for a job in a familiar field with extensive experience and striving for career growth.

Basic chronological resume structure:

• Personal details
• Resume summary or career objective
• Work experience in reverse chronological order
• Education
• Skills
• Additional Information (optional)

Functional

A functional resume emphasizes a candidate’s skills, abilities, and achievements. This option works better for those professionals who have little experience or often change jobs. Additionally, it’s a suitable format for a visual merchandising resume if a job seeker plans to change the field of activity or return to the labor market after a break.

Basic functional resume structure:

• Personal details
• Resume summary or career objective
• Key skills and achievements
• Work experience in reverse chronological order
• Education
• Additional Information (optional)

Combination

Combination resumes mix the advantages of the two mentioned above. It includes both a description of skills and a list of jobs and is considered one of the most effective resume formats. Using it, you can combine your experience and connect your skills with the companies where you learned them.

Basic functional resume structure:

• Personal details
• Resume summary or career objective
• Skills
  • Skill 1
    • Description
  • Skill 2
    • Description
  • Skill 3
    • Description
• Work experience in reverse chronological order
• Education
• Additional Information (optional)

This resume type is suitable for candidates who are changing their specialization and have substantial work experience.

How to Write a Visual Merchandising Resume: Step by Step Guide

In the modern world, everyone values their time. Most recruiters and employers don’t want to waste their time on clarifying information or meeting unpromising candidates. Therefore, if your visual merchandiser resume does not immediately provoke the reader’s interest, you will most likely not get selected.

In this guide, we’ll unlock the secrets of writing a winning resume, which can be a ticket to your dream career as a visual merchandiser.

Contact details section

At first glance, it may seem that the contact information section is the simplest and does not require much attention. However, it’s not all as easy as it sounds.

The primary purpose of putting contact details is to provide the recruiter or the potential employer with information on contacting you quickly. Whatever resume format you choose, your contact details should be compiled correctly to make you look professional. The main rule is to add your contact info at the beginning of your resume.

Among different approaches to presenting this information, the following format is considered the most effective:

1. Your name

   Give your real name. Don’t write your nickname or the name your friends use to call you.

2. Your position

   Write the position you are applying for. Check the visual merchandising job description to find the position’s exact name so that your resume looks tailored to a particular role.

3. Your email address

   Make your email address look professional. You can use your name or mention your profession in it.

4. Your active phone number

   Check it to make sure it works and that you are ready to receive calls at any time.

5. Your address

   Write your street, house number, city of residence, and zip code. If you want to apply for an international role, mention your country.

6. Your LinkedIn profile

   You can add a link to your LinkedIn profile since it is a great opportunity to provide additional information about you as a professional.

Right strategy

• Charles Smith
• Visual Merchandiser
• charles.smith@email.com
• 4699-605-740
• 3182 Wilson Avenue
• Plano, 75023
• www.linkedin.com/charles-smith/

Wrong strategy

• Katy 'Kisha' Wilder
• kisha-kisha@email.com
• Brown Avenue, Seneca
• 8439-078-224

Work History

Work experience is one of the most critical aspects when choosing a candidate. Employers and hiring managers pay maximum attention to this resume section. Therefore, it is crucial to present your professional background correctly.

1. Position

   If you indicated the position you are applying for in the contact information section, you need only to indicate the position you held in a particular company.

2. Place of work

   The name of the company should be written in full, avoiding abbreviations, if possible. Try not to make mistakes in the company name because it shows your inattentiveness and disrespect for the previous employer.

3. Work period

   Use month and year format to allow your recruiter to assess your experience in the position more accurately.

4. Responsibilities and achievements

   When describing your responsibilities, read the visual merchandiser job description carefully, and determine what previous experience will help you with the new job. Use active verbs in the past tense and action-result formula where possible. As for achievements, try to use measurable ones that include numbers and percentages. List up to 5-6 relevant duties and achievements with bullet points to give this section some structure.

Right strategy
Visual Merchandiser
Home Design Store
2018/06 - 2020/11

• Developed a mounted elements placement plan that helped divide the retail space into zones
• Designed 10 showcases and created 15 total looks for mannequins
• Tracked customer journey and sales daily to implement relevant zoning changes
• Created and implemented a merchandising brand book that led to a 48% sales growth
• Cooperated with management to strategize the best ways to increase home furniture sale

Wrong strategy
Visual Merchandiser
Karten Store
2018 - 2020

• Visited store to implement a merchandising plan
• Worked with retail equipment
• Participated in photo sessions
• Involved in showcase decorations
• Ensured compliance with selling objectives
• Followed visual guidelines
• Responsible for preparation of seasonal merchandising presentations

Education

Although the description of the main and additional education on your resume should be short enough, it’s an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the basis of your professional success in the present and future.

When writing a visual merchandiser resume, indicate the degree you received, the name of the school, college, or university you attended, and your education period. If you’ve completed additional visual merchandising courses, list your certifications in the same format in this section. However, mention only relevant qualifications. There is no need to write about your knowledge of high-energy astrophysics if you apply for a visual merchandiser role.

Right strategy

• Visual Merchandising Certificat
  Santa Ana College
  2018/10
• Visual Merchandising Design Intensive
  Pratt Institute
  2016/06 - 2016/08
• Bachelor of Fashion Design
  Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
  2010/11 - 2014/07
  

Wrong strategy

• Bachelor of Business Administration
  Saint Martin’s University
• TESOL Certification
  Coursera

Skills

The skills section gives you a chance to show what exactly you are capable of now and what you learned during your studies or work at a previous job. However, the rule of tailoring your content to the job description still applies. Thus, we recommend reading the position requirements to understand what visual merchandising resume skills to mention in your application.

Additionally, you can use this list of the 10 most popular and in-demand skills for this profession:

1. Knowledge of color schemes and textile pairs
2. Understanding of visual standards
3. Product placement techniques
4. Awareness of fashion trends
5. Creative thinking
6. Proficiency in design software
7. Time management and self-organization skills
8. Good spatial orientation
9. Communication skills
10. Attention to details

Resume Summary

Experienced professionals often use the summary section to describe their relevant achievements and show off their impressive professional record. So if you have some visual merchandising background, writing a resume summary should be your plan. Think about one short and catchy paragraph, no longer than 5-6 lines, that will explain what you can offer potential employers.

One of the best resume summary formulas is to start with an adjective characterizing you as a professional, then add information about your experience (number of years, field), then describe your strongest hard skills that will help you perform your duties, and end with personal qualities that are essential for the position. You can also mention your achievements using numbers to impress the recruiter.

It’s crucial to customize your resume summary section. Check out the job description carefully to see what skills and qualities are wanted and add only relevant information.

Right strategy
“Creative and product-driven Visual Merchandiser with 5+ years of proven experience in fashion design and strong skills in maintaining and presenting visual displays; an eye for detail and color and in-depth knowledge of sales and marketing; created a seasonal visual merchandising strategy that tripled store profits; resourceful specialist with outstanding time management and computer skills.”

Wrong strategy
“I have some experience in fashion and design. I like to travel, meet new people, and read books. Ready to work overtime.”

Check out this visual merchandising resume example and see how these recommendations can be applied in practice.

Tips for Entry-Level Visual Merchandiser Resumes

Some of the previous sections’ rules can also be applied if you want to start your visual merchandising career. However, we have some additional inside information that can help you create a resume that may win you a job.

Switch the focus from experience to education

Education is the main section on a resume for those with no work experience. In addition to your degree, the full name of the educational institution, and period of study, you can indicate your GPA (if it’s above 3.4) and relevant honors and give details on your coursework, activities, or other achievements.

To make this section even more impressive, you can write about workshops, seminars, and conferences related to the job you are applying for. Moreover, you can choose a visual merchandising resume template where your education section is placed at the beginning of your application to catch the recruiter’s attention.

Don’t leave the work history section empty

Even if you haven’t worked anywhere before, you still need to fill in the work history section. A visual merchandising internship is the best weapon against a lack of professional experience. Therefore, you should highlight it in your resume using the popular position-company-period-duties/achievements format.

You can also boost your entry-level visual merchandising resume by mentioning related volunteer work.

Consider writing a visual merchandising resume objective

In addition to a resume summary, entry-level candidates should write a career objective statement. These 1-2 sentences will help you describe what position you want and your development and career plans. However, make sure your career objective also gives your potential employer an understanding of the benefits you offer the company.

Highlight your transferable skills

Transferable skills are qualities that you have acquired during education, life experience, or any other activities that will be useful in the new role. They can include flexibility, organization, teamwork, or other qualities that employers search for in the best candidates.

Visual Merchandiser Resume Design and Formatting

It is crucial to understand that while reviewing your visual merchandiser resume, recruiters consider both content and your document’s appearance. Just as the store’s goods are displayed considering specific rules, the information in the resume should be presented following the basic formatting and design principles.

In a perfect world, your resume’s style should comply with your field of activity and the company’s corporate culture. Therefore, we advise you to research your potential employer’s visual identity and reflect it in your application. For example, you can choose a creative template in the company colors.

Formatting is equally crucial because it can affect your document’s readability level. We’ve selected some basic formatting rules to help make your content easy to perceive.

• Choose readable fonts, such as Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana, etc.
• Size your font between 10.5 and 12 points
• Use different font sizes for resume section titles, but no more than two
• Set margins at 1 inch on all sides
• Use 1.15 line spacing
• Add extra spaces where possible to let your text breath

What to Avoid When Writing a Resume for Visual Merchandising Job

A resume is one of the first opportunities to introduce yourself to a recruiter and make a good impression. It is vital not to ruin it by making mistakes because it is quite difficult and sometimes almost impossible to change the first impression.

• Mistakes and typos

Grammatical/spelling errors and typos can indicate a low educational level and demonstrate an applicant’s inattentiveness and unprofessionalism. Always check your resume before sending it to the recruiter.

• Writing a generic document

The one-resume-fits-all approach doesn’t work anymore. Actually, it can still work, but you won’t be satisfied with the results. Customized resumes are much more likely to be reviewed and selected. Reading a visual merchandising job description for a resume creation is the first step towards a winning document. Try to always tailor your content to what is mentioned or asked for in a job listing.

• Personal information

Don’t mention your religious or political affiliations, marital status, or social security number in your resume. A potential employer only needs to know your name, contact details, and why you’re the perfect candidate based on your experience, skills, and qualifications.

• Adding your photo

We don’t recommend including a photo in a resume if you apply for a job in the USA, UK, or Ireland. If a photo is required, make sure it looks professional.

What Can Boost My Visual Merchandising Resume

The answer is quite simple - consider writing a cover letter. This document works for both experienced and entry-level job seekers and helps them demonstrate their interest in the position, show motivation, and highlight relevant skills. It should be short, well-written, and informative. You need to explain why you would like to work in this particular company and why you are the most suitable candidate for this vacancy.

Your visual merchandiser cover letter should start with a greeting. Ideally, you should greet your reader by name. You can find it in the job description or on the company website. If no name is mentioned, we recommend starting with “Dear Hiring Manager.”

Next, you need to indicate the desired position and why you want to join this particular team. We also advise you to check the company web-site and social media profile to learn more about its mission, values, and recent activities. You can then use this information in your cover letter.

Now you need to start “displaying the goods.” In this case, it’s your candidacy. Tell about your experience in visual merchandising and support it with some arguments and facts. If you don’t have much experience, focus more on your personal qualities, talents, and educational achievements. In both cases, it is crucial to describe your skills and how they will help you succeed in your work.

End your letter by expressing gratitude for considering your application. Add a powerful call to action to show your interest to get feedback.

Conclusions

Writing an awesome visual merchandiser resume can be challenging, but our tips can help you create a professional document that will get noticed. Read the job description carefully, think about your document’s structure, make a list of relevant experience and skills, don’t forget about proper formatting, and always follow up after sending your resume.

Remember that a job search is also a challenging job. Thus, be patient and don’t give up if you don’t succeed after the first attempt. Use this experience as a lesson to learn and try again.