Cashier Resume Examples & Templates (2024) (2024)

So you want to check out a job as a cashier? It’s a great way to learn the retail business while you earn. With a well-written and cleanly designed cashier resume, you can find the right cashier job in the right environment.

Whether you are a high school student looking for your first job or you are in mid-career, we are here to help you craft the perfect cashier resume to impress hiring managers and land an interview with ease! As a leading resource for job seekers in all fields, Resume.io offers more than 300 occupation-specific resume guides and samples, plus a CV builder tool, customizable resume templates and useful advice.

Instead of wondering why you put your all into a job application and didn't hear back, you can beat the odds and be on your way to a cashier job. This guide, along with corresponding examples from a cashier resume, will take you through the process of writing your own customized version to impress hiring managers. We'll cover these basics:

• What cashiers do and the current job market
• How to write a one-page cashier resume that works for you, including tips for beating the filtering software of applicant tracking systems
• The best format for structuring your CV
• Advice on each section of your cashier resume: header, summary, employment history, education and skills
• Professional resume layout and design hints.

What does a cashier do? The role and job market

A cashier position can be a jumping off point for career advancement and a way to make extra cash part time. Cashiers do not need experience or a college degree, but they must have a balance of soft skills, also known as interpersonal skills, and hard skills, or the pragmatic knowledge you need to do the job.

The strongest cashierresumes make it clear that you know what employers are looking for and show that you can deliver. One advantage of looking for a cashier's job is that with a few weeks of on-the-job training, you will be set. Employers don't expect you to know how their cash register system works before you start working. That means, even if you don't have experience, you can still write an impressive cashier resume and get a good job.

The job market

Most cashiers work in retail. Here are some specific categories within the field:

• Food and beverage
• General merchandise
• Gas stations
• Restaurants, hospitality and catering
• Pharmacies and drugstores

Consider which of these types of retail businesses you find most appealing. Think about advancement opportunities. Also, be aware that you may be expected to help out in another area when the register is slow, so target the type of retail that most appeals to you.

According to May 2020 income data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median hourly wage for cashiers is $12.03. Cashiers at pharmacies and drugstores make an average of $12.90 an hour, the highest rate, while restaurants pay the least at $11.44 hourly.

Largely due to self-checkout kiosks and increasing online sales, the job market for cashiers is expected to decline by 10% from 2020 to 2030, the BLS forecasts. Create a great cashier resume to get your foot in the door right away.

How to write a cashier resume

The recommended framework for a cashier resume, and for all career resumes, includes these components:

• Header
• Summary (sometimes called profile or personal statement)
• Employment history
• Education
• Skills

Later in this writing guide, alongside cashier resume sample wording, we'll go through each of the key sections one at a time. First, we’ll cover some important considerations.

Applicant Tracking Systems

Why don't my resumes get noticed? The problem with writing a cashier resume without understanding applicant tracking systems ( ATS) is that you may be defeated before you start. These algorithm-based screening tools are designed to eliminate inferior resumes before they ever get into the hands of a human.

Hiring managers do not have time to read the dozens of resumes they may receive for each cashier position. Instead, they rely on ATS to narrow the field. ATS software searches each resume for keywords related to cashier skills that employers prioritize.

That means it is vital for you to use those keywords in your cashier resume, while also paying attention to formal requirements such as city and contact information. How do you do that?

Your first job is to understand the skills employers are looking for on your resume and the requirements for each cashier position. Including those on your resume greatly increases your chances of getting past the ATS. While there is no guarantee, following the advice in this resume guide will increase your odds of success.

Make the job details work for you

Here are some benefits of being a cashier:

• Flexible hours
• Social connections with coworkers and customers
• Opportunities for advancement
• And sometimes, discounts.

But being a cashier can also be tough. You may have to stand for hours at a time. At high-volume retailers, cashiers are expected to move quickly and efficiently while being courteous and helpful even to the most difficult customers. When you start, you probably won't have a say in your schedule and you may have to work holidays, because retailers are especially busy at those times.

The good news is that you can turn those negatives into positives on your cashier resume, by showing that those downsides don't bother you and explaining how you have overcome them in the past.

Important skills

What does it take to excel at a cashier's job? When you look at a cashier's responsibilities, think about the soft skills and hard skills necessary to perform the task. You will be handling money. That requires some basic math skills and trustworthiness. In addition, cashiers may have to process returns or exchanges. That means, you need money-handling skills, plus great customer service and problem-solving abilities.

Your schedule may change weekly. That requires organization and flexibility — both soft skills. You must be able to remember or somehow keep track of your shifts so you always arrive at work on time. You also must be able to arrange your personal schedule around your work schedule, even as it changes.

You need to know the inventory. If you work at a supermarket, you may need to memorize the register codes for keying in unlabeled produce items. At any store, customers will ask where to find an item or more specific questions about a product. You should know the answers. Some related skills needed here are memory, product knowledge, communication, and again, customer service.

You must also be able to handle the rushes. Retail has slow times and very busy times. Cashiers must be quick and efficient, and remain calm and friendly even when customers are in a hurry. In downtimes, a cashier should be a team player by offering to lend a hand in another area of the business.

Let's recap

Here are some sample hard skills you need:

• Money management
• Basic math
• Product knowledge

Here are the soft skills examples:

• Customer service
• Trustworthiness
• Problem-solving
• Communication
• Efficiency
• Collaboration
• Organization
• Flexibility.

Notice that the longer list for a cashier resume is the soft skills. That is because you can learn most of the specifics during cashier training once you are hired. These are the skills you will focus on in the first section of your cashier resume.

Best resume format for a cashier

The chronological resume format is likely the best option for structuring your CV, as the cashier resume example referred to in this guide will illustrate. It’s the most commonly used and straightforward format for job seekers overall.

But if you are new to the workforce, making a dramatic career change, or your most relevant experience has not been in relevant employee positions, then take a look at alternative resume formats. A functional resume format is sometimes suitable for emphasizing transferable skills or training, or for those who have been self-employed.

Cashier summary example: get noticed

Put your skills, qualities and achievements to work in a key component of your cashierresume: the summary. This is your chance to show who you are and why you will make a great cashier. The summary (also known as the resumeprofile or personal statement) consists of from two to four sentences that explain your biggest work achievements and professional strengths. Decide which of the skills mentioned above you want to highlight in your resume summary based on the description of the job you are applying for. Each cashier job description is different, so make sure you analyze each job to find the resume keywords you need to beat the ATS.

Word clouds

Knowing which words will help you get past the ATS can be confusing. If cashier job listings are vague, or the opposite — too detailed — consider using a word cloud program such as wordle.com or wordart.com. Put in one or more job descriptions and the keywords will literally pop out. The more often a word is used, the bigger it will be and the more important it is for your cashier resume.

Action verbs

Getting past the ATS is only the first step. Next, your resume has six seconds to impress hiring managers, and 4.8 of those seconds are spent looking for your name, current title/company, previous title/company, previous position start and end dates, current position start and end dates, and education. To distinguish yourself in the remaining time, use strong action verbs. Just as the term implies, action verbs explain your achievements, successes, and qualities in terms of action. Later in your cashier resume, you will expand on your profile by giving details and examples.

Here is an example:

Instead of: I like to help customers.

Say: Attentive listener who solves customer problems with a smile.

Make sure you include your most positive personality traits as well. Remember, being a cashier requires a lot of interaction with customers and coworkers.

You can find a cashier resume example summary below.

Employment history sample: the building blocks

Whether you have been in the cashier workforce before or this is your first job, the employment history resume section is where you detail your successes and achievements. Think about your jobs as a series of accomplishments. No need to write detailed lists of all your responsibilities, in fact that is exactly what not to do. Instead, tell your potential employer what you have achieved. Mention only the most important aspects of your work experience that tells hiring managers what you can bring to the position they need to fill.

Your successes

Brainstorm a master list of your accomplishments and successes for your cashier resume. Then, match strong action verbs with them. Pick the accomplishments and successes that best align with each cashier job you are applying for. The more detailed you can be in your job descriptions, the better. If possible, use samples of statistics or data to back up your claim. Focus on the results of your actions.

Example: Decreased losses from cash discrepancies by 10% by proposing a new process for register checks.

Think about difficult customer problems you solved and explain the results of your positive actions. Check the word cloud art you created or look back at the job description to make sure you are including the keywords you need to beat the ATS.

If you have worked in a sector of the retail industry before, highlight your knowledge of that field. Organize this section in reverse chronological order: from most recent to oldest. If you have more than 10 years of experience, list only the most recent 10 years.

Use the cashier resumeexample below as a starting point for your employment history section.

Cashier resume education: the essential know-how

The more experience you have, the less important this resume section becomes. But if you have not had a job yet, your education is quite important for a cashier resume and can be placed higher on the page, perhaps right after the summary.

The education requirement for a cashier's job is a high school diploma or a GED. List examples of math or business classes that prove you have skill in those areas. Here are some additional sample types of education you may want to list:

• On-the-job training
• Business classes
• Post-high school classwork
• Seminars, certifications, or certificates.

Below is an education section from a cashier resume example.

CV skills example: foundation for success

The skills list on your cashier resume gives you a chance to add keywords and highlight features that didn't fit in the employment history section. You already completed a master list of your accomplishments. Look back at that list and think about the skills it took to achieve them.

Get organized

But don't just dump those skills onto the list without careful thought. Be mindful about the order of your skills list and tailor it to each specific cashier job you apply for. Choose a logical organization for your resume skills section. For instance, you might follow the same order that skills are listed on the posted job description.

You should have no more than 10 skills on a cashier resume. Be sure these are skills in which you are proficient and most relevant for a cashier job.

Do not repeat skills you have already highlighted in your employment history section. You can use the valuable resume space to add more information instead of repeating yourself.

Check out a resume sample for the skills section below.

Resume layout and design: try a template

As a cashier, you are expected to look clean, neat and friendly. Your cashier resume document should look that way, too. You may want to get creative, but the best cashier resume format is streamlined and simple. This cashier resume writing guide has already discussed the ways to distinguish yourself: highlight your accomplishments in your resume summary, use strong action verbs and target your keywords for each cashier job.

Your resume layout, design and formatting should portray an image of professionalism and efficiency. A touch of color can add personality, but with the possible downside of becoming a distraction.

Legibility over creativity

Hiring managers prefer simple resume formats because they are easier to skim. If they can't read your cashier resume quickly, they will move on to the next one. Blocks of type crammed together, inadequate margins, irregular CV formatting, or hard-to-read fonts can doom a perfect resume.

Resume templates are an easy way to solve these problems while still having the power to customize your format. In our resume builder, you can save your work as a PDF to avoid the formatting inconsistencies that may come from different word processing programs.

Key takeaways for a cashier resume

1. Being a cashier offers flexibility, a chance to make some extra cash or a first step toward a retail career.
2. Your resume profile gives hiring managers a glimpse at your personality and shows off your professional achievements.
3. Use the employment history section to detail your successes in previous jobs and tell your employers what you can do as their next cashier.
4. If this is your first job, write an experience section that focuses on volunteer work or school activities that use cashier-related skills.
5. Tailor your resume skills list to fit the job and use it to add more information. Don't repeat skills that appear in your employment history section.
6. Focus on keywords that will help get your cashier resume past the ATS.
7. Hiring managers prefer clean, legible templates, especially for cashier resumes.

Resume.io's resume builder tool and recruiter-tested resume templates have been created to help you look your best and avoid costly mistakes. With four template design categories to choose from, you are sure to find a resume format that highlights your skills and lands you your next job as a cashier. Check out the variety of options in these styles: simple, professional, creative and modern.