How to write a buyer CV that lands the interview [with tips and examples]

Buyers are integral to the success of a retail business, and there is a lot of competition for good buyer jobs. If you want to work as a buyer, you'll need to know how to write a buyer CV that stands out.

For many businesses, a great buyer can be the difference between success and failure. As a buyer, you need your CV to show that you can research products, understand customer needs, develop relationships with wholesalers and other providers, monitor inventory, and more.

This article will discuss:

• How to write a buyer CV
• What sections to include in your buyer CV
• The best buyer CV templates
• Buyer CV examples
• Tips and tricks to help you impress hiring managers

#1. Pick a great buyer CV template

The first step to writing a buyer CV that makes an impact is to find a great CV template.

As a buyer, you will be accountable for a lot of money, inventory, and important relationships. It’s very important that you are professional, trustworthy, and dependable, and you need a CV template that showcases these qualities.

Your CV needs to be well-organized and readable, and the best way to guarantee that is to use a CV template. Instead of taking the time to design a CV yourself, you can use a template and get a head start with a design that already looks great. This will save you from having to pick out fonts, colours, and structure, so you can get right to writing your buyer CV.

A traditional CV template, with simple structure and subtle colours, is appropriate for a buyer CV. VisualCV’s Corporate or Standard templates, for example, are a great choice. For a small amount of colour, you may want to try Monte or Air.

#2. List your contact information

The contact information section of your buyer CV is the easiest portion to fill. If you've used a CV template, all you need to do is fill out the fields. Your contact information should be at the top of your CV where it’s easy to find.

Contact information fields include:

• Name
• City and state/province
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Social media account (optional)

Here are a few tips for how to write a buyer CV header section:

• Don't include a full address unless you are specifically asked to
• Ensure your phone number and email address are correct
• Use a professional email address that includes your name
• If you include a link to an online account, make sure everything you post is appropriate for work
• Don’t use your current work phone or email address to look for a new job

#3. Write a great buyer CV summary

The first section you'll need in your CV is a summary. This section should appear near the top of your resume, usually just below the contract information. It will be one of the first things the hiring manager looks at, so it needs to be impressive.

Hiring managers don't spend much time reading each CV. They simply get too many applications to read each one in detail. As a result, you need to write a quick and effective summary that encourages them to keep reading.

Your summary should be 3 to 5 sentences or bullet points where you quickly summarize your qualifications. As much as possible, your summary should highlight:

• Who you are
• What you are capable of
• Your most impressive achievements
• Your most relevant skills

In a CV, a summary is a short, punchy section that is designed to grab a hiring manager's attention. It’s where you can identify your most important qualifications and emphasize them right at the beginning of your CV.

If you aren’t sure what your most important qualifications are, write your summary last. This way, your work experience, skills, education and achievements will be at the top of your mind and you will be able to see which ones are the most relevant.

Buyer CV summary example:

#4. Showcase your work experience

Your Work Experience section is one of the best ways to demonstrate to a hiring manager that you're a serious candidate. Employers are seeking buyers with proven abilities in identifying and sourcing goods at prices that can turn a profit. Your work experience section is where you can prove that you have the right mix of experiences that prove you are a perfect candidate. That includes knowledge of general responsibilities and also duties that are specific to the job.

In your Work Experience section, list your previous positions in reverse-chronological order, beginning with your current position. Each item in your work experience should include:

• Your job title
• The company name
• The company location
• The dates you were employed
• A bulleted list of responsibilities and achievements

As you write your Work Experience section, make sure to highlight duties and achievements that are relevant to the role you are applying for. For buyer roles, this can include things like building relationships with suppliers, market research, knowledge of materials, customer research, logistical planning, and price negotiation.

The best way to tailor your work experience to the position is to study the job description. The job posting will be a good source of details about the specific skills and experience the employer wants in an employee. You should read the job posting thoroughly and highlight where your experience matches the requirements.

Where possible, include numbers that demonstrate your effectiveness in previous positions. Quantifiable achievements are a great way to prove that you can be successful. Measurable accomplishments like sales numbers, inventory, and client satisfaction scores are great details to include in your CV.

Another great way to write impressive work experience is to use active language as much as possible. Action words can include:

• Led
• Accelerated
• Boosted
• Charted
• Planned
• Launched
• Transformed
• Generated

Buyer CV Work Experience example:

#5. List your buyer CV skills

Your Skills section is your best opportunity to clearly and concisely showcase the skills you’ve developed throughout your education and career.

In this section, list your most relevant and most impressive skills. Be sure to list the specific skills asked for in the job posting - as long as it’s true!

For simplicity, you can list your skills with simple bullet points.

If you would like to elaborate further, you can list each skill as a heading and elaborate with examples. With VisualCV, you can even add strength ratings to each skill.

Buyer CV skills section example:

#6. Show your education

Larger companies often look for a degree when hiring a buyer. However, for many businesses, the right experience and training will suffice.

Some of the more common degrees that buyers have include:

• Business
• Accounting
• Finance
• Retail
• Supply management

If you have worked as a buyer for some time, your Education section doesn’t need to be long. Just the school name, degree, and graduation year will do.

If you are a current student, or just don’t have much work experience, your education section can be longer. If this is the case, you can include your GPA (if it's over 3.5), relevant coursework, or some impressive projects you worked on.

Buyer CV Education example:

#7. Customize your CV

Customizing your CV for each individual position is a big step on the road to getting an interview. Most job posts will receive dozens (or even hundreds) of applicants, most of whom will have strong education and work experience.

While hiring managers receive a lot of CVs, many of them are just generic CVs that job-seekers use for every job. Sending out a general CV that hasn’t been targeted to the specific position is a mistake. When you apply for a job, you don’t just want to show that you are a great employee in general; you want to show that you are perfect for this specific job.

Standing out from the crowd is challenging. However, one way you can get an advantage is by taking the time to understand the position and organization that has posted the job.

The first thing to do is read the job post. Take note of all the things the employer is looking for, like qualifications, skills, and other requirements. Make sure you understand exactly what they need.

Next, look at the company’s website and social media accounts. Pay careful attention to their company culture, values, and mission statement. What words or phrases do they do that make them different from other firms? What values do they make a part of their brand?

When you have completed this research and you understand the organization, you can adjust and customize your CV to use the specific language that the company uses. You should be able to show that you understand their culture and goals.

You should also make sure your CV will beat the applicant tracking system, or ATS. This is a software that many employers use that scans your CV looking for keywords. If you want to get past the first round of applications, you need to make sure the ATS can read your CV and find the right skills and experience. To do this, make sure your CV is structured with clear headings and simple formatting.

Buyer CV example