Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent Service Associate job postings. In other words, these are the most sought after skills by recruiters and hiring managers. Go to Sample Templates ↓ below to see how to include them on your resume.
Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all keywords on your resume, identify those that are most relevant to the job you're applying to. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.
Does your resume contain all the right skills? Paste in your resume in the AI Resume Scan ↓ section below and get an instant score.
Paste your resume below and our AI will identify which keywords are missing from your resume from the list above (and what you need to include). Including the right keywords will help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e. resume screeners) which may scan your resume for keywords to see if you're a match for the job.
Go through the Service Associate posting you're applying to, and identify hard skills the company is looking for. For example, skills like Customer Support, Customer Service and Microsoft Access are possible skills. These are skills you should try to include on your resume.
The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on Service Associate job descriptions. The bigger the word, the more frequently it shows up on employer's job postings. If you have experience with these keywords, include them on your resume.
Here are common soft skills that appear on Service Associate job postings. Unlike hard skills, which refer to tools, software or techniques, soft skills focus on character traits and interpersonal skills. Instead of listing these phrases on your resume, try to show them through your bullet points like in the examples below.
Tip: Do not list these words or phrases on your resume, and instead focus on the hard skills we described above.
Here are examples of proven resumes in related jobs and industries, approved by experienced hiring managers. Use them as inspiration when you're writing your own resume. You can even download and edit the resume template in Google Docs.
Operations associates can learn about business operations as they work to support the day-to-day functioning of a company. While you do need to be organized and conscientious for this type of role, you don’t need management experience for this entry-level role -- so use your resume to underscore your education and internship history, as shown in this resume.
As an entry-level applicant, you won’t have a lot of work history to discuss -- so start your resume off with what you have accomplished in school and internship experience. If you’ve done coursework in relevant areas such as data analytics or operating systems, it’s great to mention that up-front.
This resume points out accomplishments at internships that directly relate to being an operations associate. The bullet points show that even though you’re early in your career, you’ve already made an impact with your work.
When applying for a customer service role, it’s important to show the recruiter that you have the required skills and knowledge for the job. You should highlight work experience that is relevant for the role, like in the given resume, which includes three instances of past work experience in a customer service capacity. It’s okay if you don’t have over 8 years of experience in customer service -- you can also highlight your experience in your skills and in your education section.
The first bullet of each section has a strong action verb accompanied by a measurable outcome, i.e. “exceeded sales target by 18%”, “achieved a 100% customer approval”, and “greeted 100+ daily guests”. These bullets clearly communicate that the applicant is not only well-versed in customer service, but that they can deliver results that are beneficial to the company. You should include as many numerical examples like these as you can, since hiring managers often skim resumes for such measures of proof.
Customer service representatives must have high EQ, be excellent at communication, and have superb problem solving skills. They must be carefully attuned to the needs of a potential customer, or even an unsatisfied one. Try to list out all the qualities you can think of that a good customer service representative would have and highlight them in your resume. For example, this applicant highlights a very important skill -- communication -- showing that they received an M.S. in Communications and a Minor in Public Speaking. They also highlight their skill in Customer Satisfaction. What other customer service skills can you see that they highlight?
When applying for a customer service manager role, keep in mind what differentiates a manager from a representative. A customer service manager must not only be adept at prioritizing customer satisfaction and needs, but also at strategizing and implementing operational improvements to ensure a smooth and painless customer journey. They should be confident in leadership roles and understand how to manage and motivate a team of customer service representatives. This resume highlights the applicant’s experience in exactly those areas.
Customer service managers aren’t simply managing customers -- they’re also managing a team of representatives and ensuring that they function like a well-oiled machine. If you’re applying for a customer service manager level role, it’s important to call attention to your capacity for leading such a team. This applicant does so in the bullet points of their work experience and also includes quantifiable metrics, noting that they enhanced team performance and increased team efficacy rate by 15%, with higher job satisfaction reported amongst staff.
When applying to a senior level role such as this one, you should make sure to convey the impact of your contributions in your work experience. This applicant has numeric metrics in practically every line of their work experience, with detailed descriptions of their role and responsibilities in organizing, enhancing, or facilitating customer satisfaction (e.g. providing 7 innovative ideas, 3 of which are implemented and successful; organized meetings...with a 95% success rate on new client projects)
A customer service supervisor plays a key role in the smooth and successful execution of customer service operations. Typically, a customer service supervisor is one level lower than a customer service manager, and with experience may eventually be promoted to that role. Thus, this job often includes some budding responsibilities that you might expect from a manager, including recruiting, training, and general involvement in the ongoing development of the customer service team.
Because a customer service supervisor involves a sizable amount of management and supervisory responsibilities, you should call out experiences you’ve had in the workplace where you have utilized such skills. Try to think of times in the past where you’ve demonstrated admirable leadership qualities, whether it’s coaching staff, ensuring employee satisfaction, or juggling multiple stakeholders in tricky situations. In this resume, the applicant highlights that they “coached, motivated and counselled staff of 30+ employees”.
A great way to stand out from the crowd is to highlight your unique accomplishments and achievements. Perhaps you’ve been promoted ahead of the typical cycle at a role, or you’ve been recognized by your superiors for your superb work ethic and dedication. Any sort of award or outstanding advancement through an organization, even in non-customer service capacities, can communicate to the hiring manager that you’re a fantastic employee. In this template, the applicant notes such promotions and awards (e.g. Awarded ‘Employee of the Year’ consecutively for 2 years; Promoted after 8 months...ahead of schedule by 16 months).
If you’re still taking classes as a student, or even if you just graduated, the recruiting world can be an intimidating place -- especially if you don’t have much work experience. Don’t worry! You can use this template to show recruiters that you have relevant experience in internships or clubs, and that you’re fully capable and skilled for the role.
You may notice that this resume template is quite different from the other templates in organization, with the education section found at the top. This is intentional, and quite common in many successful entry-level resumes. Since most students don’t have a wealth of experiences in the workplace, recruiters will look at your education section to understand your interests and your experience. Make sure to include your GPA and any honors you may have, along with relevant coursework that may be applicable to the role. You can also include any relevant certifications to show that you are someone who takes initiative to learn.
Even though it’s okay to not have experience in customer satisfaction specifically, it’s important to include as many areas where you have engaged in similar capacities. Create detailed bullet points of any internships you might have had, and include responsibilities and achievements that are directly applicable to a customer service role. You can do the same with your experiences in volunteering or with university projects. For example, this applicant calls out that they did an analysis to “understand customer sentiment and purchasing trends”.
A retail sales associate, typically a sales associate working specifically in a brick-and-mortar store, must have excellent interpersonal skills and the emotional intelligence to interact with a variety of different customers daily. When crafting your retail sales associate resume, make sure to emphasize the relevant skills and experience you have developed in your past retail roles.
Retail sales involves extensive face-to-face interaction with customers on a daily basis, and hiring managers are looking for candidates who can effectively handle the unique challenges that come up in this environment. Make sure to include as much relevant experience you have for the role -- even outside of just retail. For example, if you worked as a receptionist, you were often working face-to-face with an office’s clients. If you think outside the box like this, you can probably come up with more relevant experiences than you realize!
Focus on including retail-oriented skills in your skills section. Showing hiring managers that you have applicable experience in working a cash register, improving operations, or troubleshooting credit card issues can be the difference between landing a job or getting passed over. In addition, make sure you read through the job posting to see what skills they list, and emphasize the skills they’ve highlighted throughout your resume.
Some popular Service Associate hard skills are Customer Service, Customer Support, Microsoft Access, Manual Testing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Customer Experience, Food & Beverage and Hotel Management.
Depending on the job you apply to, skills like Coaching, Administration, Retail, Adobe Photoshop and Management can also be good to include on your resume.
Soft skills like Time Management, Teamwork, Organization Skills, Communication and Problem Solving are essential for Service Associate roles and jobs.
While the keywords above are a good indication of what skills you need on your resume, you should try to find additional keywords that are specific to the job. To do this, use the free Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes the job you are applying to and finds the most important keywords you need on your resume.
It is personalized to your resume, and is the best way to ensure your resume will pass the automated resume filters.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
