Check your sales executive CV against the job advert
Sales adverts are about numbers. Show the targets you had, how you hit them and the work behind them, using only figures you can stand behind.
Start with your advert
Every sales executive advert is different. The list below is what adverts for this job usually ask for, not what yours does. So start with your advert:
- Read the advert and copy out every "must have" or "essential" line, then the "desirable" ones.
- For each one, find the line in your CV that proves it. If you can't point to a line, that's a gap.
- Fill the gap with something true: a duty, a setting, a qualification or a result you really have. If you don't have it, say what you have that's closest, or leave it out.
Our guide to matching your CV to a job description goes through this in more detail.
What sales executive adverts usually ask for
Targets and results
Why they askEvery sales advert asks for a track record against targets.
How to show itGive your target, the result and the period, from your own records.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Achieved [percentage or amount] of a £[amount] [monthly / annual] target in [period].
Prospecting and pipeline
Why they askNew business roles need people who generate their own leads.
How to show itDescribe your prospecting activity and how you built pipeline.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Generated new business through [calls, LinkedIn, events], building a pipeline of [number] opportunities.
B2B or B2C, and the sales cycle
Why they askSelling to businesses and to consumers are different skills.
How to show itSay who you sold to, what, and how long deals took.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Sold [product or service] to [type of customer] with a typical cycle of [length].
CRM
Why they askAdverts often name Salesforce, HubSpot or another CRM.
How to show itName it and say how you used it.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Managed my pipeline and forecasts in [CRM].
Driving licence and travel
Why they askField sales roles usually need a full UK licence.
How to show itMention it if relevant.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Full UK driving licence; covered a territory of [area].
Only use a line if it's true for you. Swap each [gap] for your own detail: the setting, the number, the tool or the result. If you can't fill a gap honestly, cut that part of the line.
Mistakes that cost sales executive applications
- No numbers.
- Figures that can't be checked or don't add up.
- Not saying what you sold or to whom.
Questions
What if I didn't hit my targets?
Use what's true: your best periods, activity levels, or improvements over time. Don't make up a figure.