Dozens of recruiters from some of retail's biggest companies are coming to New York City for the NRF Foundation Retail Career Fair, ready to meet students and learn about the experiences, skills and perspectives they could bring to their teams. Are you ready to meet them?
I've reviewed many resumes throughout my career. The strongest ones don't always belong to the candidates with the most experience. They belong to the candidates who make it easy to understand who they are, what they've accomplished and what they could bring to the role. Before you add another line to your resume, ask yourself one question: What does this tell someone about me? Here are five ways to make sure your answer is clear, plus a bonus tip to help you finish strong.
A job title only tells a recruiter so much. We already have a general idea of what a sales associate, intern or club treasurer does. What we want to know is what you contributed.
For each bullet, start with an action verb, describe what you did and explain why it mattered. Skip phrases like "responsible for" or "helped with," which describe an assignment, not an accomplishment. Use numbers when you know them, such as customers served, new hires trained or events planned but never estimate or exaggerate. If you don't have a number, describe the outcome instead.
Instead of: Responsible for helping customers and stocking shelves.
Try: Assisted customers with product questions and returns during peak holiday weekends and trained two new associates on store procedures.
That second version shows communication, problem-solving and the trust your manager placed in you.
If you're early in your career, you may wish you had more professional experience to include. Don't overlook what you've already done. Your experience doesn't have to come from a traditional office job to be valuable.
Class projects, capstones, scholarships, student organizations, volunteer roles, athletics and part-time jobs all build skills employers want. A class presentation shows
communication. A retail job shows customer service, teamwork and problem-solving. Leading a campus organization shows project management and leadership.
Treat major projects like work experience. Give them a clear title and describe your role and the result.
Instead of: Group project for marketing class.
Try: Worked with a four-person team to survey students and analyze a local coffee shop's competitors, then presented pricing and loyalty program recommendations to the owner.
Leadership doesn't require a title, either. If you noticed a problem and fixed it, trained a teammate or volunteered for a challenging task, include it. Initiative is one of the qualities recruiters notice most.
One resume shouldn't necessarily go everywhere. Before applying for a role or speaking with a company, review the job posting. Which skills and qualifications come up most often? If you have them, make sure they're easy to find on your resume.
Use the employer's language where it honestly describes your experience. If the posting mentions "inventory management" and you tracked stock at your part-time job, say so in those words. You don't need to rewrite your resume for every application, but reordering your bullets, moving a relevant project higher or adjusting how you describe an experience can help a recruiter quickly see the connection.
A quick word about applicant tracking systems: they help recruiters organize and search for candidates, and people make the hiring decisions. You don't need tricks or keyword stuffing, and copying the job description into your resume can hurt your credibility. What helps is a clean, simple format with standard section headings like Education, Experience and Skills, so your information is easy to read for both the system and the person reviewing it.
Listing "Excel" or "AI" in a skills section is a start, but showing how you used those tools to solve a problem is what stands out.
Keep a short skills section that names the specific tools you know, such as Excel, Canva, Google Analytics or a point-of-sale system. Then add at least one bullet that shows a tool in action.
Instead of: Skills: Excel, ChatGPT, PowerPoint.
Try: Built an Excel tracker to monitor our student organization's event budget, making monthly spending reports faster to prepare.
If you use AI tools, be specific and honest about how, and be ready to explain how you checked the results. That tells an employer you're resourceful and use good judgment, which matters more than the tool itself. Just as important, never upload confidential employer or customer information into an AI tool your employer hasn't approved. Only list skills you can confidently discuss in an interview.
When it comes to your resume itself, AI can be a helpful coach for feedback and ideas. But write your final resume in your own words and never include anything that isn't true. Recruiters can tell when a resume sounds generic, and you'll need to speak to every line.
This is one of my favorite parts of a resume. A brief interests section is optional, but authentic interests can make you memorable and give an interviewer an easy way to get to know you.
Keep it to one line at the bottom of your page and be specific. "Photography" is fine; "film photography" is better. Interests like athletics, chess, music, community mentoring, building computers or sneaker collecting can spark real conversations and even hint at qualities like discipline, strategy, attention to detail or knowledge of consumer trends.
Instead of: Hobbies: sports, music, hanging out with friends.
Try: Interests: Intramural soccer captain, building custom PCs, sneaker collecting and resale trends.
Choose interests you could talk about for five minutes and would be comfortable discussing with an employer. Remember that interests should support your qualifications, not replace them.
A great resume can lose impact when small details get in the way. Before you send your resume or bring it to the career fair, make sure:
Your email address is professional and your phone number is one you check regularly
Your LinkedIn URL is customized, listed in your header and matches your resume
Every bullet starts with an action verb and shows what you contributed
Your most relevant experience is easy to find
You've proofread it and asked someone you trust to give it a second look
Then prepare for the conversation. Practice a short introduction covering who you are, what you're studying and what interests you about retail. After the career fair, follow up with the recruiters you met within a day or two with a short LinkedIn message or email that mentions something specific you discussed.
Your resume doesn't need to tell your entire story. It needs to make someone want to learn more about it. At the NRF Foundation Retail Career Fair, recruiters want to meet the person behind the resume, so come ready to talk about what you've learned, what you've accomplished and where you want to go next.
Your NXT opportunity could start with that conversation.
