Buyer Resume Sample (20+ Examples & Tips)

No matter what industry you work for, your job consists of several activities: checking the market trends. Following new developments. Negotiating prices. Managing budgets.

It’s a lot of responsibility for one person, so no wonder you want to be paid accordingly. You also expect extra work benefits, because money isn’t the only thing that matters in the 21st century.

Not every buyer job is great. Make sure your buyer resume puts you in a strong negotiating position with hiring managers.

This guide will show you: 

• A buyer resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a buyer resume that will land you more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a buyer resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for a buyer to get any job you want.

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Do you really need a buyer resume or assistant buyer resume? What about these?

• Business Resume
• Sales Resume
• Purchasing Agent Resume
• Project Coordinator Resume
• Supervisor Resume
• Car Salesman Resume
• Sales Manager Resume
• Sales Representative Resume
• Sales Associate Resume
• Leasing Agent Resume
• Leasing Consultant Resume
• Salesforce Resume
• Resume Examples for All Careers

Buyer Resume Sample

Here’s how to write a buyer resume that gets jobs:

1. Pick the Best Buyer Resume Format

Buyers, also called purchasing agents, are resource and cost researchers and negotiators. They analyze prices and research and buy materials and services for businesses. A buyer resume must show strong negotiation and analytical skills, as well as interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate.

Here’s a tip:

The hiring manager wants a reason not to read your resume.

A sloppy buyer resume will give her one.

So—

Format your resume for buyer jobs with these key steps:

• Start with the right format for your resume—the reverse-chronological resume template.
• Resume headers are important. Use the best font like Arial. Make your name large and legible and your business title smaller.
• Write the rest of your resume in 10–12 point font and don’t cram in too many words.
• Should your resume be PDF or Word? PDFs are best because they stay static—unless the posting says not to use one.

Pro Tip: The length of a resume is vital. There’s almost no need for a 2 or 3-page resume for buyer jobs. One page is enough unless you’ve got pages of great accomplishments.

2. Write a Buyer Resume Objective or Resume Summary

Here’s a secret:

Hiring managers don’t like reading buyer resumes.

You need to make them want to read yours.

Use a profile summary.

With 2+ years of buyer experience, a good summary for resume use will focus on achievement.

What’s the biggest way your buyer skills made things better for the company?

With a smaller work history, write a resume objective statement. Those mainly sell your buyer skills, but it helps to add accomplishments.

Pro Tip: In an entry-level resume for buyer jobs, talk about the buyer skills you used in other jobs. Those are called transferable job skills.

3. Match Your Resume to the Buyer Job Description

Some resumes shine.

Why?

Because the hiring manager can see they fit the company and job.

Make your buyer resume one of those.

Here’s how to add work experience description in a resume:

• Of course list your title, the company you worked for, and dates. Then—
• List duties and your biggest buyer achievements at that job.
• Fit them to the buyer job. If the job description wants negotiation, show them you negotiated deals that saved money.
• Don’t just say, “saved money.” Say how much money with numbers like $1.1M.
• Use strong resume words to hold them in suspense.

Pro Tip: You don’t need to list non-buyer jobs from a long time ago. But you can if your resume is too short. Just try to use them to prove buyer skills.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

4. Customize Your Buyer Resume Education Section

This might sound backwards.

Your resume education section doesn’t just show you went to school.

On a buyer resume, it should prove key skills.

You don’t have to show cum laude on a resume to do it right. You can just cite classes you did well in, positions, sports, projects, or groups.

Pro Tip: Don’t show GPA on a resume for buyer jobs unless it’s recent or super-high. What should you do with the extra space? Put another skills-proving achievement.

5. Show Buyer Skills in Your Resume

Use this buyer resume skills list with soft and hard skills examples:

Buyer Resume Skills

Hard Skills:

• Materials sourcing
• Relationship building
• Negotiating
• Purchasing
• Computer skills
• Research
• Contracts
• Cost reduction
• Adhering to quality standards
• Working with internal customers
• Business strategy

Soft Skills:

• Interpersonal skills
• Resourcefulness
• Written and oral communication skills
• Collaboration
• Attention to detail
• Problem-solving
• Time management
• Judgement
• Listening
• Adaptability

Caution—

Don’t lump all those skills in at once.

Go heavy on the ones this purchasing job really wants.

Find them in the job ad. You can even call the company and ask.

Then show evidence like I described above.

Pro Tip: For each of the key skills you list, you’ll need some kind of accomplishment to show you use it like a pro. Put them in your experience, education, and “other” sections (below).

6. Add Other Sections to Your Buyer Resume

They don’t want to hire a robot.

They want a living, breathing human being.

Use your buyer resume to show you are that.

Include:

• Activities
• Conventions
• Associations
• Resume freelance work
• Volunteering
• Groups
• Publications
• Classes
• Compliments from bosses
• Hobbies lists
• Sports

Pro Tip: Use your other resume sections to back up the purchasing skills you list in your resume for buyer jobs. If you raised attendance for a group, that proves leadership.

7. Send a Cover Letter With Your Buyer Resume

Should I write a cover letter for my buyer resume?

Yep.

It’s true a lot of hiring managers don’t like them. But many do.

That’s especially true if you do it right.

To write a good buyer cover letter:

• Know how to format a cover letter (the 3-paragraph template is best).
• Then know how to start a cover letter. Tell them something surprising you achieved or something you respect about the company.
• Show passion for purchasing work.
• When ending a cover letter, don’t leave them hanging. Offer to explain how you’ll save money or time in your new job.

How many words should a cover letter be? Anything more than 350 is too long.

Pro Tip: Write a job application follow-up email a few days after you apply. Still hear crickets? It’s okay to ping them in a week, and then the next week if they don’t reply.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

That’s it!

That’s how to write a resume for buyer positions.

Not having good luck with your buyer resume? Is something wrong with your resume for buyer jobs you can’t put your finger on? Give us a shout in the comments. We’d love to talk!