Car Salesman Resume Examples & Automotive Sales Job Skills

Here’s the thing:

You can already picture yourself as a car salesman:

Slapping the roof, closing the deal, enjoying the commission.

But first—

You need to land the job.

And we’re not talking about pushing clunkers.

We’re talking $70K salary plus commission, health insurance, paid holidays, 401(k) plan, and—

A cool demo ride.

How to get car salesman jobs like that?

For starters, a perfect car sales resume would be so damn clutch.

This guide will show you:

• A car salesman resume better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a car sales resume that will land you more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a car sales representative resume.
• How to prepare a car salesman job description section on a resume to get any job you want.

Here’s a car salesman resume example made with our online resume builder.

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Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume samples here.

Looking for a similar position in sales? We’ve got you covered:

• Sales Resume
• Sales Associate Resume
• Sales Representative Resume
• Sales Manager Resume
• Merchandiser Resume
• Insurance Sales Agent Resume
• Leasing Agent Resume
• Leasing Consultant Resume
• Buyer Resume
• Example Resumes for Hundreds of Different Jobs

Or maybe it’s your love for cars that drives you:

• Mechanic Resume
• Truck Driver Resume
• Delivery Driver Resume
• Bus Driver Resume

1

What’s the Best Format for a Car Salesman Resume?

You need to gain traction with the recruiter from the start.

How?

Go for the reverse-chronological resume format.

Why?

Well, you know—

Your achievements will stand out like a yellow 1970 Lamborghini Miura.

Plus, your resume will come across as neat, organized, and approachable. Just like a good car salesman should.

If you’re a career changer you might also want to give a thought to a combination resume.

Now that you’ve chosen the best format your car salesman resume, just remember:

• Use white space to your advantage—do not cram too much information.
• Go for a resume-friendly font.
• Write simple headings.

And—

Export your auto sales resume to a PDF file. This format is like a Toyota Hilux for documents—simply indestructible. It would literally take a wrecking ball to put it out of shape.

Now, let’s move on to the first section of your resume.

Fuzzy about the format your car salesman resume should stick to? Here’s a quick read: Best Resume Format: Which to Choose?

Here’s the thing:

You don’t get a second chance to make the first impression on the recruiter.

You need to stand out from the crowd of 299+ hopefuls.

How?

By writing a killer resume objective or summary.

You know—

Adding a car salesman resume objective or summary is like revving up a Mustang Shelby GT 500. It heralds pure power that no one dares to ignore!

But:

Before getting down to writing a resume objective or summary, you need to know the difference between the two.

Here it is:

A car salesman resume objective consists of 2 or 3 sentences proving you’re a good fit. It works best for those with limited experience.

A car salesman resume summary, well, it summarizes your work experience that matches the position.

Car Salesman Resume Objective—Example

The first candidate knows exactly how to market themselves. Their communication skills are clearly visible. They do a fantastic job showing their character traits, blending in experience, and showing the benefit for the company.

And—

It’s customized to boot.

The other candidate, well, he clearly wanted to cut some corners. The result? A bland, generic objective that doesn’t mean much to the employer.

Car Salesman Resume Summary—Example

Ok—

Look at the wrong example, now back to the right example, now back at the wrong one—

And back to the right one.

Sadly, the wrong example has nothing to look at.

You don’t want to be the candidate with nothing to show.

Remember:

Your car salesman resume summary needs to stand out. Make sure to:

1. Show your track-record.
2. Specify your experience.
3. Demonstrate your biggest achievement(s).
4. Back whatever possible with numbers.

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.

Need further guidance? Take another look at the car salesman resume example at the top of this page. Or read one of our guides: 20+ Career Objective Examples and Professional Resume Summary: 30 Examples and How-To Guide

3

The Best Car Salesman Job Description for a Resume

Congratulations!

The hiring manager wasn’t able to ignore the sound of your engine revving up.

It’s time to take them for a test drive.

And buckle up—

You’re about to learn how to make your car salesman job description hit like a twin turbo engine.

This is how to do it step-by-step:

First, look at the available car salesman jobs. Pick a job opening that matches your experience level and qualifications.

It could look something like that:

Notice:

The yellow highlights show you the car salesman requirements for this particular position. These are the skills you need to demonstrate.

So—

If your experience fits the car salesman job description, describe it using the job posting as a guide.

Here’s a sample:

Car Salesman Job Description—Resume Sample

To nail your car salesman resume job description you must answer a specific job ad.

Here’s the thing:

You know everything about ABS, TCS, and ASR. But have you heard of ATS?

An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) helps recruiters sift through hundreds of resumes that flood their inboxes. The system looks for specific words in candidates’ resumes to make an initial selection for the recruiter.

If you want to go past that stage, automotive sales resumes must contain the words ATS is looking for.

How?

You’ve just learned it. Use the original job posting as a guide, and describe your experience accordingly.

As easy as ESP!

ABC, that is.

To sum up, follow these rules to make your car salesman job description shine:

• Go for resume action words and highlight your car salesman skills.
• Focus on your achievements, not responsibilities. Show how well you’re able to perform car salesman duties.
• Put numbers wherever you can. Numbers speak louder than words.

And—

Wax your car salesman resume job description by adding a separate key achievements section.

It could look like this:

Show your worth, and convince the hiring manager you’re the car salesman they need.

And finally—

Let’s take a look at what you should avoid:

With the car salesperson resume job description like that, expect to be as successful as Pontiac Aztec.

Remember:

Always adapt your car salesman resume job description to a specific posting.

Always.

And finally, let’s take a look at how to get a job at a car dealership with no experience. Here’s a couple of ideas:

1. Previous gigs and projects.

Did you have a summertime job? Maybe you worked as a waiter? Shop assistant? Distributed leaflets? Or maybe you delivered a presentation in front of live audience? Look at your past projects and put them on your car salesman resume.

2. No experience? Go and get some.

If you have absolutely no previous car sales experience, well, you need to get some. Look for opportunities to build up your people skills. Show some initiative!

3. Leverage your passions.

Are you a walking automobile catalog? A fan of a particular automaker? Passionate people’s enthusiasm can be truly infectious. And in combination with good car salesman skills (which you can learn) you can turn into a car selling machine! Your natural talents and interests can boost your chances of landing the job.

Afraid your entry-level car salesman experience isn’t big enough? Keep calm and read: First Resume with No Work Experience

Not really sure how to go about this section of your car salesman resume? Here’s a guide to help you out:Work Experience on a Resume: Job Description Bullets that *Kill*

Now let’s look under your figurative hood.

But before we do—

Would you bet $50,000 on a Nascar driver, just because he told you he’s so freakin’ good?

Highly unlikely.

It’s equally unlikely for a hiring manager to employ you just because you put your car salesman skills on a bullet point list.

So, what do you do instead?

Here’s the thing:

Take another look at your car sales consultant resume job description:

The highlighted bits there are basically the same as the list below:

Car Salesman Skills—Example

• Customer service skills
• Communication skills
• Rapport building skills
• Organization skills
• Presentation skills
• Closing sales skills

The difference is you haven’t simply listed your skills as bullet points.

You’ve cleverly mixed them in your car salesman job description, and backed them with numbers to prove how good you are.

Now, if you want to give your car salesman skills more prominence on your resume, you can additionally list them in a separate key skills section.

You may also want to create an additional skills resume section, and list other relevant salesperson skills there.

Here are some ideas:

Car Salesman Resume—Skills

To present your car salesman skills most effectively, remember:

• It’s always a good idea to scatter your skills around your car salesman resume. The experience section of your car sales resume is a perfect place to prove your sales skills by offering numbers.
• Use a separate key skills section to reinforce the skills you take most pride in.
• Create an additional skills section to highlight your other sales skills related to the position.

Not sure how to do that? Take a good look at the sample car salesman resume at the beginning of the guide.

Fuzzy about what skills to put on your car salesman resume? This guide will answer your questions: 30+ Best Examples of What Skills to Put on a Resume

So—

You need a diploma.

Or, do you?

Wait—

Does it even matter?

It depends.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, says a car salesman will typically receive on-the-job training.

But if you want to be the candidate in pole position, use the education section of your car salesman resume to your advantage.

Here’s the secret:

Don’t just drop the name of the school you finished. Add information about coursework or activities relevant to car salesman jobs.

This is what it can look like:

Car Salesman Resume Sample—Education

All facts. No nonsense.

Just remember:

Add extracurricular activities and coursework that set you apart from the other candidates.

Pro Tip: Only list your GPA if it’s as close to a 4.0 as possible and you’re fresh out of school. Once you get experience, listing your grades is a no-no.

Struggling with the education section of your car salesman resume? Here’s a guide just for you: How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples]

A cover letter feels like a 2-stroke engine.

In a word: ancient.

Well, not really—

Cover letters still matter.

And—

Not only can they double your chances of landing a job, but let you demonstrate your communication skills in practice.

So treat your car salesman cover letter with all the care and attention it calls for.

To make your car salesman cover letter stand out:

1. Keep it simple. Keep it short.
2. Fill in the blanks you may have left on your car salesman resume.
3. Make sure it’s well organized and clearly written.

Easier said than done?

Don’t panic!

Head straight to our complete guide on how to write a perfect cover letter in 8 simple steps.

You can write your cover letter in our resume builder here. And this is what it may look like:

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:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

Crafting your car dealer resume isn’t just about listing responsibilities and saying you worked at a car dealership.

To write the winning car salesman resume, you need to:

1. Start with a strong resume objective or summary.
2. Craft a meaty experience section (achievements above responsibilities.)
3. Pay attention to the format. It must be scannable, eye-catching, and look professional.

And—

Prepare for your interview.

Are you writing a resume for a car sales position for the first time? Or perhaps you’re a seasoned car sales pro eager to help the rookies out? We’d love to hear from you, leave your comment below!