This is a job description you can use to tailor your resume when you're targeting a job as a Cashier.

Employers meticulously craft their job descriptions to attract the right people to work in their businesses. In order to impress them and get the job, you have to have a properly targeted resume. One that will get past the applicant tracking system and quickly relay your skills, credentials, and work experience in an easily digestible format.

To help you out, we've put together a more-than-detailed cashier job description to help you get the right keywords into your new Cashier resume. 

It's just a Cashier job – why are keywords important?

No job is ever JUST a job; let's get that straight. Every role performed in every business everywhere is important to the success of that particular organization. Because of the assumed simplicity of the job, many people think their resume isn't very important, so they don't spend the requisite amount of time writing it. 

The applicant tracking system – ATS

The most important reason to take the time to craft a stellar Cashier resume is the ATS. You'll likely be applying for your next Cashier job online, which means you'll find the cashier job description online. Any time you find a job description online and apply online your resume will be going through the ATS before it gets into the hands of a hiring manager. 

Basically, after you hit the 'Submit' button attached to the cashier job description, your resume is scanned by a computer software system to determine whether you're qualified for the role. These resume scanning systems look for relevant keywords, the number of years of experience, and the qualifications you have. 

If the resume you submit isn't up to snuff, it's rejected by the ATS. This means that the human beings at the company don't even know you've applied. In fact, ATS rejection is one of the main reasons job seekers are ghosted by companies. 

The too-busy hiring manager

Did you know that hiring managers have to review dozens, sometimes hundreds, of resumes to decide who to hire? For this reason alone, you should spend a fair amount of time writing a Cashier resume that will quickly and concisely convey your message – quickly and concisely being the relevant points here. 

Due to the sheer volume of applicants companies receive in response to the cashier job descriptions they post for open roles, the human who is reviewing your resume is spending a grand total of about six seconds glancing through it to see if you have what it takes to succeed. 

Prove you're the best candidate

In addition to the mechanics of getting past the ATS and impressing a hiring manager, having the right keywords in your Cashier resume will prove that you're the right person for the job. Let's take a look at a couple of examples of resume text to illustrate this point:

  1. Responsible for scanning customer items, collecting money, and making change. 

  2. Handled a busy grocery store check-out counter, taking care of approximately 35 customers per hour and perfectly balancing the till at the end of the day.

Which of those statements looks better? Which one do you think will get the attention of the hiring manager? Statement number one is a ho-hum statement that falls into the “Well, duh!” category. It's not something that will help the application you submit to a cashier job description stand out from the crowd. 

The second statement is considered a quantifiable achievement statement. Not only does it have a number in it, but it also shows your capacity for doing the job well because you 'perfectly balanced the till every day.' This will stand out to the hiring manager and put you on a pedestal that stands higher than other applicants. 

Cashier job description

Without further ado, let's take a look at a cashier job description and start picking out keywords. You can expect the job description to be broken into different parts – well, the good cashier job descriptions will be broken into different parts.

  • Title 

  • Introduction to the company

  • Job summary

  • Role responsibilities

  • Qualifications

  • Call to action

Job summary

A Cashier's primary role is to assist customers in the in-store check-out process. Main cashier duties and responsibilities include ringing up sales, bagging items, requesting price checks, honoring coupons, collecting payment, and giving appropriate change. 

Responsible for counting the contents of the register drawer at the end of each shift and maintaining receipts, records, and withdrawals. May be responsible for checking materials and supplies and reporting when stock is low.

Cashier responsibilities

  • Handle cash, credit, or check transactions with customers

  • Scan goods and collect payments

  • Ensure pricing is correct

  • Issue change, receipts, refunds, or tickets

  • Redeem stamps and coupons

  • Count money in cash drawers at the beginning and end of shifts to ensure that amounts are correct and that there is adequate change

  • Make sales referrals, cross-sell products, and introduce new ones

  • Resolve customer complaints, guide them, and provide relevant information

  • Bag items carefully

  • Greet customers when entering or leaving establishment

  • Maintain clean and tidy checkout areas

  • Keep reports of transactions

  • Process returns and check to see if items are damaged

  • Answer customers' questions and get a manager if answer doesn't solve the issue

  • Bag, box, or wrap packages

  • Provide excellent customer service to ensure satisfaction

Cashier qualifications

May require qualified candidates to have a high school diploma or its equivalent and 0-2 years of experience in the field or in a related area. Has knowledge of commonly used concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field. Works under immediate supervision of supervisor or manager and must rely on instructions in a fast-paced environment. 

Primary job functions do not typically require exercising independent judgment. Abides by pre-established guidelines to perform the functions of the job. The successful candidate will play a fundamental role in achieving our customer satisfaction and revenue growth objectives.

What parts of your resume should you tailor?

Companies and hiring managers want to see that you've taken the time to customize your resume for their cashier job description. By specifically targeting relevant keywords you find in that job description, you can have a tailored resume with just a few wording tweaks. 

The title of your resume

This should mirror the cashier job description and will likely be changed with every single job to which you apply. If your resume title is currently “Cashier,” but the job description is looking for a “Sales Associate” or “Customer Service/Point of Sale Cashier,” be sure to change your title accordingly. 

Expert tip: You could even go a step further and turn the title of your resume into a headline.

Profile paragraph of your resume

Your profile paragraph is a key place for injecting relevant keywords into your resume. This paragraph basically answers the tell-me-about-yourself interview question. As you review the cashier job description, find and weave the key phrases into the verbiage of the profile paragraph. 

Core competencies or skills list of your resume

This is the list of skills just below your profile section. This is what many resume writers call the 'Beat the Bots' section. While the skills you possess are important, it's MORE important to target your resume to the cashier job description. As you compare your current skills list with that of the job posting, make note of keywords that you're not using and include them here. 

Expert tip: AI tools like ChatGPT can help you identify relevant keywords in a job description. Write out a prompt that requests your preferred AI platform analyze the job description for ATS-friendly keywords and phrases and paste the text of the job description. You'll get a list of important terms you can integrate into your resume.

Professional experience section of your resume

It goes without saying – or it should, at least – that you can absolutely work relevant keywords into the descriptions you write for previous roles. The last company you worked for may have used the phrase “cash handling,” while a prospective employer has the phrase “cash management” in their cashier job description. Use “cash management” on your resume. 

You're the best Cashier they'll find

Remember, the goal of your resume is to get an interview. You can only do that if you take the time to properly target and customize it. 

TopResume wants to help you and will review your resume for free. Upload it here for some comprehensive feedback on what your resume needs.

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