15 Car Salesperson Resume Examples & Templates (Updated for 2025)

Many people might assume that landing a job as a car salesperson relies on having extensive personal connections and great communication skills and that a resume is not as important. But the reality is that having a solid car sales resume can highly impact your job application success.

Building customer relationships, achieving sales targets and interpersonal skills are just some of the skills every car salesperson needs. When establishing your career in the car sales industry, your resume should showcase these key skills. With nearly 2 million car sales positions in the US, a well-crafted car salesman resume should highlight the individual's sales prowess, customer service skills, and knowledge of automobiles, setting them apart from other candidates.

Car sales representatives are in charge of selling new and used vehicles from dealerships where cars are displayed in showrooms. Similar to other sales roles, having sales expertise and product (in this case, automotive) knowledge is highly crucial. Moreover, a car salesman serves customers, acquires new customers, and completes administration related to vehicle sales, ensuring a great customer satisfaction. 

Your car salesman resume shall display your ability to present the best version of yourself, similar to how you have to portray yourself towards clients when presenting them a vehicle.

A strong resume not only showcases past successes and achievements but also reflects your professionalism and attention to detail, traits essential for gaining the trust of both customers and employers in the fast-paced world of automotive sales.

How to Write a Winning Sales Resume (+Examples)

Add a Headline to Your Resume Header

A resume headline is an introduction at the top of a resume that briefly summarizes a candidate’s strength and experience. This is usually one line and gives potential employers an idea on why you’re a good fit for the car sales position.

It’s important to try and incorporate keywords related to the key skills and qualifications needed for car sales, or to work experience tailored to dealerships. And always remember to keep it concise

Here are 3 car sales resume headline examples:

Career Objectives is a Must if You're a Fresh Grad

A resume headline will focus on your skills and experience of car sales, yet a career objective highlights your career growth. Two to three lines should be enough, however a small paragraph or a few bullet points can also work if you're later in your career development. Your car sales career objective can replace the resume headline or summary and should be near the top of your resume. 


The career objective should be addressed with solid proof: “What have you achieved?” and “Why are you here?”. A car sales resume career objective should help capture the hiring manager’s attention and make your application stand out from other candidates.

You can enhance your resume objective by customizing it to the car sales job description. At some point in your car sales career objective, it is advisable to include the company or dealership’s name.

Here are some examples of car sales resume objectives:

Spend More Time Writing Your Work Experience Section

Work experience is the cornerstone of a car salesperson's resume, serving as the most critical component that showcases their practical skills, industry knowledge, and track record of success. 

Unlike other professions, automotive sales relies heavily on interpersonal skills, negotiation prowess, and product expertise, all of which are best honed through hands-on experience on the showroom floor. Past work experience demonstrates an individual's ability to navigate the complexities of the sales process, from prospecting and lead generation to closing deals and fostering long-term client relationships. 

Hiring managers place immense value on candidates with a proven history of success in automotive sales, making work experience the linchpin of a car salesperson's resume.

Here are some examples of a well-written market researcher work experience section:

It’s important to use keywords from the job description on your car sales resume as many large companies use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) for hiring. An ATS is a type of software used by employers to scan, rate, and organize resumes submitted for their positions. It scans applications looking for keywords, specific skills, and experience that are important to the job.

Those keywords are usually mentioned in the job listing, sometimes more than once, so applicants should take note which ones to include on their resumes for a high-rated ATS.
Consider the following steps when incorporating keywords:

1. Read the job description:

This is something you might find in the job description:

“Join our dealership team as a Sales Consultant, where you'll assist customers in selecting and purchasing vehicles, providing expert guidance on features, financing options, and after-sales services to ensure an exceptional buying experience."

2. Analyze the keywords mentioned:

Keywords that are mentioned in the JD are: assist customers, provide expert guidance, features, financing options, after-sales service, exceptional buying experience

3. Craft your sentences using the keywords:

After reading and analyzing, here's what your resume might look like:

By incorporating these specific keywords into your resume, you increase the likelihood of your application successfully navigating through ATS filters.

Car Sales Skills for Resume

The skills section on a car sales resume plays a critical role, showing managers whether you're right for the job. If your hard skills and soft skills are extensive then separate them into a list, otherwise incorporate them into your work experience section.

By “matching” your skills with the job description, you can easily highlight yourself as the ideal candidate. Additional language fluency could also be a great skill for a car sales candidate (especially if the spoken language fits the targeted market for the dealership).

Here are some common car sales skills for your resume:

If you're a career changer, adding the transferrable skills into your resume is a great idea!

Education is Not Needed if You're 5 Years Out of School

While a formal education beyond high school is not strictly required for a car sales job, in most cases, it is still important to highlight your academic qualifications on a car sales resume, especially if you're aiming the managerial roles.

Completing a degree or certification program in fields such as business administration, marketing, or sales can help individuals stand out in the competitive automotive sales industry. In addition, some dealerships may offer concurrent training or require colleagues to complete manufacturer-specific training programs to improve their vehicle knowledge and sales skills.

Here’s an example of how to write an education section on your car sales resume:

Certification Can Also Be an Option

Certifications are not typically required for obtaining a car sales position, but they can certainly enhance a candidate's qualifications and competitiveness in the job market. 

Many car manufacturers offer company-specific certifications for car sales positions. These certifications are designed to ensure that sales professionals have a thorough understanding of the company’s brand, product lineup, features, and specifications.

You can list a certification for a car sales resume using the same format as the Education section:

Many automotive manufacturers offer company-specific certifications for car sales positions. These certifications are designed to ensure that sales professionals have a thorough understanding of the manufacturer's brand, product lineup, features, and specifications.

Here’s a list of certifications you can use on your car sales resume:

Example Car Sales Certifications

• National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Dealer Academy Certification
• Automotive Sales Certification
• Manufacturer-Sponsored Training and Certification
• Finance and Insurance (F&I) Certification
• Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Vehicle Sales Certification
• Automotive Internet Sales Certification
• Professional Sales Certification (e.g., Certified Sales Professional)

Car Sales Resume Examples

Car Sales Resume Example #1

Car Sales Resume Example #2

Car Sales Resume Example #3

Conclusion

An exciting car sales resume is your key to getting that face-to-face meeting for your next job. While sales teams value interpersonal skills and in-person interactions, you shouldn’t overlook having a well thought-out resume as it highlights all the skills required to be part of a successful dealership.

Follow the tips above for each section of your resume and go through some of the examples provided. With a thoughtful and concise approach, your resume will help you land that coveted car sales position you’ve always wanted.

If you're looking for more career advice, follow Cake for more insightful tips.

— Originally written by Michael Reid —