Buyer CV Examples to Help You Build Yours

Buyer CVs should highlight not just your sales skills but also your interpersonal skills and attention to detail. A great buyer doesn’t just need sales skills. They also need to maintain supplier relationships, a significant part of the buying process. No matter what buyer job you’re pursuing, a winning CV must show that you’re good at all these skills.

Your CV structure will depend on the CV format you choose. Whether you decide on the chronological CV format, which emphasises work experience, the functional CV format, which emphasises skills, or the combination CV format, which emphasises both, your CV organisation might change a bit, but it will include these sections.

 

The first CV section is the header with your contact information. This is technically part of the CV design on most professional CVs. It includes your full name and contact information with your phone number and professional social media links, such as a LinkedIn profile.

 

The CV professional summary goes at the top of your CV and functions almost like an abstract of the complete CV. A well-written professional summary will convince a recruiter to read through the whole CV. This two-to-three-sentence paragraph is a summary of your key accomplishments and best skills.

 

The career objective is best for those with little to no work experience and includes your career goals.

 

In the skills section, you need to include several skills, typically around 8-10 for a chronological CV and even more for a functional CV. Here are a few best skills to put on the CV:

• Spotting discrepancies between purchase orders and delivered items
• Forecasting success
• Analytical skills
• Getting the best price for an order
• Communication skills
• Microsoft Office suite
• Negotiation skills
• Discovering new products
• Problem-solving skills
• Project management
• Processing requisitions
• Advanced computer skills
• Resource planning software (Oracle, SAP)
• Monitoring inventory levels
• Knowledge of the purchasing process
• Time management skills
• Managing budgets

As you can see from this list, you need a wide variety of both hard skills and soft skills to function as a buyer. These skills from buyer CV templates can help you stand out in the crowd.

 

In the work history section, you should include up to 10 years of relevant experience. Many different job titles might belong in this section, including purchasing manager, senior buyer, assistant buyer, and more. If your job duties included purchasing, it’s relevant experience.

 

List all of your top education accreditations and certifications in your education section. Most buyer positions require at least a bachelor’s degree, typically in a subject like finance, business administration, or supply chain management. One buyer-related certification is the Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) certification. But if you have any others, you can include them here.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind while writing your buyer CV:

 

Do:

• Emphasise your impact on the entirety of the company’s operations. For example, state if you helped a company maintain on-time delivery.
• Discuss specific supplier relationships you may already have. This can show that you know what you’re doing and that it will benefit the company.
• Give specific numbers when it comes to cost savings. Bring up exact dollar amounts or percentages if you saved a company money.

Don’t:

• Provide identifying information of previous clients. This may violate NDAs and other agreements you’ve signed.
• Mention orders that didn’t go well. Only talk about your achievements, not your low points.
• Include long lists of skills that you’re only moderately accomplished at. You should narrow down your skill list to your absolute best skills, as well as skills that fit what the employer is looking for.