5 Things to Include in a Resume for a Fashion Buyer

As a fashion buyer, you can determine which items are selected and stocked for different designers and retailers. There are tons of jobs available for purchasing managers, fashion buyers, and agents, allowing industry professionals to show off their passion for fashion. In order to get recognised by potential recruiters for the position, it is ideal to have a stylish and impressive resume. 

The fashion buyer industry is an innovative one, which means you have more creative freedom when writing your resume. Presenting the style and expertise within your resume is what separates you from the other applicants. 

Moreover, how your qualifications have been arranged is just as important as the experience itself. As such, it is ideal to choose the optimal format for the resume.

Fashion buyer resume formats

Even with a lot of experience in being a fashion buyer, it is important that every single aspect of your profile is mentioned on a single page. With hundreds and thousands of applicants applying for the job, recruiters tend to reject bulky resumes. 

Selecting the right format for the resume is crucial in order to catch the recruiter’s attention and bag the job. There are three format types that you can pick for your resume:

• Reverse chronological order, which emphasises the work experience.
• Functional order, which highlights the skill sets.
• Hybrid format, which combines both formats in a concise way.

If you have solid work experience in the fashion buyer field, writing the resume in a reverse chronological format is the best option. With this style, it’s a lot faster for hiring managers to look at your past experience and gauge whether your qualifications are suitable for the position.

In case you don’t have enough work experience, go for the functional format. This is ideal as the recruiter can get a glimpse of the skills provided for the job description. If you have the required skills as well as work experience for the position, stick to the hybrid format. 

Once you have picked the appropriate format, let’s discuss the all-essential things to include in the resume for a fashion buyer position.

5 things to include in a resume for a fashion buyer

Adding these elements to your resume is sure to impress hiring recruiters, even with minimal experience in the field:

1. Start with a resume summary to impress the recruiter

Even though it is not required, adding a summary at the top of your resume is one of the top things that can nail a second interview or callback.

Resume summaries are beneficial as they provide the recruiters with a quick glance of the applicant in just one or two sentences. The summary does not need to have a fancy vocabulary. A short and sweet summary that highlights your strengths will do! 

Some key details that you should include in your resume summary are:

• Years of experience
• Industry
• Overview of skills

Make sure that the resume summary is relevant to the job description as a fashion buyer.

Example of a summary section in the fashion buyer resume: 

A fashion buyer with a strong demonstrated knowledge of the fashion industry. Excels at research, evaluation, and buying accessories and clothes per the brand’s request and mission.

2. Add relevant work experience

Whether you have worked several jobs as a fashion buyer or are relatively new to the industry, your resume must contain the experience you have gained so far. 

Most people often tend to neglect the work experience section in the resume. However, even the small details are important to effectively tell the recruiters what was learnt and done on the job.

Every single space of the resume is valuable, so the most relevant gigs must be chosen and placed. When framing the descriptions for each job, focus only on what the recruiters need to know by using strong verbs.

Here’s an example of what your work experience section would look like in the fashion buyer resume: 

• Collaborated with creative directors and marketing professionals to ensure the company's mission was honoured.
• Evaluated, researched, and purchased quality accessories and clothing.
• Strategised speciality lines and seasonal lines to fill the gathered items.
• Worked closely with vendors and gained access to new items before launch.
• Coordinated with the stock team to ensure product delivery.
• Made sure to provide a compelling retail environment in all product categories and departments.
• Conducted weekly walk-throughs with management to discuss opportunities and analyse current visual movements.
• Put forth fresh visual ideas that are conceptualised for the location.

Writing your work experience in this particular style shows the hiring team that your previous collaborations have been meaningful. It also helps them get an idea of the team sizes you have worked with in the past. 

What to do without any experience as a fashion buyer? 

If the profile does not have any experience as a visual manager, fashion buyer, buyer assistant, or even a purchasing agent, don’t worry! There are still many ways to show the recruiters that you are the right fit for the position.

Any previous work experience in retail, even as a sales associate, can also be used as relevant work experience in fashion. This gives recruiters the insight that the applicant has some sort of experience in a relative field, especially if you’re trying to apply for an entry-level job.

Example of a work experience section in the fashion buyer resume without experience: 

Senior sales associate, H&M

Noida, Uttar Pradesh 

2018–2021

• Taught new employees various sales strategies.
• Trained the new employees using company and product knowledge.
• Built a good rapport with customers.
• Processed customer transactions.
• Added additional items and closed sales using various sales techniques.

Applicants can also utilise this space to include any internships that are relevant to the job.

3. Add an education section in the resume

Working as a fashion buyer is not just choosing the clothes in trend—this job is actually a lot more complex!

While being passionate about the industry is no doubt necessary, recruiters often prefer candidates with a basic bachelor's degree. An educational background in finance or business can help your employers notice your resume much faster. 

Example of an educational section in the fashion buyer resume: 

XYZ University, Bachelor of Science in Finance

4. Lure the recruiter with fashion skills

The highlighted skill set on your resume plays a crucial role in the recruiter's decision to hire you. Adding the key skill sets is ideal, especially if the recruiters use ATS to find the right applicants. This part can include interpersonal skills as well as business skills.

As a fashion buyer, the following skills can make your resume stand out: 

• Trend forecasting skills
• Knowledge of the fashion industry
• Collaborative skills
• Creative curation skills
• Negotiation skills
• Marketing skills
• Knowledge of data analytics

Additionally, make sure to review the job description to spot specific skills that the recruiter requires, such as leadership skills and time management. Be sure to highlight them, too.

5. Add relevant hobbies to the resume

Placing hobbies on a resume is not a common practice. But if your resume has space for a dedicated section, then you should go for it. Listing relevant hobbies will help you showcase your added talents, which is always a plus. It’s an effective way to display your immense interest in the fashion industry, giving recruiters another reason to shortlist your resume! 

Examples of a few hobbies that can be included in a fashion buyer resume: 

• Shopping
• Fashion designing
• Attending fashion shows
• Sketching and drawing
• Deep interest in fashion magazines
• Being a fashion influencer
• Colour coordinating

Although this portion of the resume tends to be personal, make sure to avoid hobbies that relate to political or religious associations. These interests may be considered controversial and hamper your chances of making the cut.

Conclusion: 

Yes, there is more to writing a fashion buyer resume than many would have thought! You must carefully consider the right format for your resume and write a quick summary of your skills. It is also ideal to describe your educational merits, work experience, skills, and hobbies that relate to the job description if there's room for it. 

By following these key tips, curating a resume allows potential recruiters to recognise your resume for a fashion buyer position. Managing vendors while running your business can be hectic. Keeping this in mind, we at Fashinza created a platform to reduce the workload of business owners with end-to-end production management. 

From customisation and designs to quality checks and delivery, we take care of it all. If you're in search of a job title as a fashion buyer, join our squad of diverse individuals with a love for sustainability and technology.