Sales CV: numbers you can stand over
Sales is the one field where recruiters expect numbers on every role. Quota, attainment, deal size and customer type — as long as you can back them up in an interview.
Check your own sales CV. The free scan shows which lines lack outcomes, whether your headings and dates parse, and what an Irish recruiter will notice. Scan my CV — free
What recruiters look for
- Targets and attainment, year by year
- Deal size, sales cycle and customer type (SMB, mid-market, enterprise)
- New business versus account management
- CRM and sales tools, and the process you worked in
Turning duties into evidence
Patterns, not examples to copy — fill the [brackets] with your own facts, and leave out anything you cannot back up in an interview.
INSTEAD OF
Responsible for sales in the region.TRY
Covered [region/segment], finishing [year] at [attainment]% of a [€ amount] target.INSTEAD OF
Brought in new clients.TRY
Won [number] new accounts in [period], average deal size [€ amount].INSTEAD OF
Managed key accounts.TRY
Managed [number] key accounts worth [€ amount] a year, [result — e.g. renewals or growth].Terms to use — where they are true of you
Tracking systems and recruiters scan for the job ad’s own words. Use the exact phrasing from the ad you are applying to; these are common for sales roles.
quota attainmentpipeline managementnew businessaccount managementSalesforce / HubSpotsolution sellingnegotiationforecasting
Common mistakes
- No numbers at all — the fastest way out of a sales shortlist
- Numbers you could not explain if asked
- Hiding the customer segment, which tells a recruiter if you fit
For Irish applications
- If you sold into UK or EMEA markets from Ireland, say so — it is a common requirement for Irish-based sales roles.
Applying for a specific sales role?
Scan your CV free, then tailor it to the job ad — Robo shows which of the ad’s key terms you cover and rewrites your lines in its language where they are true of you.
Scan my CV — free