Whether you’re looking for your first job as a high school student or just in need of some quick cash, working as a cashier is one of the most reliable entry-level positions.
Since cashiers work in almost every kind of re, you have a wide variety of part time and full time options when it comes to the job search. However, many of these positions have unfortunately become more competitive than they used to be owing to an increase in self-checkout technology and online shopping.
To land your preferred cashier position, it’s going to take more than just any old resume. You’ll need a polished application, and that includes a great cover letter.
Luckily, Resume.io’s collection of resume samples, cover letter examples and professional templates with pre-filled sample sentences offer everything you need to knock your application out of the park.
This guide, along with an effective cover-letter example will:
But first, if you haven’t perfected your resume, that’s a great place to start. To write the best resume, check out our cashier resume example, resume templates and overall guide on resume writing. Our online resume maker is also a great tool to create a professional resume.
The majority of this cashier cover letter example will cover the how of great cover letter writing. But before we dive into the specifics, it’s important to understand the purpose behind this document and its unique advantage in helping you land your preferred cashier position.
While your resume is geared towards skills, employment history and education, it doesn’t leave much room to express your personality or unique characteristics. Cashier positions make great first jobs so it’s likely your resume may be a little thin.
That’s where a great cover letter comes in. This one page document, usually 200 to 400 words, allows you to focus on your personality traits, skills or background. This is your chance to convince an employer to give you a shot, even if you’ve never worked at the cash drawer before.
While good writing is important, your visual presentation also plays a big role in how a hiring manager perceives your application. You should stick with trusted san-serif fonts like Georgia, Helvetica or Arial with the ideal font size of 11 point. For even more specific formatting tips, check out our overall guide on cover letters.
Sometimes online applications fail to mention a cover letter or list the document as “optional” leaving you in the dark about whether a cover letter is actually necessary.
While some candidates may take the easy way out and try to submit an application without a cover letter, this “shortcut” will probably only prolong their job search. A cover letter is one of the best ways to grab an employer’s attention and convince them you’re the right pick.
That’s why, unless a job posting specifically asks you NOT to write a cover letter, it’s always a smart idea to write and send one.
Landing any job, especially in a tough economy, comes down to a lot of preparation, a strategic application and a little bit of luck. Of course, you can never guarantee you’ll land the job interview, but there are steps you can take to significantly increase your chances.
Writing your own cover letter that’s focused and professional is one of them.
You can’t alter the resume experience you already have, but you can draw out the most important and relevant skills to explain why you’re the right choice even with limited experience. Maybe you offered excellent customer service while working at a fast food restaurant. Maybe you mastered point of sale systems as a server. Even skills from volunteer positions can help show you’re a motivated and quick-learning candidate.
Writing any cover letter is a start, but you’ll need to go one step further to truly maximize your chances of landing the position.
Tailoring your cover letter helps you show an employer why you’re interested in them. This means choosing specific, precise examples directly related to the position you’re applying for. The job description and company website can help you get a good sense of what is most important to a recruiter.
While tailoring your cover letter to every position you apply for might add a few more minutes onto the process, it’s worth effort to ensure you make a great first impression and give a hiring manager exactly what they’re looking for.
If you're looking for other cover letter samples to guide you, you can click over to our related Retail examples:
Some job seekers don’t submit a cover letter simply because they don’t understand the purpose or writing process. You can put yourself miles ahead of these applicants just by creating a simple cover letter that addresses your strengths and follows great organization. Here are the key components of a complete cover letter for a cashier position:
The great news is that these sections stay relatively consistent between positions or industries. That means that learning to write a great cover letter is a skill that can benefit you for the rest of your career, even if you don’t continue working as a cashier.
For even more detailed writing tips on each of these sections, check out our overall guide on cover letters.
This cashier cover letter example will help you create your own professional application:
Dear Mr. Weatherby,
Having worked as a weekend cashier for the past three years during my studies in Boston, I would like to apply for the part-time role as I continue my education in Seattle. I am studying ancient history, so working as a cashier in your museum shop would be an ideal fit.
I take a pride in sharing my product knowledge with customers. My add-on sales were consistently the highest among the front-end team of seven and I played in active part in deciding the monthly checkout promotional strategy, increasing promotional participation from 12% to 18%. I view chatting with customers as they are waiting to pay as an extension of their museum experience – it is important to be knowledgeable and passionate.
I am a confident user of POS till systems and was also involved with stock keeping software and supplier management systems. There are certain times in the day when a museum shop is quieter, so I would like to add value wherever possible. I took part in the quarterly shop audit and it was often the case that I was trusted to shut the shop after the day’s trading.
I enjoy the friendly atmosphere within a busy museum store and try my best to interact with as many visitors as possible. Even if they are not buying anything, they have still paid to visit the museum and should enjoy their browsing experience.
I would welcome that chance of an interview or trial shift to show how I might fit in.
Sincerely,
Hector Stanton
Your cover letter header serves two important purposes. The first is to identify your document. Medium and large companies, especially those with multiple locations, tend to hire more cashiers than local businesses. Hiring for these types of positions is usually handled by a large team in a corporate office. Your cover letter header makes sure that no matter who reviews your application, they know who you are and how to contact you. Make sure to limit your header to just the necessary personal data like first and last name, email and phone number.
The second role of your header is to add a touch of attractive formatting to an otherwise plain document. For cashier positions, it’s not usually necessary to go overboard with colors or fancy fonts. A well-structured, simple resume template will do the job.
The goal of this section: Keep your name and contact information at the hiring manager’s fingertips, create clean, yet interesting formatting.
One of the easiest ways to take your application to the next level is by aligning document styles. This means creating a matching format for your cover letter and resume. You can opt to design the layout yourself, or you can save time and guarantee a professional look by choosing a resume template, like these from Resume.io.
Before you choose a template or format, it’s important to evaluate the branding and image of your prospective employer. For most large companies, a simple template with minimal color and a professional font will do the trick. For more creative companies or small businesses, you may choose a more attention-grabbing cover letter template, as long as it remains appropriate for a cashier position.
Your cover letter greeting may be a short section but it plays a big role in establishing a professional tone for the rest of your cover letter. If at all possible, try to address the cover letter recipient by name. “Dear” followed by the correct salutation and last name tends to work well in most situations. Our cover letter example sticks with "Dear" and you can feel comfortable doing the same.
The goal of this section: Address the letter recipient by name to establish a personal connection and a respectful tone.
Addressing a cover letter recipient isn’t just sound advice from hiring experts, but it’s actually based on scientific principles about how humans respond to hearing their own names.
Unfortunately, you probably read the above paragraph and thought, “That’s great, but how am I ever going to find the name of the hiring manager at this huge chain I’m applying to?”
Unfortunately, for medium and large companies hiring is often left purposefully obscure. If the information isn’t listed on the job application and the company has more than one or two locations, hiring will likely be handled by a corporate team.
You still have options, however. Instead of using the outdated and cold “To Whom It May Concern,” try using a collective noun like “Hiring Team” or even “Family” if the company’s branding is warm and sentimental.
Your introduction is the best chance you have at grabbing a hiring manager’s attention and encouraging them to read the rest of your letter. For a cashier position, it’s best to cut to the chase: start with a related fact, relevant skill or anecdotal evidence of your abilities. Keep this section short so that a recruiter arrives at the body section before they even know it.
The goal of this section: Use an interesting fact, anecdote or relevant skill to draw a hiring manager into your letter and encourage them to keep reading into the body section.
Having worked as a weekend cashier for the past three years during my studies in Boston, I would like to apply for the part-time role as I continue my education in Seattle. I am studying ancient history, so working as a cashier in your museum shop would be an ideal fit.
You’ve finally arrived at the body section which will make up the bulk of your cover letter. The goal here is to give concrete examples of your skills and show why you’ll make a great team player, even if you’ve never worked a cash register before. Breaking your body section into two smaller sections can help out.
First, use the STAR method to describe previous accomplishments. Briefly describe a Situation, the Task, your Action and the positive Result it created. Make sure to choose your examples based on the situations you’re most likely to encounter in your potential position.
In the second paragraph you can discuss your strengths and describe potential contributions to your new employer.
The goal of this section: Use the STAR method to give examples of how you perform in similar positions, offer potential contributions and expand on your skills.
I am a confident user of POS till systems and was also involved with stock keeping software and supplier management systems. There are certain times in the day when a museum shop is quieter, so I would like to add value wherever possible. I took part in the quarterly shop audit and it was often the case that I was trusted to shut the shop after the day’s trading.
You’re almost there! All that’s left is to knock your conclusion out of the park. You can do that by creating a Call to Action. This sentence expresses your interest and enthusiasm for the position and invites a hiring manager to get in touch. You can also leave your phone number and email again here.
Then finish your letter with a respectful signature. “Best regards,” “Thank you for your consideration” and “Sincerely” can all work well.
The goal of this section: Create an effective Call to Action and close out your letter with a polite and positive signature.
I would welcome that chance of an interview or trial shift to show how I might fit in.
Sincerely,
Hector Stanton
For a cashier position, there are a few key qualities you’ll want to convey in your cover letter:
Hiring managers know that cashier positions are great options for students looking for their first job or those in need of quick employment. But that doesn’t mean you won’t need a thoughtful resume and cover letter to land the position.
When you have no direct experience, you’ll want to focus on the personality traits and transferable skills that make you a great candidate. In many cases, an applicant who puts in the effort to create a great cover letter even with limited experience is preferable over an experienced retail worker who isn’t actually invested in the position.
So where can you draw transferable skills from? Consider these bullet point samples:
The power of specifics
Research has shown that people are more likely to remember information that is specific as opposed to a general idea. If you have even a small amount of customer service or work experience, this is one of the best strategies to incorporate in your cover letter.
Look for numbers, facts or statistics that can help you convey your competence or accomplishments. This could be anything from the number of customers you rang up at your last retail job to the number of event tickets you sold as a club treasurer in your high school. Numbers that convey your responsibility with money can also be useful.
One of the ways a candidate with minimal experience can set themselves apart is by choosing the correct tone of voice for their cover letter. Even if this is your first job, you’ll want to avoid coming across as desperate or timid. Likewise, a candidate with years of experience won’t benefit from the arrogant approach.
A professional candidate should come across as confident in their skills and traits while still eager to learn and enthusiastic for the position. Try using numbers and facts to help prove your abilities rather than making grand statements that are hard to back up. If you’re a student, there’s no harm in asking a trusted adult to help you check the tone of your letter. Or, check out our cashier cover letter example at the top of this page for adaptable sample sentences.
Some errors can instantly put your cashier cover letter in the no-go pile. Avoid these common mistakes to give your cover letter a fighting chance.
With resume.io, you can create a perfect cover letter in no time at all. Use our trusted and recruiter-verified tools to land your next interview!