Resume template · Updated October 2026
Resume template for commission-based sales jobs
Short answer
Catalyst suits a commission-based application because it opens on work experience with no summary in the way, so the units, target attainment and repeat business from your current job are the first lines a sales manager reads. The fictional sample is a car sales consultant applying to a busier dealership, with results stated as targets hit and rankings rather than as income.
Download the commission-based sample
Darnell is a fictional automotive sales consultant. Replace every detail with your own before you send it.
The files are made in your browser by Resumity's own exporters, from this sample. The builder opens it as your own resume: click any line to replace it. Free plan, no watermark.
Why Catalyst suits a commission-based resume
Catalyst prints no summary and starts straight on work experience, which suits a salesperson whose latest job already carries the application. Rank, units and attainment sit directly under the name, skills follow in labelled rows, and the teal headings in IBM Plex Sans give the page a confident look of its own.
Second choice: Leslie. Leslie prints a summary ahead of experience; choose it if you are moving into commission sales from salaried work and need two lines to explain the switch.
What goes in each section, in Catalyst's order
Catalyst prints its sections in a fixed order, the same in the PDF and the Word file. Here is that order for this sample, and what to put in each section.
- Work Experience. Every bullet should carry a number a sales manager can compare: units or revenue against target, rank among peers, average deal size, the share of business from referrals. Give the period and the yardstick, because "sold 160 cars" means little without a year and a target.
- Skills. Selling skills a manager can test in a role-play (needs assessment, negotiation, objection handling) plus the CRM where you kept your pipeline. A second language belongs here when your customers speak it.
- Education. One line. Commission employers hire on results, so a diploma or degree rarely needs coursework or a GPA.
- Sales awards. Sales awards print last under their own title. Keep ones with a clear basis (top seller for a month, an annual club) and date each; repeat the best one in your headline, since Catalyst has no summary to carry it.
The sample resume as text
The same content as the files above, so you can copy a line or compare it with your own.
Darnell Prescott
Automotive Sales Consultant, 127% of 2025 Unit Target, Bilingual
San Antonio, TX | darnell.prescott@example.com | (210) 555-0174 | linkedin.com/in/sample-darnell-prescott
Experience
Sales Consultant (commission), Mission Trail Motors, San Antonio, TX (02/2022 to Present)
- Sold 168 new and used vehicles in 2025, 127% of my annual target, ranking second of 12 consultants.
- Built a follow-up routine in VinSolutions; about 40% of my 2025 sales came from repeat customers and referrals.
- Kept my customer satisfaction score above the dealership target in 10 of 12 months in 2025.
- Handle Spanish-speaking customers for the whole sales floor, from test drive to handover.
- Coached three new consultants on walkarounds and follow-up calls during their first 90 days.
Retail Sales Associate (commission), Hill Country Furniture Gallery, San Antonio, TX (05/2019 to 01/2022)
- Met or beat the monthly sales goal in 26 of 32 months selling furniture and mattresses.
- Raised my average ticket to about $1,800 by pairing sofas with matching tables and protection plans.
- Arranged delivery dates and store financing paperwork for every sale.
Sales awards
- Salesperson of the Month, Mission Trail Motors: four times across 2024 and 2025.
- Top Closer, Hill Country Furniture Gallery holiday sales contest, 12/2020.
Education
Associate of Applied Science, Business Management, Bexar Valley Community College (05/2019)
Skills
Needs assessment, Vehicle walkarounds, Negotiation, Objection handling, Trade-in basics, VinSolutions CRM, Microsoft Excel, Text and video follow-up, Phone prospecting, Steady under monthly targets, Spanish (fluent)
How to make the sample yours
Turn raw counts into percent of target
Managers compare candidates from different stores and territories. "127% of annual unit target" travels better than a bare count, so give both where you can.
Decide what to say about earnings
Most commission resumes leave pay out and let attainment and rank imply it. If you do mention income, use a figure you can document, say which year and whether it is total pay, and keep it to one line. Never round up.
Show where your sales come from
In roles where you find your own customers, prospecting matters as much as closing. A bullet on your follow-up routine, appointments set or referral share shows the pipeline behind the numbers.
Keep a weak stretch honest
If a quarter fell short because of inventory shortages or a territory change, a brief phrase of context is fine. Do not blur dates or averages to hide it; sales managers check.
Swap the dealership metrics for your own sales model
Real estate agents use closed transactions and sales volume; B2B reps use quota attainment, average contract value and new accounts; retail commission staff use average ticket and add-on sales.
Keywords to keep where they are true
Terms this kind of resume is usually searched for. Use the posting's exact wording, and only for work you have done.
- commission sales
- quota attainment
- units sold
- sales target
- average deal size
- pipeline management
- lead follow-up
- referrals and repeat business
- negotiation
- objection handling
- VinSolutions CRM
- customer satisfaction
- prospecting
- bilingual
Mistakes to avoid
- Sales figures with no period or comparison. "Top seller" needs a time frame and a peer group, or it reads as a guess.
- Quoting earnings you cannot prove, or presenting one great month as your yearly pace. Income claims are easy to check against pay records.
- Revealing your employer's confidential figures, such as store gross profit or customer names, to make your numbers look bigger.
- Duty bullets such as "greeted customers on the lot" in place of results. In commission work the reader assumes the duties and wants the outcome.
How the sample PDF reads in text extractors
We exported this sample with Resumity's PDF exporter in Chrome on 2026-10-29 and read the file back with three open-source text extractors. This shows whether software that turns a PDF into text can recover it; it is not a test of any commercial applicant tracking system. How we test templates.
| Extractor | Name, email, phone | Headings | Bullets intact |
|---|---|---|---|
| pdf.js 4.10.38 | All found | 4 of 4 | 8 of 8 |
| pdftotext (Xpdf) 4.00 | All found | 4 of 4 | 8 of 8 |
| pypdf 6.13.0 | All found | 4 of 4 | 8 of 8 |
Frequently asked questions
Should I put my commission earnings on my resume?
Usually not. Target attainment, rank and deal size show the same thing without starting a pay negotiation on paper. If a posting asks for earnings history, answer in the application or interview with figures you can document.
How do I show quota attainment on a resume?
As a percentage with the period, for example "112% of 2025 quota", plus a comparison if you have one, such as your rank on the team. Put the strongest figure in the first bullet of your current job.
What if my employer never set quotas?
Use the numbers you do have: units or revenue per month, average sale, growth on your previous year, or rank among colleagues. Say what each figure is measured against.
How do I move from a salaried job into commission sales?
Show any results you were measured on: upsells, renewals, referrals, targets in a service role. A short summary explaining the move helps, so a template that prints one, such as Leslie, may suit you better.
Can I list sales awards on a commission resume?
Yes, with the date and what each was for. Top-seller awards are a quick signal; mention the best one near the top as well.
Will applicant tracking systems read this Catalyst PDF?
The sample PDF read back with its contact details, all 4 section headings and all 8 bullets intact in three open-source text extractors (pdf.js, pdftotext and pypdf). Commercial systems such as Workday, Greenhouse or Taleo were not tested, and each employer configures its own.
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