How to Create a Resume for a Loan Officer
When writing your resume, you need to tailor it to the industry or company you are applying to. Assuming you want to work in a bank, you cannot use the same resume to get into a mortgage company. You’ll need to change up a few things to make the resume relevant to the banking industry.
You can check our other related resumes in this industry below.
The structure of your loan officer resume should have the following sections.
- The header section
- Resume summary/resume objective
- Work experience
- Education section
- Skill section
- An additional section (volunteer work, awards/honors, interests, languages, and certifications)
You can personalize your resume in the following ways:
- Choose the correct format that properly showcases your skills and expertise in the job.
- Optimize your resume with the right keywords and action verbs.
- Add a professional summary that captures the hiring manager's attention to interest them in reading the rest of your resume.
- Prioritize the relevant skills and work experience for each job you apply for.
What to Put on a Loan Officer Resume
The layout of your resume should be simple and easy to understand. Fonts that are easy to read, such as Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, and Cambria, are recommended with a font size of 10-12pt.
Best resume format
The reverse-chronological format is the first format you can consider for your resume. This format focuses on your experience and professional expertise and works best for individuals who have years of experience in a loan officer position.
If you don't have many years of experience, consider the functional resume format. This format is great for recent graduates and career changers because it focuses on your skills and mentions transferable skills from previous positions useful in the new job.
Another format is the combination resume, which mixes the best features of the reverse-chronological and functional resume formats. If you have relevant experience and skills, this format will work well.
Start with the Header
You cannot have a resume without a header because this is where you'll add your personal details. You'll add your full name, job title, phone number, email address, and a link to your LinkedIn profile or website.
This information should be accurate because the hiring manager needs it to contact you. If you don't have a professional email address, you should create one because using an unprofessional one may show a lack of professionalism and cost you an opportunity.
A good header
CORRECTLoan Officer
432-068-569
raymondleon@gmail.comKokomo, IN
linkedin.com/in/raymondleon
A bad header
INCORRECTLoan Officer
432-068-569
raymondleon@gmail.com912 Sugarfoot Lane
Kokomo, IN 46901
House number 23
Date of birth 06/06/1988
linkedin.com/in/raymondleon
You may have seen some resumes with photos, but in most cases, they are counter-productive. Most hiring managers advise against them because they cause discrimination and unconscious bias. However, if the recruiter requires a photo on your resume, you should add it but make sure it is professional.
How to Put Your Experience as a Loan Officer
The work experience section allows you to showcase your professional expertise based on what you've done in your previous jobs. Most loan officer jobs will require a couple of years of experience, especially if you apply for a senior loan officer position.
So, how to list your experience?
Start with your most recent position and go backward. You'll add the name of the company, the title held, and the period you worked there. Also, include a few roles and responsibilities with every role. Usually, three to five are okay.
Since there is a lot of job competition, don't stop there. Quantify your results with figures and facts; this will show the recruiter the value you bring to the company.
Preferably, add the relevant work experience and leave out any experience not related to the job. However, if you've not worked in a similar position before, you can add the transferable skills that will be useful on the job.
Example for Beginning Loan Officers
Loan Officer Assistant
July 2014-June 2016
- Assessed applicants' financial status, credit history, and property assets to determine the possibility of granting a loan.
- Analyzed various loan programs and advised clients on the best option for them depending on their profile.
- Submitted loan applications and oversaw the loan origination process according to company policies.
- Assisted the senior loan officer in reviewing loan applications and the client's financial information before loan approvals.
Example for Experienced Mortgage Loan Officers
Senior Loan Officer
January 2012-August 2017
- Built solid mutual relationships with potential investors by making effective sales presentations
- Suggested investment strategies to clients based on their fixed income and equity situations and achieved a 25% client retention rate.
- Collaborated with real estate professionals and financial planners to find new ways to help prospective homeowners buy their dream homes.
- Supervised the loan team tasked with preparing loan agreements, reviewing client's finances, and corporate financial statements.
Education: Boost your Resume with Your Academic Record
A loan officer should be proficient in math and accounting, so any educational qualifications in these fields will boost your resume. If you have a degree in business administration or any other related field, add it to this section.
In this section, you'll have the name of the degree, the name of the school, and the year of completion. If you have a Master's, you can leave out the High school Diploma. You can also leave out your GPA unless the recruiter requires it.
CORRECT EXAMPLEBachelor in Business Administration
Indiana University Kokomo
December 2016
Skills for a Loan Officer Resume
Whether you're writing an intern resume or a senior loan officer resume, you need a solid section for your abilities, both soft and hard skills.
The skills section will also help your resume get past the applicant tracking systems recruiters use to filter out resumes that do not meet their requirements. It's always important to check the job description, especially the required skills, and add them to your resume.
Let's look at some of the aptitudes you can add to your resume.
Hard skills
- Financial forecasting
- Cash flow analysis
- Account coding aptitude
- Company valuations
- Advanced accounting background
- Business Development
- Credit and Collections
- Reporting
- Tax returns preparation
- Project management
Soft skills
- Excellent customer service
- Problem-solving skills
- Decision-making
- Excellent communication skills
- Negotiation skills
- Critical thinking
- Interpersonal skills
- Organization skills
- Time management
- Teamwork
Professional Summary for a Loan Officer
The professional/resume summary introduces your resume by briefly summarizing your top achievements, skills, and experience.
Think of it as a sales pitch where you only have a few minutes to convince the other person to buy into what you're selling. The goal of this section of your resume, which comes right after the header, is to convince your prospective employer to read the rest of your resume.
CORRECTINCORRECTObjective (And What a Loan Officer's Objective Should Look Like)
A loan officer resume objective is perfect for individuals who have not worked in the industry or are recent graduates.
It works the same way as a resume summary if you don't have significant achievements and years of experience and gives you a chance to express your interest in the job, talk about your career goals and show the recruiter how your goals align with the company goals.
CORRECT
