Finance Resume Summary
A resume is dependent on how well structured and written it is; more so, it has to grab the hiring manager's attention. An excellent way to gain a lead in the hiring process is by writing a professional summary at the top of the application.
Some might opt for a resume objective instead of a summary; however, we believe that an outline can better encompass your values.
The professional summary serves several purposes. This section is a combination of statements that introduces yourself as a financial sector worker to the recruiter. You should quickly describe your top industry-related skills and career motivation for choosing the company.
You have to briefly talk about your past work experience with banking and financial institutions or mention industry-related education on top of your skills and career motivation.
This area must be compact, only several sentences long. Imagine that this is your elevator pitch, and you're trying to demonstrate your value to a recruiter.
Below, we have provided examples of effective and weak professional summaries.
Effective Finance Resume Summary
CORRECTFinancial analyst with excellent analytical skills and results-driven attitude. Helped start-up firms and Fortune-500 companies build their investment opportunities, increasing profits by upwards of 15%
This is a strong summary because it encompasses many values and skills that this person has, without being ambiguous. Soft skills are mentioned as well as a significant finance professionals accomplishment.
Weak Finance Resume Summary
INCORRECTFinance Manager with great interpersonal skills. Helped companies achieve higher profits through new strategies
This summary is weak because it doesn't have much to go on. The background provided is too brief and ambiguous.
How to Write the Best Job Description for Finance Resume
Now that you're finished with your summary, there is still some work to do. The experience section is another crucial part of a practical finance application. This is true for both a professional or entry-level finance cv.
This section requires you to describe your previous jobs experiences and achievements. However, it would be best if you did so with precise wording and understandability. Each sentence needs to carry background about your skillset or how you benefited your previous employer.
The bottom line is that it’s best to write about your past jobs in chronological order, from oldest to latest. Additionally, be sure to show your job title and dates of employment clearly. This method increases the success rate of job opportunities.
You must pick your words carefully. Be sure to balance industry jargon and relevant keywords with regular words to understand each bullet point. Follow our cover letter writing guide.
Avoid being vague. The best approach is to clearly state your accomplishments and back them up with metrics and numeric data resulting from your previous jobs. This will undoubtedly garner interest and show the recruiter how beneficial you can be for the company.
Below, we have given an example of an effective and ineffective job description. Writing tips that you'll be able to use while writing your work experience section. Land your dream job with our finance resume templates, click here .
Effective Job Description
CORRECT
EXPERIENCE
Financial Analyst
FinCo Industries
06/2015 - 11/2018
New York, New York
- Collected, analyzed, and managed quantitative data and created meaningful reports to lead business performance improvement and 30% cost reductions.
- Prepared weekly reports and led presentations for staff training.
- Compiled team-level KPI reports.
This job description is quite effective. It's straightforward and understandable while maintaining a perfect balance between industry jargon and regular words. Additionally, the metrics and reporting examples provide a strong illustration of the ways you can benefit your clients.
Moreover, the bullet points are brief and compact and provide the necessary due diligence to assess this person's skills. The job description even has numeric data as well.
Weak Job Description
INCORRECT
EXPERIENCE
F inancial Analyst
FinCo Industries
06/2015 - 11/2018
New York, New York
- Created financial reports by gathering data that lead to business growth.
- Made training presentations for staff.
- Compiled reports.
This job description is too vague to be considered good. There is too little here, indicating that the person writing this didn't know his job too well. Analysts generally know the finance industry jargon.
While writing bullet points in your job history description, be sure to keep the information compact but highly informative.
Education Section
It is important to include your education in your resume; this holds especially true for an entry-level finance resume.
Stating what degree you hold and where you got it from gives more info about your application and finance-related experiences.
If you have more than two years of experience, state the name of your university, the location, years attended, and degree.
If you are just now entering into the finance sector and don't have enough work experience under your belt, you can include your GPA and relevant coursework.
Generally, the education section is written at the top of the resume. For more customized resume examples, click here .
