Top finance resume skills to boost your business career
Your resume is the first touchpoint with an employer, and it should impress potential employers instantly. According to the statistics, a recruiter spends less than 10 seconds reviewing each resume. If you don’t pass the initial screening, your resume gets tossed.
The situation is even more challenging with jobs in the finance sector. You need to show off your sharp analytical skills, relevant credentials, and hands-on knowledge of finance software, and other crucial skills that banks and companies are looking for. In this article, we will share the list of skills you need to emphasize to get more interviews for finance positions.
Today, busy accountants, financial analysts, and finance managers often turn to experts to get their resumes and cover letters done. You can order a finance CV from a professional resume writing service, and an experienced writer will prepare a resume that emphasizes your achievements and skills for your target position. A resume writer can also tailor your resume using keywords to increase your chances for an interview.
What are the must-have skills for a finance resume?
Finance and accounting professionals should emphasize attention to detail, experience with financial reporting, knowledge of relevant regulations, and many more. Here are the skills you can include in your resume:
Financial reporting
Professionals in the finance sector should draw comprehensive and accurate financial reports. You need to show the ability not only to analyze the past but also to draw meaningful insights and predict the future. Such skills as GAAP, financial forecasting, reconciliation, and cash flow forecasting will help your resume stand out.
Analytical skills
Analytical thinking is a must-have skill, as finance and accounting professionals often need to review documentation and analyze financial statements to draw meaningful information and predict the company’s performance. Include this skill on your resume to show your ability to analyze large volumes of data and make recommendations based on it.
Proficiency in finance software
Businesses look for skilled professionals who can leverage technology to work effectively. Make sure that your resume lists all finance and accounting software you have worked with. Here are some examples: SAP, Oracle, advanced Excel, QuickBooks, and Hyperion.
Finance degree and certifications
Some careers require a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree in Finance or Accounting. If you do not meet the qualifications minimum, you needn’t apply as your resume will be rejected. Include your degree in the Education section, and also share your academic accomplishments if you’re a recent graduate.
Adding finance certifications will also strengthen your resume and prove your advanced skills to employers. Examples of certifications you can add are:
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP).
Communication skills
Finance professionals need to be able to explain complex financial concepts and findings to stakeholders and clients who do not understand the jargon. Thus, it is essential to emphasize your strong verbal and written communication skills. Examples of skills to include are active listening, presentation skills, written communication, negotiation, conflict resolution, and customer service.
Leadership and management skills
Recruiters prefer hiring professionals who can take responsibility and lead others when necessary. Moreover, if you emphasize leadership skills, the employer will see that you are ready to build a career within the company. If you have supervised team members before or took a leadership role in volunteering projects, include this on your resume. Add such skills as problem-solving, decision-making, organization skills, team leadership, delegating, risk management, and more.
Business acumen
Business acumen relates to your ability to handle challenging business situations and adapt the strategy to achieve the company’s goals. It also assumes that you understand how your industry works and use this knowledge to foster business growth.
To explain this ability on your resume, tell how you handled various business issues or how you helped the company save time or money through effective financial planning and forecasting.
How to list financial skills on a resume: Tips and strategies
Speak through examples and accomplishments
Simply creating a Skills section and listing all financial skills is not enough to capture the recruiter’s attention. You should also explain how you used those skills in practice and what results you’ve achieved. Instead of saying that you have strong reconciliation skills, write Conducted bi-annual financial reconciliations, ensuring accurate alignment of 110+ accounts and achieved a 28% reduction in discrepancies.
Emphasize skills from the job description
As an experienced finance professional, you may have a wide skill set. Yet, you need to focus on those the employer looks for. Read the job listing carefully, highlighting the skills and competencies that appear frequently. After that, include those skills on your resume, adding examples where possible. Such an approach will help you pass the ATS screening and impress the human hiring manager.
Optimize the resume for ATS
About 99% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS software. If your resume doesn’t have specific keywords, the software rejects it for being irrelevant. Make sure to add skills from the job posting, as well as the industry jargon, so that your resume passes the screening.
Include key skills in all resume sections
Make sure that you mention relevant skills in the resume summary, work history section, and Skills section, and when listing accomplishments. Use them in the text naturally and avoid keyword staffing – this will turn off the recruiters rather than persuade them to interview you.
Proofread before sending
Attention to detail is a must-have skill for finance professionals. Thus, occasional typos and poor grammar can turn off the hiring manager. Check your resume for grammar, punctuation, and factual mistakes before sending it. Read each bullet aloud to make sure that each sentence makes sense. You may use an online spell checker, but look through the document manually as well so that you don’t miss anything.
Listing the right skills on your finance resume can make the difference between interviewing you and tossing your application. Use the skills suggested above, and be sure to give specific examples of where you used these skills and what results you’ve achieved. If you need help customizing your resume for a particular position in finance, do not hesitate to contact a resume consultant. Good luck with your job search!
