Finance Resume Keywords and Skills (Hard Skills)

Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent Finance job postings. In other words, these are the most sought after skills by recruiters and hiring managers. So try to include them on your resume where possible. Go to the Sample Templates ↓ below to see how to include them on your resume.

Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all these keywords on your resume, identify the keywords most relevant to the job you're applying to and include those. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.

Choose a category
  • Finance
  • Financial Analysis
  • Financial Reporting
  • Business Planning
  • Corporate Finance
  • Business Strategy
  • Accounting
  •  Find out what your resume's missing
  • Budgeting
  • Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
  • Forecasting
  • Due Diligence
  • Management
  • Change Management
  • Management Consulting
  • Managerial Finance
  • Auditing
  • Negotiation
  • Internal Controls
  • International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
  • Strategic Planning
  • Financial Accounting
  • Financial Modeling
  • Analytical Skills
  • Variance Analysis
  • Management Accounting
  • Account Reconciliation
  • Risk Management
  • Data Analysis
  • Microsoft Access
  • Financial Statements
  • Financial Planning
  • Financial Audits
  • Strategy
  • Cash Flow
  • Accounts Payable
  • Teamwork
  • Banking
  • Financial Services
  • Customer Service
  • Accounts Receivable (AR)
  • Business Analysis
  • Financial Advisory
  • Investments
  • Portfolio Management
  • Insurance
  • Business Development
  • Team Leadership
  • Sales
  • Life Insurance
  • Wealth Management
  • Retirement Planning
  • Retail Banking
  • SAP Products
  • Internal Audit
  • Sarbanes-Oxley Act
  • Health Insurance
  • Estate Planning
  • Personal Financial Planning
  • General Insurance
  • Wealth Accumulation
  • Investment Advisory
  • Invoicing
  • Value-Added Tax (VAT)
  • Visma
  • Payroll
  • Economics
  • General Ledger
  • Bank Reconciliation
  • Moms
  • Agresso
  • Microsoft Dynamics NAV
  • Accounts Payable & Receivable
  • Administration
  • Administrative Assistance
  • Leadership
  •   Show full list

Resume Skills: Regulatory Compliance

Resume Skills: Finance Software

Resume Skills: Financial Analysis

  • Budget Forecasting
  • Strategic Planning
  • Risk Management
  • Financial Modeling
  • Pricing Strategy
  • Return on Investment (ROI) Analysis
  • Financial Reporting
  • Budgeting
  • Forecasting
  • Cost Analysis
  • Risk Analysis
  • Variance Analysis
  •  Match your resume to these skills

Resume Skills: Others

Resume Skills: Software/Tools

Resume Skills: Techniques

  Does your resume contain all the right skills? Paste in your resume in the AI Resume Scan ↓ section below and get an instant score.

Compare Your Resume To These Finance Skills (ATS Scan)

Paste your resume below and our AI will identify which keywords are missing from your resume from the list above (and what you need to include). Including the right keywords will help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e. resume screeners) which may scan your resume for keywords to see if you're a match for the job.

Sample Finance Resume: How To Include These Skills

Add keywords directly into your resume's work experiences, education or Skills section, like we've shown in the examples below. Use the examples below as inspiration.

Choose a template
Your Name
Finance Professional
City, Country  •  (123) 456-789  •  [email protected]  •  linkedin.com/in/your-profile
EXPERIENCE
Bank of America January 2018 - Present
Senior Finance Manager
Managed a team of 15 cross-functional members to establish business plans, achieving growth in corporate finances by 20% within one fiscal year.
Implemented robust internal controls that reduced discrepancies in financial reporting, leading to increased accuracy by 34%.
Negotiated business strategy plans that maximized the profit margin by 15% for the Q2 2020 financial year.
Capitalized on managerial finance skills to mentor junior colleagues, resulting in their accelerated and successful career growth.
Led the change management initiative that improved operational efficiencies by 40%, saving up to 20 hours per week.
Coached.com March 2015 - December 2017
Finance Analyst
Ensured financial analysis accuracy and adherence to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), promoting consistency in global business operations.
Reduced budgeting cycle times by 50% through the implementation of efficient accounting principles.
Collaborated with the M&A team in leading due diligence activities, which aided the acquisition of four key patents.
Resume Worded March 2013 - February 2015
Junior Finance Officer
Assisted in quarterly financial forecasting, leading to a greater accuracy in budgeting.
Improved financial accounting procedures that enhanced overall productivity by 20%.
Conducted auditing tests resulting in the reduction of financial discrepancies by 10%.
EDUCATION
Resume Worded Academic Center September 2013 - October 2015
MBA in Financial Management
Dual emphasis in Capital Markets & Investments and Corporate Financial Strategy
Resume Worded University September 2008 - June 2012
Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance
Minors in Statistics and Economics
Dean's List 2012 (Top 10%)
SKILLS
Finance Software: Oracle Financials, SAS, QuickBooks, Advanced Excel, Hyperion, SAP
Financial Analysis: Budget Forecasting, Strategic Planning, Risk Management, Financial Modeling, Pricing Strategy, Return on Investment (ROI) Analysis
Compliance & Regulation: GAAP Standards, SOX, Financial reporting, Auditing, Tax Compliance
Others: Data visualization (Tableau), Time Management, Crystal Ball, Data Analytics, Project Management, Six Sigma (Green Belt)
OTHER
Certifications: Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) – Level II (2017), Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
Awards: Bank of America Excellent Performance Award (2019, 2020)
Leadership & Volunteering: Proactive leader of Financial Literacy Community Outreach Program (2016 - Present)
Professional Affiliation: Member of the Association of Financial Professionals (AFP)
Your Name
Finance Analyst
City, Country  •  (123) 456-789  •  [email protected]  •  linkedin.com/in/your-profile
EXPERIENCE
JP Morgan February 2017 - Present
Lead Finance Analyst
Developed and executed detailed financial models for forecasting and budgeting that improved accuracy by 27%.
Introduced strategic financial analysis methodology that resulted in a better understanding of market trends and business performance.
Streamlined accounting processes, resulting in a 30% reduction in errors.
Managed an efficient M&A process, leading to a successful merger and a growth of market share by 12%.
Led a high-performing finance team of 10, and coached on various financial programs and tools.
Coached.com October 2014 - January 2017
Finance Specialist
Validated and reinforced internal controls system, resulting in minimized audit issues and reduced loss by 18%.
Played a vital role in the due diligence process during acquisitions, accelerating proceedings by 30%.
Utilized financial analysis tools to provide insights, influencing the decision-making process and increasing profitability by 20%.
Resume Worded January 2013 - September 2014
Junior Finance Officer
Managed regular financial reporting processes, ensuring the compliance with IFRS.
Participated in strategic planning meetings, contributing vital inputs for the business's budgeting process.
Assisted in the management of corporate finances by monitoring daily cash flow.
Resume Worded July 2012 - December 2012
Finance Intern
Participated in the drafting of quarterly financial reports, gaining valuable industry experience.
Assisted in the reconciliation of financial discrepancies, increasing accuracy by 10%.
Shadowed senior finance team and learned key aspects of financial planning and management.
EDUCATION
Resume Worded Institute February 2017
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) - Level III
Achieved certification whilst working full-time as a Finance Analyst at JP Morgan
Resume Worded University May 2013
Master of Business Administration (MBA) - Finance
Concentrated in Finance and Risk Management
Awarded Resume Worded Merit Scholarship (Top 10% of class)
SKILLS
Financial Analysis: Financial Reporting, Budgeting, Forecasting, Cost Analysis, Risk Analysis, Variance Analysis
Software/Tools: MS Excel (Advanced), Quickbooks, Oracle Financial, SAP, Hyperion, Tableau
Regulatory Compliance: GAAP, IFRS, SEC Reporting, SOX, Financial Auditing
Techniques: Quantitative Modeling, Statistical Analysis, Investment Strategy, Portfolio Management, Financial Planning, Business Valuation
OTHER
Certifications: Certified Management Accountant (CMA) – Institute of Management Accountants
Projects: Developed comprehensive financial model for a start-up, contributing to successful $1M funding round
Volunteering: Finance Tutor - Resume Worded Adult Education Center
Awards: Employee of the Month - JP Morgan, Awarded twice for exemplary performance in financial strategy implementation

How do I add skills to a Finance resume?

1
Review the job posting closely.

Go through the Finance posting you're applying to, and identify hard skills the company is looking for. For example, skills like Business Strategy, Corporate Finance and Finance are possible skills. These are skills you should try to include on your resume.

2
Add industry skills like Business Planning and Financial Analysis.

Add other common skills from your industry - such as Budgeting, Financial Reporting and Accounting - into your resume if they're relevant.

3
Add skills into your work experience.

Incorporate skills - like Life Insurance, Negotiation and Investment Advisory - into your work experience too. This shows hiring managers that you have practical experience with these tools, techniques and skills.

4
Highlight specific financial experience.

On Finance resumes, you should include examples that show you're comfortable dealing with a range of finance responsibilities, from reporting to automating tasks.

5
Emphasize your accounting skills.

As the job title suggests, accounting is a pretty common skill for Finance roles. Use the infographic for examples of how to show accounting experience.

6
Use the exact job title.

Try to add the exact job title, Finance, somewhere into your resume to get past resume screeners. See the infographic for how to do this.

Finance Resume Templates

Here are examples of proven resumes in related jobs and industries, approved by experienced hiring managers. Use them as inspiration when you're writing your own resume. You can even download and edit the resume template in Google Docs.

Resume Example
Senior Finance Executive


Resume Example
Junior Finance Executive


Resume Example
Senior Finance Executive


Resume Example
Professional


Resume Example
Highlights (Free)


Resume Example
Modern Two-Column


Word Cloud for Finance Skills & Keywords

The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on Finance job descriptions. The bigger the word, the more frequently it shows up on employer's job postings. If you have experience with these keywords, include them on your resume.

Top Finance Skills and Keywords to Include On Your Resume

Browse Jobs in this Category

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the top skills you should add to your Finance resume?

Some popular Finance hard skills are Finance, Financial Analysis, Financial Reporting, Business Planning, Corporate Finance, Business Strategy, Accounting and Budgeting.

Depending on the job you apply to, skills like Investment Advisory, General Insurance, Teamwork, Life Insurance and Negotiation can also be good to include on your resume.

What are the differences in resume skills between a Financial Planner and a Financial Accountant?

If you are writing a Financial Planner resume, try to emphasize skills like Financial Planning, Insurance, Retirement Planning, Investments, Life Insurance, Wealth Management, Risk Management and Financial Services.

Similarly, if you are writing a Financial Accountant resume, emphasize skills like Accounting, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable (AR), Account Reconciliation, Financial Reporting, Financial Accounting, Microsoft Access and Invoicing.

What are good resume skills to include for different Finance roles and job titles?

Depending on the specific role you apply to, you may need to emphasize different skill sets. Here are a few examples:

  • Financial Accountant: Accounting, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable (AR), Account Reconciliation and Financial Reporting
  • Financial Planner: Financial Planning, Insurance, Retirement Planning, Investments and Life Insurance
  • Finance Associate: Finance, Customer Service, Bank Reconciliation, Financial Analysis and Microsoft Access

Target your Resume to a Job Description

While the keywords above are a good indication of what skills you need on your resume, you should try to find additional keywords that are specific to the job. To do this, use the free Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes the job you are applying to and finds the most important keywords you need on your resume.

It is personalized to your resume, and is the best way to ensure your resume will pass the automated resume filters.

Start targeting your resume


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