Finance executives are in charge of overseeing and approving money transactions and making sure that a company’s income and expenses are well accounted for. This position is male dominated with only 37% of finance executives being women. You are most likely to find yourself working in the public sector along with 56% of all finance executives.
Education-wise, recruiters will be looking to see at least a bachelor’s degree in finance or a related field and might require a master’s degree for more senior positions in the field. The effort to gain these qualifications is well worth it, as this profession is fairly well-paying, with the average income coming out to around $160k annually.
This resume guide will give you recruiter-approved resume samples and tips to guide you in creating your own resume. We have also included some skills and action verbs that you can use to elevate your resume and win yourself an interview at your dream company.
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This is a senior-level position where you are in charge of certain financial tasks within a company. Tasks you can expect include preparing and analyzing financial reports, keeping track of all transactions, preparing balance sheets, etc. Recruiters will generally expect to see at least a bachelor’s degree in finance or a related field and will expect years of experience in the finance department. Take a look at this recruiter-approved resume sample.
Recruiters want to understand your career path and how you got to the senior position of a finance executive so ensure your experience section shows your career growth clearly. Consistent promotions also indicate to recruiters that you are an exemplary and successful employee.
You may have accumulated numerous financial skills throughout your career but do not include them all in your skills section. Include skills that will be specifically helpful in completing the tasks expected of a finance executive.
A Senior Finance Executive role is one of the pinnacle positions in the finance industry. You're expected to be a whiz at making strategic financial decisions and navigating complex investments. The finance industry has seen a shift towards digital technology and data-driven decision making. Thus, an up-to-date resume should highlight not just your financial acumen but also your data solutions and tech savviness. It’s vital to remember that your resume is a sales tool. Instead of fact regurgitation, use it to narrate your career journey, showcasing how you've grown, and the tangible impact you've made.
As a Senior Finance Executive, you need to show that you can set the financial strategy for an entire organization and see it through. Highlight instances where your strategic thinking led to significant financial outcomes for the companies you've worked for.
With the rise of financial technology, it's crucial that you demonstrate your ability to handle the tools of the trade. Highlight your experience with accounting software, data analysis tools, or any machine learning models you’ve used to make financial forecasts.
In this position, you will be in charge of ensuring that the financial health of the company is healthy and that the balance sheets balance out. Additional responsibilities may include ensuring that the revenue and expenses are correct and accounted for, creating financial systems to maximize efficiency and productivity, and training junior finance employees.
Your resume will need to show a strong finance educational background as well as years of experience as a finance executive. Take a look at this successful resume sample.
Action verbs can be used to effectively shape your experiences and achievements. Because this is a senior position, show recruiters that you have been a leader in your previous positions by using the right action verbs. This applicant effectively uses action verbs like ‘spearheaded’, ‘coordinated’, and ‘orchestrated’ to paint themselves as a leader.
A finance executive who is doing their job well will improve the department’s efficiency, reduce costs, and maximize revenue. Use metrics to show how you have achieved any of the three. E.g. this applicant's initiative increased efficiency by 79% and increased revenue by $190k.
In this position, you will perform all the basic finance executive tasks but will be guided by a manager or a senior finance executive. Tasks you can expect include preparing financial statements, consolidating receivables, and reconciling revenues and expenses. You need to have strong interpersonal and communication skills as well as a strong educational background and finance experience. Take a look at this strong resume sample.
You may not have years of experience as a finance executive, but you most probably have closely related experience in a similar position. Include any closely related experience in fields like accounting, business, etc. The skills you would use in these fields are easily transferable and are therefore worthy of including.
Wow recruiters with impressive certifications like a CFA certification. It shows recruiters that you are highly trained and skilled and that you have the drive to pursue and attain difficult goals.
We spoke with hiring managers at top financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup to gather their best tips for creating a standout finance executive resume. They shared insider advice on what they look for when hiring for high-level roles in finance. Use these tips along with our finance executive resume examples to create a resume that will impress employers and land you interviews.
Companies want to see that you have successfully led teams and initiatives in your past roles as a finance executive. Use your resume to showcase your leadership abilities:
Quantify your achievements to give a clear picture of the scale and impact of your leadership.
As a finance executive, your resume summary is an opportunity to quickly showcase your most relevant qualifications and experience. While a summary is optional, it can be particularly useful if you have a long career history or are making a career change. Use your summary to provide context and highlight details that may not be immediately apparent from the rest of your resume.
Remember, your resume should never include an objective statement. Instead, focus on crafting a concise, targeted summary that grabs the attention of hiring managers and clearly communicates your value as a candidate.
The work experience section is the most important part of your finance executive resume. It's where you'll highlight your career achievements, key skills, and the impact you've made in previous roles.
To make your work experience section stand out, focus on quantifiable results and metrics that showcase your ability to drive financial success. Use industry-specific language and highlight your expertise in financial analysis, strategic planning, and leadership.
Action verbs help shape your experiences and achievements. A finance executive is in charge of the daily transactions and the overall transactions of a company. Your goal is to maximize efficiency, reduce costs, and increase revenue so include action verbs like ‘consolidated’ and ‘reduced’. This is also a senior-level position and so you will be at the forefront of setting up systems and otherwise leading. You therefore will also want to use leader words like ‘developed’, ‘created’, and ‘spearheaded’. Here are 16 action verbs that you can use.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
The skills section of a resume is often neglected or ignored but when crafted correctly, it can be responsible for getting you an interview with a recruiter. For this position, you need to create a very specific skill set. You want to look at the tasks you will be completing as a finance executive and list the main skills and tools you would need to accomplish those tasks. Under industry knowledge or technical skills, you can also include tasks that you can accomplish like budgeting and data validation.
Here is a list of very relevant skills. Add those that resonate with you and your abilities.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Finance Executive job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
