Masters of the Universe. That’s what author Tom Wolfe called Wall Street Traders in his iconic novel ”The Bonfire of the Vanities”. And its true!
Financial experts can make or break a company. Are you ready to make your mark in this highly competitive but massively profitable industry? Then you need to find the right key words to describe your previous experience and qualifications. That is key to getting your resume noticed. To help you with this, we’ve created our own little guide to help you build a successful financial resume.
Here what we’ll cover:
What Are Key Words for Finance Resumes?
Benefits of Using Key Words for Finance Resumes
Examples of Key Words for Finance Resumes
Tips for Using Key Words for Finance Resumes
What Are Keywords for Finance Resumes?
Keywords are often the main difference between CV’s that get thrown into the trash and those that get read, regardless of the job or industry. Keywords are terms that recruiters and hiring managers use to write job postings, AND to quickly and accurately search for relevant candidates, usually based on their job posting. As a job seeker, incorporating the right keywords can help you stand out from the competition and get you noticed by potential employers.
But what exactly are keywords when it comes to financial resumes? Simply put, they can include any words (or combination of words) that clearly define roles and responsibilities related to financial positions. Quantitative analysis, financial reporting, budgeting, investment, accounting, investment accounting, tax preparation, and much more. These types of words easily help you identify and recognize whether you should be paying attention to the job listing.
On the flip side, if you think you’d be a great fit for the role, then it’s your turn to take those same keywords and incorporate them into your resume, if you haven’t already. For example, if you are applying for a position as a financial analyst, you may want to include words such as “financial statement analysis” or “budget forecasting” in your resume.
Additionally, common words such as “time management” or “problem-solving” can also be included to demonstrate your ability to handle multiple tasks and or provide support on larger projects. Employers may also be looking for specific software skills like “SAP” or “Oracle Financials”. Including these words in a financial resume will help you appear more qualified for the job, especially since there is so much intersection between finance and technology, aka fintech.
Make sure you back up every essential keyword with concrete examples of what you have achieved, otherwise it just looks like you’re throwing fancy, meaningless words around. Include any certifications or qualifications you may have related to finance. This will help further demonstrate to employers that you are an experienced financial professional.
Benefits of Using Keywords for Finance Resumes
Using keywords in your finance resume can provide a number of benefits to you as a job seeker. Having the right keywords in your resume can help employers identify your relevancy as a candidate much faster. And since time is of the essence when it comes to the hiring process, fast is good. Faster decisions mean faster interviews and faster job offers.
You can practice this by taking the time to research jobs and postings you’re interested in and qualified for. For example, you can search your top 5 dream job offers in the industry, list the keywords common to them, and make a shortlist of the most important ones to incorporate into your CV.
Just be mindful of keyword stuffing. This is where — as the term insinuates — you stuff your resume or cover letter with so many keywords, that you risk coming across as insincere or over-the-top. Neither of those are good.
Examples of Keywords for Finance Resumes
Here are some examples of key words for finance resumes:
- Financial services experience • Investments experience • Banking experience • Economics experience • Financial markets experience • Risk management experience • Accounting experience
Below is an example of keywords for a specific profession: Financial and Investment Analyst
Potential Job Titles:
- Chartered Financial Analyst – Financial Analyst – Financial Services Research Associate – Investment Analyst – Money Market Analyst
Duties and Jobs Keywords:
- Evaluate financial risks, prepare financial forecasts, financing scenarios and other documents concerning capital management, and write reports and recommendations
- Plan short- and long-term cash flows and assess financial performance
- Analyze investment projects
- Advise on and participate in the financial aspects of contracts and calls for tender
- Follow up on financing projects with financial backers
- Develop, implement and use tools for managing and analyzing financial portfolio
- Collect financial and investment information about companies, stocks, bonds and other investments using daily stock and bond reports, economic forecasts, trading volumes, financial periodicals, securities manuals, company financial statements and other financial reports and publications
- Examine and analyze financial and investment information collected, including profiles of companies, stock and bond prices, yields and future trends and other investment information
- Provide investment advice and recommendations to clients, senior company officials, pension fund managers, securities agents and associates
For more information and more job-specific keywords, visit the National Occupation Classification (NOC) website (for Canada) or ONET (for the U.S.A).
NOC website: National Occupational Classification – Canada.ca (esdc.gc.ca)
ONET website: O*NET OnLine (onetonline.org)
Tips for Using Key Words for Finance Resumes
To write a strong finance resume, it is important to highlight your strengths and accomplishments alongside your key words. This can be done by highlighting your relevant experience and skills in your resume, as well as providing examples of your work that shows your ability to handle the responsibilities of the position.
You want to make sure that you are presenting a well-rounded version of yourself to employers, so that they can see what you have to offer and get an idea of why you would be a great fit for their organization. Emphasize what you have done specifically to create value for your previous employers.
A great way to do this is by strategically choosing words that reflect the qualities and experiences that you most want employers to recognize. This could be anything from technical skills, such as coding or financial analysis, to interpersonal skills, such as communication or problem-solving.
Another way to stand out in the financial industry is to show that you are committed to your professional growth. Mention professional organizations you’re active in, and training you have taken or are currently taking. Your memberships and training are also a great way to network with like-minded industry experts, so you’re killing two birds with one stone!
Final Thoughts…
Including relevant keywords in your financial resume is crucial for catching the attention of financial recruiters and hiring managers and increasing your chances of landing an interview.
By conducting thorough research and tailoring your keyword optimized resume to the specific job description, you can showcase your skills and experience in a way that aligns with the employer’s needs and expectations. Don’t underestimate the power of using keywords to make a strong first impression and stand out from most of the applicant pool.