Craft an Impressive Finance CV
The primary goal of a CV is to secure an interview, and for that, you need to effectively convey the essentials: educational background, work experience, and visa status. It's important to focus on the information that will make you stand out as a strong candidate whilst keeping concise with the information you provide.
When crafting your Finance CV, it's crucial to keep the potential employer in mind and only include information that is relevant to the position. Aim to keep your CV concise, ideally one page long, anything longer than this will lose interest of the reader!
A short, well-crafted CV has two major benefits.
- Firstly, it demonstrates to the prospective employer that you can present your ideas succinctly.
- Secondly, it helps you to identify what's important and relevant to the position and articulate your thoughts concisely.
Finance CV to shortlist:
The majority of your CV should be dedicated to outlining your transactions, projects and be data driven. Include the following when presenting this data:
- Project size (e.g. deal value or budget)
- Company name or description
- Company type (e.g. public or private)
- Industry and geographic location
- Your specific responsibilities throughout the project
- List your key facts clearly and logically, and include data where possible
- Highlight three key notable wins
Be consciously concise:
The order in which you present a finance CV is crucial as most employers make a decision about inviting a candidate for an interview after reading two-thirds of the first page. Therefore, it's important to place the most relevant information at the top.
- Avoid including personal details except for your name, which should appear at the beginning.
- Begin with your academic and professional qualifications, followed by your career history, with the most recent role listed first.
- Highlight your visa status if appicable
- Use months and years to clearly indicate the duration of each role. It's also important to avoid leaving any gaps in your employment history
- If you have had time off due to travelling or parental leave, reflect this accurately in your timeline to avoid misinterpretation.
- Avoid graphics or web links which can over complex your CV.
- Lengthy blocks of text are unlikely to be read. Instead, use bullet points to convey your key points effectively and efficiently.
Before Submitting your Finance CV:
After completing your Finance CV, take a final read-through to check for any typographical errors, formatting inconsistencies, or missing contact details. It's easy to overlook these details, especially when applying for multiple positions. However, in the finance industry, attention to detail, quality, and compliance are essential, so it's crucial to ensure that your Finance CV is error-free before submitting it.
Notable tips include -
- Items in capital letters aren’t always picked up by spell check, so make sure they are spelled correctly
- Read your CV out loud. This can help you identify any mistakes or awkward phrasing that you may have missed during a silent read-through.
- Using a small font to reduce the appearance of a high word count is not recommended. It's better to maintain a consistent 11-point font size throughout your Finance CV.
- Consider asking friends or colleagues who work in finance to review your CV and provide feedback.
Whats Next?
To view our live finance jobs across the UK, Europe and the USA, click here. We also encourage you to touch base with our friendly recruitment consultants who will be able to talk your through specific processes.
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