How to Improve Your Finance CV Following These 5 Tips
Creating a finance officer resume is a very important part of landing a high-level job. It is your first impression, and you want to do your best to make it a good one. However, there is likely a lot of competition for any high-level job in finances. As a result, there will likely be many more applicants.
If you can’t stand out and make a good first impression with your resume, you may never get a callback and be skipped over in favor of someone else. But thankfully, there are some ways to give your CV a big boost and ensure you put your best foot forward.
Without any further ado, let’s go over five great ways to improve your finance CV and give yourself the best chance of getting the job.
Be Specific
A key part of a great CV or resume is being specific. Being vague and not providing evidence to back up claims are among the biggest resume mistakes you can make, so always do what you can do and be as detailed as possible.
Instead of listing a general accomplishment or skill, add in a stat or relevant detail that makes it look more impressive and shows that it is the case. Instead of saying “planned several successful marketing campaigns” you could say “planned four major marketing campaigns that each led to X new customers or X return on investment”.
Remember, a CV and resume is all about making you look like the best applicant, so do all you can to show that.
Use the Right Keywords
With many businesses using ATS (applicant tracking systems), it is important to use the right keywords in your resumes. These systems scan through every resume a company receives and will look for specific keywords. If they are there, the CV might actually get seen by a hiring manager. If the keywords aren’t present, it will simply not be considered or sent forward.
So you could be the perfect applicant, but because your CV lacked a few keywords, you won’t be considered. There are many examples of keywords to use, so choose the ones that make the most sense for the position. A good tip for deciding which keywords to use is actually referring back to the job posting or advertisement, and utilizing many of the keywords included in it.
Watch Your Spelling
Your spelling is also something you need to watch for. While this might seem obvious, plenty of people send in a CV or resume with one or multiple spelling issues. In a high-level finances position, even one spelling mistake in your CV is often a red flag, so be careful.
Also, proper spelling will ensure no issues with ATS. While a human might see a misspelling and know what you meant, many of these systems will not and could lead to your resume not making it through.
Keep the Format Simple
When it comes to your format, it is best to keep it simple. There are thousands of different CV formats out there, with many trying to stand out and be different. While this may work on a creative CV for a very artistic position, a finance CV is often better kept simple and streamlined.
If yours becomes too complex, it might simply be ignored. Many hiring managers will only skim resumes, so make it easy for them to locate and read the crucial information they need like education, experience, and skills.
Find Ways to Make it Memorable
While you want the format to be simple, ensure the content inside dazzles. Remember, companies often get dozens or hundreds of CVs for every major opening, so trying to stand out above the rest without going too far is a good idea.
You could include an award you won, a unique distinction you have, or something else you did that you think will separate you from the pack. Even listing hobbies is something some hiring managers enjoy, but be careful and know which job openings this should be included for, and which it shouldn’t.
In conclusion, we hope that these tips are able to help you improve your finance CV and land the job of your dreams.
