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50+ Finance Resume Examples - Here's What Works In 2024

To break into finance, you need a strong resume that highlights your experience in the industry. if you need inspiration, look no further — we've provided a ton of downloadable resume samples that you can use as a starting point for your own finance resume..

Choose a category to browse Finance resumes

We've put together a number of free Finance resume templates that you can use. Choose a category depending on your field, or just scroll down to see all templates.

Bookkeeper Resumes

The bookkeeping field is wide open for those with a knack for numbers and a desire to help companies keep an accurate perspective of their finances. Learn how to make your bookkeeper resume stand out as we review four templates for bookkeepers from a variety of backgrounds and delve into key tips to keep in mind.

Full Charge Bookkeeper

Senior Bookkeeper

Entry Level Bookkeeper

Bookkeeper Office Manager

Investment Banking Resumes

Investment banking can be a lucrative but also very demanding career where only the best of the best succeed. This guide has been created to help you create a resume that will stand out among the sea of impressive resumes recruiters see every day. We will define 5 investment banking positions, show you a strong resume sample for each, and give you pointers to help you elevate your resume and secure that interview.

Investment Banking Associate

Investment Banking Managing Director

Investment Banking Vice President

Investment Banking Executive Assistant

Financial Analyst Resumes

Great financial analysts can help companies thrive. We’ve got six sample resumes here to help you snag a job in 2023 (Google Docs and PDFs attached).

Senior Financial Analyst

Entry Level/Junior Financial Analyst

Investment Analyst

Portfolio Manager

Real Estate Financial Analyst

Financial Analyst Intern

Senior Portfolio Manager

Accountant Resumes

Accountants are key players in the daily operations of most businesses. We cover what you need to know to land an accounting job in 2023 (Google Docs and PDFs attached).

Accounting Clerk

Accounting Manager

Senior Accountant / Accounting Executive

Entry Level Accountant

Staff Accountant

Cost Accountant

Payroll Accountant

Accounting Assistant

Tax Accountant

Accounting Specialist

Junior Accountant

Project Accountant

Public Accountant

Fund Accountant

Senior Tax Accountant

Property Accountant

Experienced Accountant

Construction Accountant

Fixed Asset Accountant

Corporate Accountant

Revenue Accountant

Chief Accounting Officer

Director of Accounting

Equity Research Resumes

Equity researcher analysts are the advisers of the securities industry. They make sure decision-makers have the best information to make the best decisions. This guide will show you how to craft a resume that will impress recruiters.

Equity Research Analyst

Equity Research Senior Analyst

Director of Research

C-Level and Executive Resumes

No company can run smoothly without top C-level executives. If you’re applying for one of these demanding roles, you’ll need a resume that speaks for itself — and we can help. In this guide, you’ll find resume examples for any C-suite role as well as key industry-specific tips and insights.

Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) - 1

Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) - 2

Chief Information Officer (CIO) - 1

Chief Information Officer (CIO) - 2

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) - 1

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) - 2

E-Commerce Chief Financial Officer

Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Financial Advisor Resumes

The financial advisor career path can be both stable and rewarding, especially if you have an affinity for numbers and data entry. This guide discusses three financial advisor resume templates and provides tips on writing your resume, along with highlighting strong action verbs and skills to include.

Financial Aid Advisor

Entry Level Financial Advisor

Procurement Resumes

Procurement professionals are vital in an organization and need a balance of skills to thrive. They must be great communicators and negotiators and also sticklers for the budget. This guide will show you how to highlight the skills and qualifications in your resume that recruiters will most certainly be looking for.

E-Procurement Manager

Procurement Engineer

Senior Director of Procurement

Procurement Manager

Procurement Specialist

Procurement Analyst

Sourcing and Procurement Consultant

Auditor Resumes

While getting audited can sound like a terrifying ordeal, auditors’ work is actually vital for the health and long-term success of a company. Auditors will help a company cross their ts and dot their I’s when it comes to their financial documents. They ensure that everything is done correctly and that everything adds up. This guide will highlight auditor titles, give strong resume samples of each, and provide suggestions on how you can craft your own successful auditor resume. Let’s get started.

Senior Auditor

Staff Auditor

External Auditor

Night Auditor

Government Auditor

Financial Controller Resumes

Financial controllers are sometimes called company historians and are responsible for a company’s financial functions and records. This is a high-ranking position and requires high qualifications, extensive experience, and a high level of trust. This guide will specify the requirements and expectations for specific financial controller positions and give you some tips and resume samples to help you create a stellar financial controller resume.

Business Controller

Assistant Controller

Corporate Controller

Risk Management Resumes

Risk managers are the bodyguards of a company. It is their job to investigate, identify and analyze potential risks to a company and offer solutions to safeguard against any negative outcomes. Like bodyguards, they must be perceptive, resourceful, and trustworthy. In this guide, we will show you 4 resume samples for 4 risk management positions, and give you some tips to help you create an effective resume of your own.

Risk Analyst

Health Care Risk Manager

Financial Risk Manager

Accounts Payable Resumes

Every business has monetary transactions. They may better understand their development and improve their operations by keeping track of these transactions. To do so, they need an account-payable team! Within this guide, we created downloadable resume templates to show what a successful accounts payable resume can look like. Our tips add a professional touch to resumes, so ensure to use them!

Accounts Payable Supervisor

Accounts Payable Clerk

Accounts Payable Officer

Accounts Receivable

Internal Audit Resumes

Internal auditors enhance the company’s productivity by restructuring operations. Yet, one of their most important roles is to make sure the company follows legal compliance. Most organizations are visited by an external auditor once in a while. If they identify issues in the internal controls, the company may face serious legal issues. That’s why the internal auditor’s responsibility is to prevent problems in the internal controls. The demand for auditors is expected to increase by up to seven percent. That’s why building a persuasive and efficient internal audit resume is crucial. This guide will help you do just that. We’ll share some resume examples and give you tips to help you develop your internal audit resume.

Senior Internal Auditor

Purchasing Manager Resumes

Purchasing managers are the head of the purchasing team. They buy goods and materials that the company needs for reselling or developing new products. This is a senior-level job that requires a combination of education and industry experience. They must guide purchasing agents in the process of negotiating with suppliers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 45,800 purchasing manager job openings every year. If you are interested in getting this role and you have the experience required, we’ve got you covered. This guide will help you create your own purchasing manager resume.

Purchasing Director

Purchasing Specialist

Strategic Sourcing Director

Procurement Coordinator

Purchasing Coordinator

Loan Processor Resumes

Loans are an important financial tool that most adults will use in their lifetimes. Loan processors are a vital part of the loan approval process. This guide will identify 4 loan processor positions, provide resume templates for each, and give tips on upgrading your resume and getting that dream loan processor job.

Mortgage Loan Processor

Senior Loan Processor

Entry-Level Loan Processor

Finance Director Resumes

A company’s financial health is the most important thing for its survival. It is the finance director's job to know the financial health of a company at all times and to create policies and strategies to keep it healthy and thriving. This guide will help you formulate your winning finance director resume to secure your dream job.

Director of Finance

Assistant Director of Finance

Credit Analyst Resumes

A credit analyst works in banks to determine lenders’ reliability, reduce risks, and increase revenue for the organization. This is an excellent career if you are passionate about finances, statistics, and economics. Credit analysis is also a highly in-demand profession these days. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), financial analysts’ demand is expected to increase by up to nine percent, which is higher than most occupations’ job outlook. If you have a background in finances and the required skills to break into credit analysis, this guide is for you. We’ll help you create an industry-relevant resume for your credit analyst career. We’ll share insightful tips and three resume templates

Credit Manager

Commercial Credit Analyst

Collections Specialist Resumes

Collection specialists may get a bad rap, but they play an important role in assisting companies to recover money owed to them. This guide will show you how to create a winning collection specialist resume.

Debt Collection Specialist

Collection Agent

Finance Executive Resumes

Finance executives are at the head of the finance department and keep companies functioning. This resume guide has been developed to help you craft a winning finance executive resume that will get you to the top of the pile with recruiters.

Senior Finance Executive

Junior Finance Executive

VP of Finance Resumes

With the world and economy recovering from Covid and bracing for a period of recession, a good vice president of finance who can work to maintain a company’s financial health is what all companies want. This resume guide which has been curated by top recruiters in the finance industry will show you what recruiters look for and give you specific tips to elevate your resume and secure yourself a job.

VP Operations and Finance

Senior Vice President Finance

Claims Adjuster Resumes

Insurance is big business, and insurance companies go to great lengths to ensure that their insurance policies do not get taken advantage of by opportunists. Claim adjusters are part of the team that investigates claims to make sure insurance companies settle claims that are fair and warranted. This guide will help professionals create a successful resume in this field. Included are resume samples and useful recruiter tips.

Claims Processor

Entry Level Claims Adjuster

Claims Analyst

Payroll Specialist Resumes

A payroll specialist manages payment operations from start to finish. This includes calculating costs from personnel, deducting taxes, issuing payments, and reporting to upper management. This is an essential role in the accounting and HR departments. If you’re a payroll specialist trying to improve your resume, you’re in the right place. In this guide, we’ll share relevant tips that can help you demonstrate your value in the industry. Also, don’t forget to check our downloadable resume templates for payroll specialists.

Senior Payroll Specialist

Cost Analyst Resumes

A cost analyst helps businesses make more informed decisions on their spending and budgetary plans. They are responsible for auditing a company’s expenses to identify financial issues that could affect production efficiency. If you’d like to start your job hunt as a cost analyst, we’ll help you out. This cost analyst resume guide will give you some handy tips to improve your performance and two downloadable templates.

Senior Cost Analyst

M&A Resumes

Mergers and acquisitions specialists carry out the necessary operations to coordinate a merger or company acquisition. They are responsible for analyzing risks, determining the benefits of that transaction, and negotiating with both parties. To become an M&A specialist or analyst you should have a background in accounting or finances. If you are an M&A specialist in the job hunt, this guide is for you. We’ll help you craft the best resume for your industry.

Mergers & Acquisitions Specialist

Action Verbs For Finance Resumes

• Restructured
• Implemented

How to use these action verbs?

A strong finance-based resume should show past successes in finance-related jobs, internships, or education. Always use clear resume action verbs to discuss them. You may want to showcase your industry prowess with finance-specific verbs like “modelled”, “analyzed”, or “audited”.

Finance Resume Guide

• Bookkeeper Resume Templates
• Investment Banking Resume Templates
• Financial Analyst Resume Templates
• Accountant Resume Templates
• Equity Research Resume Templates
• C-Level and Executive Resume Templates
• Financial Advisor Resume Templates
• Procurement Resume Templates
• Auditor Resume Templates
• Financial Controller Resume Templates
• Risk Management Resume Templates
• Accounts Payable Resume Templates
• Internal Audit Resume Templates
• Purchasing Manager Resume Templates
• Loan Processor Resume Templates
• Finance Director Resume Templates
• Credit Analyst Resume Templates
• Collections Specialist Resume Templates
• Finance Executive Resume Templates
• VP of Finance Resume Templates
• Claims Adjuster Resume Templates
• Payroll Specialist Resume Templates
• Cost Analyst Resume Templates
• M&A Resume Templates
• Finance Action Verbs
• All Resume Examples

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How to Write a Resume Personal Statement

What is a resume personal statement?

A resume personal statement expresses who you are, where you’ve been, and sometimes where you plan to go next right at the top of your resume.

Everyone has different circumstances, so the personal statement helps to orient a potential future boss in terms of what they are about to read in the resume. Think about what you would like to share that matters to you. This space is particularly useful if you are changing industries , coming back in to the employment market or looking for a promotion. Your shop window starts here. The personal statement may be the only thing than an employer reads.

The resume personal statement hooks in a reader, influencing them to read more. So, how do you write a resume personal statement that is both natural and grabs an employer’s attention? Offer them a brief insight into who you are and why you would be a fantastic hire. So what do you write in a personal statement for a job?

This guide will cover:

• The basic formatting of a personal statement: How to tailor your personal statement to give you a competitive advantage
• Personal statement examples you should (and shouldn’t) use
• Practical steps for getting started on your resume personal statement

The personal statement format

The personal statement is a short paragraph that sits right below your contact information at the top of a resume . It sums up your experience, goals and skills with confidence. Think of your resume’s personal statement like an extended tagline for your career. A resume personal statement should include:

• Between 50 and 200 words in 3 - 4 sentences
• Your title or function, for example “Junior developer” or “Passionate hospitality manager”
• An opening hook
• Soft skills and hard skills
• Impressive facts and stats
• Your short and/or long-term goals
• Job-specific slant for the position you’re applying to

This may seem like a lot to cram into 200 words but perfecting your elevator pitch shows that you have a firm grasp of why your experience, goals, and skills make you the perfect fit for the job. Go all out to make this as fitting for each role as possible. Too often candidates come up with what they see as the perfect introduction to them and forget about how a hiring manager for each specific role might read it. Be flexible with the personal statement. It might not present the very best version of you - it should present the best version of you for this particular role.

This brief introduction is only a short piece of text, it is not disruptive and in many cases even serves as a welcome addition to what is otherwise a dry and impersonal document. It should be clear to you by now how we feel about the personal statement: Include it, especially because it allows you that bit of creativity that may make all the difference. Adopt a conversational tone and consider using the first person for these few lines. Third person (past tense) is standard for resumes, but if you want to go personal, this is where to do it.

How do I start my personal statement? How do you not start a personal statement? Even with a personal statement of 3-4 lines, sometimes the first sentence is the hardest. Even the first few words can have a disproportionate effect on how your personal statement is viewed. Your starting "hook" should make your fit with the role clear and specific. Use an example that is as unique to you as possible - you have to make your future employer sit up and pay attention. The first word of your personal statement should never be "I" - a great resume explores the potential of a common partnership and should not be a uni-directional monologue.

Align your resume’s personal statement with the job description

The hiring manager delicately chose every word in their job description. Gather clues from its tone, which skills they highlight, and any hints that point toward their dream employee. One of the top resume tips from HR managers is to include relevant keywords specific to the job posting itself as well as the actual wording of the job title .

What would this job description look like in 3 - 4 sentences? What keywords, skills, and tone would the job description have?

While still sticking to the facts about who you are and your experiences, your resume personal statement should highlight as many similarities with the job description as possible. When the hiring manager reads the first few sentences in your resume, they feel like you are exactly the person they were describing when they wrote the job description.

Position of the personal statement

Recruiters still prefer to see a candidate's personal details at the top (or running along a column on either side) of the resumes that cross their desk. This allows them to quickly search through the resumes that Applicant Tracking Systems have sorted into their virtual “yes” pile. You do not want your (relatively modern) personal statement to get in the way of this tradition. 

The best place to put your statement is after your personal details (if they are at the top) and before your employment history section. Remember that the length of your resume is important. If you have already been very selective and cannot possibly leave out any more information and if adding your personal statement means your resume spills over onto a third page, you may consider not including your statement for the position in question. This ensures you comply with the unwritten rule that a resume should not be longer than two pages.

What is a good personal statement length? 200 words is the maximum suggested length, but if you go with one powerful sentence that you want the hiring manager to remember for the rest of the interview process, then why not? Less is more, but you have to be confident in your application to go with this option.

Plan to write your resume personal statement last

Instead of getting stuck at the beginning trying to write the perfect statement, skip this section and jump right into your employment history first. Once you’ve added your relevant work experiences , take a look at your keywords, phrases and skills from your past positions.

Your complete work history and the job description for the job you want are the foundations for your personal statement. By writing your resume personal statement last, it should be easier to get started once you have the right inspiration.

It might be the case that you leave a certain number of lines for the personal statement on your resume and write an individual statement for each role. You will often have a public version of your resume that is accessible on job boards (etc), so there should still be an "ideal" personal statement version.

How do I write a resume from scratch? While it is good advice to write the resume personal statement after your have written the resume itself (giving your brain a chance to ponder your true highlights), starting writing a resume is a mammoth task in itself. There are many useful pieces of advice when sitting down to write a resume, but for me, the key is to think about the reflecting the combination of what you are good at, what you enjoy and how those things will contribute to the direction of your career. For sure, be honest about your experience, but there has to be a creative flavour of ensuring that your past adequately reflects where you want to go.

Check out resume personal statement examples

Before you dive into writing, get a sense for different rhythms and layouts by checking these resume personal statement examples. How do you write a good personal statement?

Let's start with the basics. Since every person is unique, all personal statements should be unique too. You should, therefore, resist the urge to (largely) copy someone else's existing statement. This is the only spot on your resume to let your voice be heard, so try to write something that would prompt a friend to exclaim, “That sounds like something you’d say!” while, of course, keeping it professional.

Example. Innovative Executive Assistant with 10+ years of experience with global financial firm assisting a team of three C-Level directors. Expertly coordinate travel, manage large-scale expense reports, and streamline communication and calendars across departments..Seeking an Executive Assistant role with the Resume.io team to expand my office management career and thrive in an environment that requires independent problem-solving skills and focus under short deadlines.

The example above does the following things:

• States their title in the first sentence
• Includes specifics such as team size and duties
• Succinctly sums up major responsibilities and skills
• Highlights hard skills —experience arranging travel and expense reports—as well as soft skills —grace under pressure, attention to detail and communication.
• Specifically tailors the final statement with the company and/or job description

Here are a few more resume personal statement examples:

Experienced Digital Marketing Manager with five years of expertise in heading up a global firm. Increased inbound leads by 500% and raised online sales from 100,000 annually to over 2 million in a three-year period. Looking to grow career by applying skills to the Resume.io marketing team.

Straight to the point and accomplishment focused, without the use of “I”. Now let’s look at a less effective example:

I have worked as a Digital Marketing Manager for five years. During this time I have been an important and hard-working member of the team and showed my ability to work under pressure to deliver on company targets. I am looking to bring my skills to a new role in digital marketing.

Generic and ignores accomplishments. Also, too many uses of “I” in a passive voice.

Next is an example of a personal statement that focuses more on career objectives . A career objective can be used as a way to get across your skills and experience, without the personal bit. It’s a good option if you’re an entry-level candidate or college graduate without a lot of experience in the industry you’re applying for. The idea is, because you don’t have the relevant experience to talk about, you pull skills and experience from other areas of your resume so you can show you have what it takes.

Keep your career objective brief — 2-3 sentences max — following the same rules as the personal statement.

Content writer with three years' experience in a large e-commerce company. Delivered content that grew brand social presence to over 700,000 across three channels and improved email open rates by 48%. Looking to further career by joining the Resume.io as an SEO Executive.

See how it uses transferable skills? Combining these with numbers makes them all the more impressive.

And a less effective resume personal statement example:

I am a content writer looking to secure a role as an SEO Executive. While I have no experience in this field and am a dedicated individual and a keen learner. My enjoyment of how search engines work will help me excel in your company.

There’s not enough here to capture attention and it doesn’t sell transferable skills. Whichever type of opening statement you go for, if you have numbers to show, make them count.

Writing your personal profile resume

Always write the first draft of a personal profile resume without editing. Don’t worry about length or word choice in the first pass. Brag about yourself, be proud of your accomplishments , and add in all of your most impressive stats.

Some of the best writing happens without editing too soon, so don’t worry about sounding over the top or egotistical, that’s what editing your personal profile resume is for. If the goal is to get 3 - 4 perfect sentences, it’s likely your first draft will be closer to 6 - 8, maybe even longer. Then consider which parts are closest to helping you get the job and cull the rest. It might seem brutal, but brevity is critical at the top of your personal profile.

Polish your personal statement and experiment

Once you’ve narrowed your focus, use the following questions to help you review your work and edit your statement:

Is my first sentence clear and concise? The opening line should state your position and use strong, enthusiastic language to hook in the reader. It often includes years of experience as well.

Is it direct opposed to passive? A strong sense of self comes through in a personal statement. Instead of sentences that begin with “I believe I am…” or “I enjoy…” be bold. Get right to the point and take ownership of your skills .

Does it include objective information? For this one, try to get inside the hiring manager’s mind. If you were filling this role, what boxes would you need to check off? The second and third sentence often include specific skills, facts or figures to support this need.

Does it read naturally? Even with all these specifics, the statement should still be easy to understand and have a natural rhythm when read aloud. Cut out any jargon that acts as filler or that changes your tone. Formality may vary from company to company, but personal statements should always reflect the type of employee or person you are.

What are three tips for writing a personal statement?

• Make sure that your personality comes across in the writing.
• Quantify any accomplishments and include financials where possible.
• If you are at a moment of career change, don't fail to mention your goals.

Common mistakes in personal statements

When writing your personal statement, beware of platitudes. These are clichéd expressions that have become meaningless from overuse. They induce recruiters to roll their eyes and move on to the next candidate. Think of such terms as “an administrative jack-of-all-trades” or “a cog in the wheel’ and being ready for a “new challenge.”  Definitely avoid this list of human resources’ most hated resume phrases. 

Try to be original in your choice of words and ask a friend or family member to take a critical look at your personal statement when you are done. By the way, you should always have someone proofread your entire resume when you think you are ready to send it.

Some people call their personal statements " resume objectives ." This is something else entirely. A resume objective is required when a candidate needs to project their hopes for their next role that differe from their previous experience a little. This objective can then be used to outline the motivations behind a career change and is also common with early-career professionals. 

Does a personal statement need a title? Some resume templates might call the opening statement a summary and others may exclude a description entirely. Either option is fine as employers are conditioned to expect a few lines at the to of a resume to serve as a headline for your job application.

What do employers expect from your resume opening statement?

Sometimes it is useful to consider job seeking activity from the point of view of the end hiring managers. External recruiters are important people to impress, but it is the employers that will be making the ultimate hiring decision. They will be reading lots of resumes, so what would they want to read in your resume opening statement?

• They will want the resume opening statement to be written for them. When you are on the hunt for a new member of your professional family, an intensely personal connection is vital from the first lines.
• They will expect a quantifiable context to your resume opening statement. Impressive words come easily when you really need a job, but backing them up with numbers to demonstrate their scale is less simple.
• They will expect to be impressed. If you cannot impress a specific employer for a specific role with the first lines of your resume, then the role is almost certainly not for you. Nothing to shout about? Move on.

Key takeaways

Think of your CV personal statement as the first 2 minutes of an interview—whether on the phone or in person. The HR manager asks you to “tell me a little about yourself,” and you have a quick minute to set the tone for the rest of the conversation. Similarly, the CV personal statement should include:

• A natural, yet professional CV tone that reflects your personality
• The top reasons your experience makes you a unique fit for this position
• Why this role aligns with your career plans
• Facts and data on your CV that back up your earlier points

Crafting a personal statement for each role will cause some serious thought. What is your essential fit for the role that will make a hiring manager sit up and think "wow, I need to have them on my team?" What would you want to read if you were in their shoes. You will definitely have lots to say, but keep it simple and powerful.

One more good CV statement example:

Expert SEO copywriter with a decade of B2C and B2B experience across three industries. Versatile in writing social, website and long-form copy to convey each brand’s unique tone and message. I cultivated 15 new clients in two years and grew readership by over 200%. I am now seeking to expand my editing and content creation expertise in a Marketing Manager position.

Once you’ve mastered writing your CV personal statement, this clear sense of who you are and what you want will prepare you to pitch yourself during interviews.

Finance Resume Examples and Templates for 2024

• Resume Examples
• How To Write a Finance Resume
• Resume Text Examples

How to Write a Finance Resume

To write a good finance resume, you’ll need to show you can manage money successfully for clients or organizations. The tips and examples below will help you write each section of your resume so it gets you interviews for your next finance job.

• Entry-Level
• Senior-Level

1. Create a profile by summarizing your finance qualifications

Your Profile should briefly name the three to five top reasons you excel at managing and growing financial assets. This section aims to quickly train a hiring manager’s attention on your strengths as a finance professional. For instance, maybe you’re a great communicator who works closely with clients to understand their retirement goals. Or maybe you have years of experience paring back costs or structuring large transactions. Also, don’t be afraid to get specific in this section; a quantified work highlight is often the best way to make your Profile stand out.

Senior-Level Profile Example

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with 15+ years of advancement and experience. Draw on broad, deep finance knowledge to make viable budget decisions and set strategies for double-digit growth. Recent highlights include cutting department costs by 18% and financing a $40M equipment purchase.

Entry-Level Profile Example

Finance Professional with 2+ years’ experience. Skilled communicator who puts complex math and finance topics in clear terms for managers, executives, and stakeholders. Consistently raise the bottom line by finding and making key cost reductions. Equally effective working solo or on a team. Master of Science (MS) in Financial Data.

2. Showcase your finance experience

View the Experience section as a chance to give examples of your success overseeing client or company finances. The details you include in this section should depend on your background and target job. If you’re seeking an entry-level position and haven’t worked in finance before, you’ll want to focus each job description on transferable skills you gained, such as cash handling or client relations. If you have finance experience, try to include a “Highlights” or “Key Results” section under each job so hiring managers can envision your impact on their bottom line.

Senior-Level Professional Experience Example

Chief Financial Officer FFF Solutions, Baltimore, MD | December 2017-Present

• Guide financial interactions between clients, vendors, and company’s 400+ staff members
• Focus on finding and pursuing cost-reduction opportunities to help raise the bottom line
• Oversee financing of large-scale projects

Highlights:

• Streamlined finance operations, reducing yearly expenses by 18% to date
• Coordinated financing of a complex $40M equipment purchase

Entry-Level Professional Experience Example

Junior Finance Specialist Tri-State Solutions, New Haven, CT | July 2020-Present

• Analyze and update budgets in support of project managers
• Research market trends and conditions and flag potential disruptions
• Pay vendors and reconcile client accounts
• Prepare finance-focused after-action reports for senior staff at each project conclusion
• Found and canceled unnecessary subscriptions, cutting monthly costs by $500 to date

3. Include education and certifications relevant to finance

Use the education and certifications sections to show you have a strong finance knowledge base. For each degree you’ve earned, specify if you majored in finance, business, accounting, or a related subject. Also feel free to list individual finance courses if they strongly overlap with your career focus, or if your work experience is limited.

Don’t forget to include any credentials (like Certified Public Accountant or Chartered Financial Analyst) that are required for your target job. But if part of your career has been outside finance, omit any credentials you’ve earned that don’t speak to your relevant expertise now.

Certifications

• [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
• Certified Public Accountant, CPA Association, 2022
• [Degree Name]
• [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] – [Graduation Year]
• [Select Coursework – optional]
• Bachelor of Science (BS) – Finance
• Maryland University, Annapolis, MD – 2022

4. List finance-related skills and proficiencies

Add a Key Skills section to show how you can analyze, grow, or balance financial accounts, and the tools you use to promote a company’s bottom line. The list below can help you brainstorm plenty of relevant terms for this section.

How to Pick the Best Finance Resume Template

Finance resumes should be neat and orderly, with your professional experience and key skills organized in an easy-to-read format. Look for simple templates that focus on your achievements rather than fancy fonts or graphics. Also, make sure you can easily tailor your chosen template to each job application.

Finance Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

Rebecca Rebel (222) 333-4444 | [email protected] | 222 Second Street, New Haven, CT 22222

Finance Professional with 2+ years’ experience. Skilled communicator who puts complex math and finance topics in clear terms for managers, executives, and stakeholders. Consistently raise the bottom line by finding and making key cost reductions. Equally effective working independently or on a team. Master of Science (MS) in Financial Data.

• Advanced Mathematics
• Business Data Analysis
• Cost Reduction & Elimination
• Jirav Business Planning Software
• Microsoft Office Suite (Advanced Excel, Outlook)
• Microsoft Teams
• Oracle Essence
• Reporting & Documentation
• Team Collaboration

Professional Experience

Junior Finance Specialist, Tri-State Solutions , New Haven, CT | July 2020 to Present

• Research market trends and conditions, and flag potential disruptions

Financial Intern, Hartford Industries , Hartford, CT | March 2020 to May 2020

• Provided various assistance to a financial analyst
• Messaged and followed up with clients on payments
• Reviewed income statements for discrepancies
• Researched financing options for a $2M real estate purchase
• Modeled impact of proposed local tax changes

Education & Credentials

Master of Science (MS) in Financial Data, Connecticut School of Finance, New Haven, CT | 2020

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Operations, Durham Business University, Durham, NC | 2018

Certified Excel Specialist, Microsoft Training University

Allison Rosenberg (123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | 123 Santa Maria, San Francisco, CA 12345

Investment Banker with 7 years of experience, specializing in equity research, strategic investing, and financial modeling. Strong history of performing due diligence on investment opportunities to maximize ROI potential for high-net-worth clients.

• Client Relations
• Financial Analysis
• Investment Banking
• Portfolio Management

Investment Banker, Johnson & Goldman Inc. , San Francisco, CA | October 2017 to Present

• Develop financial models and investment strategies for client portfolios valued at $300K-$1M and provide recommendations for valuations, M&A, and product offerings
• Conduct equity research, identify long-term investment opportunities in companies with best-in-class management teams and business models, and recommend investment opportunities in businesses committed to solving complex customer problems
• Conduct in-depth valuations of intangible assets for purchase price allocations by evaluating income, market indicators, and company financials

Investment Banker, Invest Today Inc. , San Francisco, CA | May 2015 to October 2017

• Performed financial analysis and determined valuations for startup technology companies, which included providing recommendations to investors on business based on economic data, product use case, and organizational effectiveness
• Created in-depth financial models using data and long-term market indicators to inform investment decisions and establish long-term ROI potential

Bachelor of Science (BS) – Economics, University of San Francisco , CA | 2015

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) | 2015

Rachel Racket (999) 999-9999 | [email protected] | 111 First Avenue, Baltimore, MD 22222

Areas of Expertise

• Budget Analysis
• Corporate Change Leadership
• Cross-Functional Coordination
• Financial Forecasting
• Organizational Development
• Project & Program Management
• Regulatory Compliance
• Revenue & Profit Growth
• Stakeholder Relations Management
• Strategic Business Planning

Chief Financial Officer, FFF Solutions, Baltimore, MD | December 2017 to Present

Senior Accounting Manager, General Industries, Columbia, MD | December 2009 to November 2017

• Oversaw accounts receivable and inventory purchases, maintaining positive relationships with government clients
• Led, motivated, and developed 6 mid-level managers
• Used Sage50 Cloud software to analyze and suggest budget options to CFO

Accounting Officer, SSS Software, Owings Mills, MD | July 2006 to November 2009

• Analyzed and reported on project budgets on behalf of project managers
• Modeled company performance in anticipation of market changes
• Researched and proposed tax-saving strategies that reduced the firm’s corporate tax burden by 5%

Master of Science (MS) – Accounting, Business School of Greater Maryland, Columbia, MD

Bachelor of Science (BS) – Finance, Maryland University, Annapolis, MD

Certified Public Accountant, CPA Association

Frequently Asked Questions: Finance Resume Examples and Advice

What are common action verbs for finance resumes -.

You may find it hard to think of a new action verb for every bullet point in your job descriptions. The list below can help you vary the language on your resume so it captures the value of your finance experience.

How do you align your resume with a job posting? -

The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that jobs for business and finance professionals will increase by about seven percent (or 715,000 positions) between 2021 and 2031. This growth rate is roughly the same as the average for all US vocations.

You can get more finance job interviews if you tailor your resume for each application. One great way to do this is by adding brief descriptions of the companies where you’ve worked in brackets right next to or below the company name. Company descriptions let you show any similarities between your past employers and the one who posted the job. For example, maybe you’ve worked for companies of a similar size. Or maybe you’ve worked at firms with a similar mission or leadership philosophy. By working these details into your descriptions, you can make your resume that much more relevant to the job opening at hand.

What is the best finance resume format? -

In nearly all cases, you should use a Combination (or Hybrid) resume because it’s easiest for hiring managers to learn about your pertinent skills and experience, and it’s also easiest for you to align with your job goals.

With the combination format, you highlight your most relevant skills and experience in your Experience or Work History section and an intro section. (This combination of work history and intro content is where the format gets its name.) Your resume intro should include a Profile summary and Key Skills section, but you may also add a Career Highlights or Awards section. By choosing the details for these intro sections, you can (a) position yourself for your target job, and (b) give hiring managers a clear, quick view of what you offer.

Craft your perfect resume in minutes

Get 2x more interviews with Resume Builder. Access Pro Plan features for a limited time!

To increase your chances of an interview, write and submit a strong cover letter. The key to a good letter is customizing it based on each job opening. Read our Finance cover letter guide to learn how.

Jacob Meade

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, ACRW)

Jacob Meade is a resume writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience. His writing method centers on understanding and then expressing each person’s unique work history and strengths toward their career goal. Jacob has enjoyed working with jobseekers of all ages and career levels, finding that a clear and focused resume can help people from any walk of life. He is an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) with the Resume Writing Academy, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.

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Personal Financial Advisor Resume Examples and Templates

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Financial Analyst Resume [The Ultimate 2024 Guide]

Looking to land your next job in finance?

You’ll need a compelling financial analyst resume to stand out from the competition.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how good you are at analyzing financial data if you can’t prove it to the hiring manager at your dream company.

Luckily, that’s exactly what this article is here for. 

We’re about to teach you all you need to know about how to write a financial analyst resume, including:

Job-Winning Financial Analyst Resume Example

How to write a financial analyst resume (step-by-step).

• Free Financial Analyst Resume Template 

And more! Let’s dive right in, starting with:

What’s a better way to get started with your resume than to get inspired by a compelling financial analyst resume example, right?

The above resume does a lot of things right, such as:

• Follows the chronological resume format. While there are other resume formats out there, the chronological one is both the most popular, and the best one for the job.
• Lists contact information the right way. It includes a phone number, a professional email address, a LinkedIn URL, and a location.
• Catches the recruiter’s attention with a resume summary. This financial analyst resume summary shows the recruiter the candidate is relevant at a glance.
• Convinces the recruiter that they’re the right person for the job with an achievement-oriented work experience section. Achievements help show the recruiter how you stand out from the rest of the candidates.
• Uses bullets to make the financial analyst resume easy to follow. The recruiter has hundreds of other resumes to review. By using bullets, you make it easier for them to read your resume and understand your background.
• Includes a concise education section. Since the candidate has a lot of work experience, they don’t focus as much on their educational history.
• Lists the right hard and soft skills. A strong financial analyst should possess both types of skills (and show them off on their resume).
• Includes optional resume sections to fill up the space and make the resume even more compelling.

Found the financial analyst resume example interesting?

Awesome - time to start working on yours!

In this section, we’re going to walk you through 8 essential steps for creating a compelling financial analyst resume, starting with:

#1. Format Your Financial Analyst Resume Right

While there are 3 types of resumes formats you can use, the best option is the reverse-chronological format , which looks as follows:

The format starts off with the most recent work experiences and then goes backward in time.

Once you’ve decided on the format, you need to work on the style and layout of your resume. Here’s what that involves:

• Don’t go over the 1-page limit . Unless you’re a professional with 15+ years of experience, chances are, you don’t need more than a single page.
• Pick a professional font. Some of our favorites are Ubuntu, Times New Roman, and Roboto.
• Use 11-12 pt font size for the body text in your resume.

Free Financial Analyst Resume Template

Want to create a compelling resume without all the hassle of working on the formatting, style, layout, and the like?

Well, it’s possible!

All you have to do is pick one of our 8 free resume templates .

The formatting work is done for you, all you have to do is fill in your contents, and you’re ready to land your dream job!

And the best part? Our resume templates look absolutely slick compared to the typical black-and-white templates:

#2. Include a Contact Information Section

Once you’re done formatting your resume (or you’ve picked one of our free resume templates ), it’s time to start working on your resume contents.

The first step here is to include your contact information, which includes:

• Name and surname.
• Professional title . Your title should match the one mentioned in the job description. 
• Phone number.
• Professional email address. E.g. [name] + [last name] @gmail.com. 
• Location. The city, state, and country are enough, no need to mention your home address.
• (Optional) LinkedIn URL. If your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date, you can include a URL in your contact information section.

Here’s what your contact information section should look like once you’re done with it:

Financial Analyst

123-123-1234

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/johnd

#3. Write an Attention-Grabbing Financial Analyst Resume Summary (or Objective)

The next section in your financial analyst resume is the resume summary.

A resume summary , in a nutshell, is a “preview” of your resume. It helps the recruiter understand whether you’re qualified without having to read your resume in its entirety.

Done right, a financial analyst resume summary should include:

• Your job title ( “Financial Analyst” )
• Your years of experience ( “With 6+ years of experience in the field” )
• Your top 1-2 achievements ( “Experienced in identifying wasteful processes and cutting spend by over 12% at Company X” )
• Your top skills ( “Skilled in risk management, data validation techniques, and data visualization” ).

Here’s a practical example of what this looks like on a resume:

• Senior financial analyst with 6 years of experience seeking a role at Company X. Past achievements include helping drive costs down by over 12% at Company Y by eliminating wasteful processes. Skilled in risk management, data validation techniques, and more. CPA-certified.

Don’t have a lot of work experience? You might want to use a resume objective instead. Read our guide to learn more.

#4. Focus on Achievements to Stand Out from Other Applicants

The next section on your financial analyst resume is the work experience section.

First things first, start by formatting the section as follows:

• List your work experiences reverse-chronologically. Start with your latest/current experience and go back in time from there.
• For each of your roles, include the following information: title, company name, dates employed, and 3-5 responsibilities and achievements.
• For older roles (think, jobs from 5-10+ years ago), you can include less than 3 responsibilities/achievements.

And here’s how that would look on your resume:

07/2015 - Current

• Collected, analyzed, and managed quantitative data.
• Created in-depth financial reports that lead to over 12% cost reductions in 2020.
• Prepared weekly reports and led presentations for training new staff.
• Reported directly to the CFO.

Now, if you want your work experience section to truly stand out from your competitors, here are some tips on how to make that happen:

• Focus on achievements when possible. The recruiter knows what your responsibilities were - they want to know how you excelled at the role instead. So, if possible, include achievements instead of responsibilities.
• Quantify your achievements. Saying “cut expenses” is one thing, saying “cut expenses by 12% in 2020 by identifying and eliminating wasteful processes” is something else entirely. Including information on results, timeframe, and actions taken helps give the hiring manager a better idea of your work history and skills level.
• Skip on irrelevant work experience. The hiring manager doesn’t care about your job waiting tables 12 years back during university, so you can safely skip it.

Applying for an entry-level financial analyst role? Check out our article on how to create a no-experience resume .

#5. Include Your Educational Background

On to the next section - education .

This one’s relatively straightforward, just include your educational history as such:

• Include your latest degree on top of the section. Start off with the degree name (e.g. B.A. in Finance), institution name, and years attended.
• If you have a second degree, include that too. Follow the same format.
• If you have a B.A. or an associate’s degree, feel free to skip including your high school information.

Here’s how the education section should look like on your financial analyst resume:

B.A. in Finance

Chicago University

08/2013 - 05/2017

If you’re a recent university graduate lacking in work experience, you can also add information about the courses you’ve attended in university to give the recruiter an idea of your knowledge:

Courses Attended:

• Corporate Finance
• Asset Management
• Risk Management

#6. List the Right Skills for the Job

The next step to perfecting your financial analyst resume is including the right skills.

And by “right skills,” we don’t mean listing out every single skill you’ve learned. 

Rather, you need to specifically include the skills that are going to help you do your job as a financial analyst right.

Some of the most in-demand financial analyst skills in 2024 are:

15 Essential Financial Analyst Skills

• Financial Modeling
• Financial Accounting
• Managerial Accounting
• Financial Reporting
• Statistical Analysis
• Data Validation Techniques
• Communication
• Process Improvement
• Attention to Detail

#7. Use The Optional Resume Sections (to Make Your Resume Even More Compelling)

Do you still have some space on your financial analyst resume? You can use some of these optional resume sections to fill up your resume to cover the entire page.

While these sections won't land you the job on their own, they can help you stand out from applicants with the same level of experience and skills.

The optional sections are:

• Certifications. As a financial analyst, there are a lot of certifications you can get to help attest to your skill set. E.g. CFA , CPA , FMVA, and others.
• Languages. In 2024, knowing an extra language or two is always an asset, regardless of what job you’re applying for.
• Hobbies & Interests . This section can help show the hiring manager who you are as an individual (as opposed to a professional) and (potentially) allow you to build rapport with your interviewer.

Here’s how these optional sections would look like on your financial analyst resume:

• German - Native
• English - Fluent
• Spanish - Intermediate

Certifications

• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Certification (4). 02/2015 - 02/2016
• Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA). 03/2012 - 08/2012

Hobbies & Interests

• Artificial Intelligence
• Mindfulness

#8. Make Sure Your Financial Analyst Cover Letter is as Compelling as Your Resume

At this point, your resume probably already looks very compelling…

But we’re not done just yet!

You need to create a financial analyst cover letter that’s just as good as your resume.

Here are some tips on how you can do this:

• Start the cover letter by addressing the hiring manager with their full name or title. E.g. “Dear Margaret.” Sure, you could do the traditional “Dear Sir or Madam,” but including a name or position shows the recruiter that you did your research.
• In the introduction of your cover letter, include your job title, years of experience, top 1-2 achievements, industry experiences, and any of your other top selling points.
• In the body section of your cover letter, you can include things like more detailed skills, responsibilities, work history, and optionally, information on why you’d like to work at the company you’re applying for.
• Finish up the cover letter with a call to action. E.g. “Would be more than happy to discuss my work history more in-depth over an interview.”

Struggling with your cover letter? Check out some of our best resources on the topic:

• Guide on Writing a Cover Letter
• 21 Best Cover Letter Tips
• Most Common Cover Letter Mistakes

Key Takeaways

And that’s the gist of it!

That’s all you need to know in order to create a compelling financial analyst resume and land the job.

Before you go, let’s do a quick recap of the most important learning points we covered in this article:

• Use a resume summary to grab the hiring manager’s attention from the get-go.
• In your work experience section, focus on achievements over responsibilities. Quantify your achievements when possible.
• Include both hard and soft skills in your skills section.
• Include any certifications that you might have. E.g. CPA, CFA, etc.
• If you have some extra space in your resume, you can also include extra sections such as languages or hobbies.

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 How to Write a Personal Statement with Examples

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What is a personal statement?

How to write a personal statement, what to include in a personal statement, personal statement examples, tips for writing a personal statement.

A personal statement highlights your industry credentials, previous noteworthy accomplishments, what you can bring to the company and how your interest in the role can achieve a company’s goals. What you write in a personal statement also conveys a great deal about yourself, including your talents, goals, outlook and work ethic. This article shares steps and examples that you can follow when writing your own personal statement.

A personal statement is a description that combines your notable abilities and career objectives in a brief paragraph to help hiring managers determine whether your qualifications are suitable for a position. It also summarizes substantial information that shows how much you understand the job. When writing a personal statement, it’s vital to make a connection between you and your desired job. 

Here are some steps to follow when writing a personal statement:

1. Firstly, research the company

Read the company’s profiles, achievements, vision and goals. Analyze and understand the position for which you’re applying, and find ways to connect it to the company’s overall goals. 

2. Then, make a list of your achievements

Create a list of your education and academic qualifications, training, accomplishments, skills and experience relevant to the job. Pick the most noteworthy achievements out of this list to add to your personal statement.

3. Next, demonstrate your qualifications

Using your knowledge about the company, write a brief paragraph about why you are the best person for the job. Be sure to add the most important details about you and your professional life, which includes highlighting how employing you can help the company fulfill its goals.

4. Finally, keep your personal statement short and readable

While there is no definite word count, a good personal statement should usually be about a paragraph long. What’s essential is that you can summarize all of the crucial points within a few detailed sentences. Keeping your statement easily readable can ensure that you maintain an employer’s attention.

If you’re applying to a job or updating your resume, one of the first things to do is to write a compelling personal statement highlighting essential details about yourself and your professional achievements. 

Here are the following parts you can use to help you write a personal statement:

Personal history

A good personal statement shares details that will give the hiring manager an idea of who you are both as a person and as an employee. For example, if you’re looking for an entry-level position, you can note that you’ve graduated with honors. As another example, listing your experience as a team leader can make it easier to demonstrate your qualifications for a management position. Make sure the personal history you include aligns with the position and the company’s goals.

Skills and work contributions

Your personal statement should emphasize the skill sets and talents that you can contribute to the company. Your expertise is not limited to technical aspects. It could also be communication, leadership, time management and similar skills. Communicate how these substantial assets of yours can contribute to the company’s objectives.

An example could be explaining how your expertise in programming software helped your former company secure a long-term contract. Describe how the company can benefit from your skill and experience.

Purpose and career goals

Your purpose conveys how your chosen career path aligns with the position you’re applying for. Although you can write about how the job will help your professional interests, it’s more important to identify how the company can benefit from hiring you.

For example, it could be as simple as your eagerness to seek a position as an operations supervisor, which means you must highlight how your leadership skills can help you manage teams so they can reach a sales quota. Start by explaining how your education, skills and experience have prepared you for the leadership role and, subsequently, how it can benefit the company.

Although it is a personal statement, it is best to find a balance between your individual and professional details. Keep in mind that you also only need to include details that are relevant to the position. If you’re trying to become a graphic artist, for example, focus primarily on your artistic achievements, awards, experience and goals in your statement.

Here are some examples of personal statements for different goals and career paths:

Engineering personal statement

‘Accomplished mechanical engineer with a master’s degree in modeling and simulation and more than 10 years of supervisory experience in an international manufacturing company. My technical and problem-solving skills helped develop test procedures that increased machine sales by 65% in a single financial year.’

Photographer personal statement

‘Veteran photographer with over five years of experience serving as a trainer for both photographers and editors in a regional publishing house. Supervised photo shoots for magazine features and covers that earned national recognition and awards. Searching for a leadership position in a national publication.’

Sales director personal statement

‘Target-oriented sales director within the tourism sector with over 20 years of experience in sustainable travel management. Proven success in both environmental tours and managing farm-to-table restaurants and accommodation. Increased previous company’s sales by 60% by implementing a two-year marketing plan.’

Here are some tips you can use when writing your personal statement:

• Use a template.  Have a general personal statement you can use as a template and then customize it depending on the job description.
• Use specific keywords and quantifiable metrics.  This can help your resume or cover letter make it through any application tracking software.
• Talk to your colleagues. The people you work with can give you deeper insight into your work output and character.
• Focus on the content first and the length later. You don’t need to worry much about the length of your statement when making a draft. You can always edit and shorten it.
• Use action words.  Descriptive words make it easier for employers to envision the achievements you’ve accomplished in your professional life.
• Make a strong first impression. A personal statement is often the first impression you make on a hiring manager. Because of this, it’s important to select only keywords, skills and experiences that are significant to your desired position.

How to Write a Resume Personal Statement (with examples)

Published on:

• June 23, 2023

“I’m a recent graduate applying for a new job / changing careers or industry / returning to the workforce after a long break… How am I going to impress a hiring manager or recruiter?

The answer lies in your personal statement on your CV or resume.

Your personal statement should consist of a few short and direct sentences. It appears on top of your resume right after your name and contact information on your resume or CV. Your resume personal statement should be a short summary of why you’re the right fit for the job. Alternatively, it is also known as a career summary or resume profile.

A resume personal statement should be written in the same way as elevator pitches. The objective is to convince the hiring manager that your CV is worth reading while introducing yourself in a concise and clear manner.

CV Personal Statement/Profile: Why It’s Important

Your resume personal statement serves as a quick way to introduce yourself to potential employers. In a short paragraph, they summarize your qualifications and career goals, making it easier for a hiring manager to decide whether you’re fit for the job.

Located at the top of your CV, it’s your chance to really sell yourself to employers and showcase the relevant skills and experience you have.

You can express your career goals and showcase your strengths in a personal statement while proving to recruiters that you’re an ideal candidate for the position.

Essentially, the personal profile gives a few seconds of insight into who you are that should entice employers to look at your CV closely.

The summary serves as a concise introduction to what you can bring to the table, which will help the reader make a decision on whether they would like to proceed with reviewing your resume. Thus, it should be filled with related and concise information–the skills you have acquired and the key contributions you have made over the course of your career.

Do you know that a hiring manager takes only about 6 seconds to glance over a resume before deciding whether or not to read it?

So, it’s crucial for you to summarize in around 50-200 words what you can bring to the table, including who you are, your strongest skills, and accomplishments.

Want to make sure that your resume profile/personal statement will boost your chances of getting job interviews?

Then, remember to tailor your personal statement to the specific job description. It should explicitly demonstrates what value you’ll bring to the job you are applying for. Generic personal statements can’t achieve that.

Also, you must decide if you are writing your personal statement in the first-person or third-person perspective. It should be written in the same way as the rest of your CV and cover letter.

How to Write a Personal Statement for a CV/Resume?

In your CV personal statement or a profile, include the following five factors to give a good first impression to hiring managers:

• Who you are or your professional title
• Your  1–3 top skills
• Your 1–3 best achievements
• Your target company’s name
• Your goals for your new employer (how you hope to contribute to your new employer)

Personal Profile for a CV—Example

“Growth marketing specialist (who you are) with 7 years experience in multichannel digital marketing in the health and beauty industry (your skills). Increased organic social media strategies at Skin Naked leading to a 10% cost savings in ads and a 155% boost in revenue sales for 6 months (achievements). Looking to leverage sustainable growth strategies through social media, content, and email marketing for Sassy Lingerie   (the target company and the goals you hope to achieve).”

How to Write a CV Profile?

Creating a strong CV personal statement might seem challenging at first. Here’s a simple step-by-step strategy that’ll help.

• Identify the most important requirements and responsibilities in the job description.
• Highlight your most relevant skills and achievements on your CV.
• Include all your best and proudest achievements in your personal statement.

Personal profiles might work as both a CV summary and a CV career objective, depending on your level of experience.

It’s best to use a CV summary if you have years of relevant work experience . Give a brief description of your career — highlight your measurable accomplishments and showcase your skills.

When writing an entry-level CV or changing careers, use a CV objective . Explain the skills you’ve learned so far and how well your abilities will fit in. Focus on the value you can offer, make the employer aware that you’re there to help solve their pain points.

Check out some general tips for writing an effective CV personal profile and keep these in mind when applying for a variety of industries and job positions.

1. Keep your personal statement short

Each day, recruiters have hundreds of resumes to review. They won’t bother to read a 4-page resume. Your resume has approximately 6 seconds to impress a hiring manager – so make sure you utilize your space effectively.

When writing a personal statement, how long should it be?

A good rule of thumb is to write a short paragraph of 50 to 200 words. That is usually between 3 and 6 sentences. Be sure to highlight your most relevant accomplishments, but don’t overuse them. Take the time to make every word count on your CV as this will serve as your elevator pitch to sell yourself effectively to potential employers.

2. Add measurements to your achievements

When listing your achievements, show quantitative data if you can. Because employers love to see concrete evidence of your performance, it’s crucial that you show results in numbers and percentages. Whenever possible, include figures to illustrate your contributions to a project.

For your quantitative achievements, consider some of these questions:

• How much money savings did your company make? Ex. 10% early project delivered with 15% cost savings
• Have you increased your sales or revenue? Ex. Achieved $500K monthly recurring revenue consistent in 6 months
• How many colleagues have you trained or supervised on your team? Ex. Trained 7 junior programmers in 2 years.

3. Avoid jargon and CV buzzwords

It is important to utilize keywords from the job description when writing your CV. But avoid using them as jargon or generic buzzwords. You should avoid cliche words such as:

• Go-to person/guy/girl
• Hard-working team player
• Results-driven/detail-oriented
• Thinking outside the box

You can find more generic buzzwords here which will do more harm than good in your resume.

4. Don’t mix the grammatical person

If you’re writing your CV in the UK, it’s OK to write in either the first or third person. However, you can’t do both at once. Additionally, career experts recommend removing the pronouns completely.

CV Personal Statement/Personal Profile Examples for Different Professions

In the following examples, you’ll find samples for a variety of professions. Our CV personal statements are sorted into two categories: CV personal statements for experienced candidates and CV profiles for entry-level candidates or those without experience.

CV Personal Statements for Experienced Candidates

Example #1 – Copywriter CV Personal Statement

“A conversion-focused direct response copywriter and editor with 5+ experience in the health supplements space. Wrote a sales page for Free Your Gut that accumulated $1.8M in revenue sales for 3 months with conversion rates of 65%. Interested in expanding direct response copywriting expertise for a consultancy and media buyer position at Goodlife Naturals Inc.”

Example #2 – Marketing Specialist CV Personal Statement 

“Maryland-based growth marketing specialist, with 7+ years of experience converting users at a 53% rate for a local mobile carrier and increased sales by 66% in 12 months. Seeking to leverage leadership excellence and marketing skills to raise ROI and lead-generation efficiency for Talk Mobile.”

Note: The sample includes skills and accomplishments and measures them to prove them. Furthermore, it clearly states its value proposition or offer.

Example #3 – Accounting Clerk CV Personal Statement

“Highly-trained, efficient accounting clerk with 6 years experience in providing quality, error-free accounting and clerical support. Reduced reconciliation discrepancies by 55% by using QuickBooks effectively. Technically adept with modern accounting applications software to streamline processes. Ensured biweekly payroll and benefits of 350+ employees. Organizes and plans effectively so that key responsibilities can be completed within strict deadlines. Seeking to provide my accounting skills at AccountPro Corporation.”

Example #4 – Software Architect/Engineer CV Profile Examples

“Highly-motivated and detail-oriented software architect/engineer with 10+ years experience in tech space. Managed and trained a small group of 7 coders at Transferly Systems. Delivered projects 10% ahead of schedule with 15% fewer errors than any other team. Would like to work for KingSumo as a developer with strong programming skills. ”

“Computer science specialist with solid experience in Ruby, Oracle, C++, Java, and C#. A versatile software developer with experience in a wide range of projects. I am looking to join a fast-paced fintech/SaaS company.”

Tips: You should not list all your professional skills in your CV personal statement. Focus on what is important when you write. Provide examples of your expertise to validate your claims.

See some more samples:

Example #5 – Graphic Designer CV Personal Statement

“Creative graphic designer with 5+ years of experience. Seeks to use excellent time management, graphics design, and curation skills to lower project time at Tiny Steps Inc. Developed and curated over 200+ graphics projects which increased website traffic by 45%, conversion rate by 55% within 18 months for Moore Gears Corp.”

Example #6 – Civil Engineer CV Profile

“A seasoned civil engineer with eight years’ experience in project management and construction. With a proven track record of safety on construction sites. Completed project 21 days ahead of schedule at a cost saving of 17% with 0% incident on site. Leveraging safety, leadership, and project management skills handling 500+ workers and subcon Looking for a civil engineering job position in MegaCon Contracting Services Inc. to provide safety assurance during project execution.”

Not a fan of the plain paragraph style? Bullet points also work well in your CV personal statement. See the below sample:

Example #7 – Office Manager CV Profile

• A reliable and highly efficient office manager with more than five years of experience at a large corporation.
• Appointed an executive secretary position in under 2 years.
• Increased office productivity by 15% by introducing a time management system.
• Seeking excellent project management and organization skills to help Hogan & Paul’s Inc. reduce office administration costs.

We understand if you felt overwhelmed by the CV personal statement samples above. You can still effectively sell yourself in a CV profile even if you lack a great deal of work experience. Take a look at these examples:

Personal Statement Examples for CV with No Experience

Example #8 – Recent Graduate CV Personal Statement

“Highly-motivated B.A. Marketing graduate from Glendale University seeking a position as a PR assistant at MindView Corp. Leveraging on excellent data-analysis and creative storytelling techniques to create compelling and hyper-targeted marketing campaigns tailored to MindView customers.”

Case in point, you want to convey you’ve learned a lot already and you have what it takes to help their organization or company.

Example #9 – Graduating Student CV Personal Statement/Objective

My career goal is to join the Department of Marine Biology at Hawaii State University after graduating from California University with a degree in marine biology. Utilizing the skills I gained from volunteering at California University to maintain the university’s research databases and library in order to ensure students have easy access to them.”

“I’m  an enthusiastic and passionate senior year student of marine biotechnology. I’m  interested in joining a research team to gain experience in research, especially in collecting, dissecting, and analyzing clinical samples’ data.”

Note: The incorrect sample does not specify a position. Employers instantly see that as a red flag. This indicates that the job seeker is probably emailing the same CV to every company within 30 miles of home.

Example #10 – Graduating Student CV Personal Statement

“I am a recent Johnson University graduate with an honors degree in broadcast journalism with internships at ABC TV3 Corporation for 1 year.  My internship allowed me to realize invaluable experience in the broadcast industry and hone my skills to contribute to fast-paced, professional environment .”

Note: It is important to highlight relevant skills and experiences in your personal statement. Recent graduates lack practical experience in the workforce, so interpersonal and soft skills like being successful and a trusted team member are critical.

Example#11 – Junior Business Analyst CV Personal Profile

“With 5+ years as a finance & security analyst, currently seeking a role at ThriveSpot to make actionable insights on financial metrics. Created business reports for OmniSpring to grow employee understanding of key concepts by 19%. Helped create a slide presentation of SWOT analysis, which was turned into a webinar with 2,700+ views.”

Tip: It’s absolutely okay to mention impressive achievements in your CV personal statement even if you were just a mere part of the team.

Example#12 – Medical Assistant CV Personal Statement

“An efficient and passionate health care provider/medical assistant who has enjoyed volunteering and support for 55+ seniors in elderly care facility. Seeking to help CradleCare maintain and improve the company’s industry-leading patient satisfaction level through quality and dedicated health services.”

Example #13 – Personal Statement for a Career Change CV

“With 10+ years extensive experience as a sales manager building high-functioning sales teams that consistently achieve budget figures. Led a 20% increase in annual renewals across the board with the growth of the sales team’s talents. Seeking to further develop my sales skills after 10 years by taking on new challenges and opportunities in SaaS/Fintech.” 

Example #14 – Returning to the Workforce Personal Statement 

An accomplished and highly motivated office administrator, I seek a new career opportunity after taking time off to raise my family. Successfully conducted meetings and coordinated client projects to keep the office running smoothly and efficiently using Microsoft Office, Project Management, and communication software. After volunteering for a local charity for several years, I am now committed to returning to work full-time.”

In some cases, re-entering the workforce after a break can be difficult. In this statement, the candidate explains why they took a break from work, their qualifications, and what they did during that time. Moreover, whenever someone lacks professional experience during the hiatus, the candidate can use the skills they learned as a volunteer so it becomes highly relevant.

Marissa Letendre, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Marissa Letendre is a senior HR leader and resume expert with over 12 years of experience. She has worked for both startups and Fortune 50 corporations and has helped thousands land jobs at top companies. Marissa has written on a wide range of topics, including employee engagement, career development, resumes, job searching, recruiting, and organizational effectiveness and has been featured on sites such as Slack and The Undercover Recruiter.

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7 Finance Skills Employers Look for on a Resume

• 07 Jun 2022

There's a shortage of talent in today's job market. While some believe it's caused by factors like the pandemic or "Great Resignation," the finance field is experiencing a talent shortage largely due to changing industry trends.

According to Robert Half Talent Solutions , 65 percent of senior managers in finance and accounting are hiring for permanent positions in the first half of 2022. Yet, only 33 percent are hiring for vacant roles, meaning many positions are newly created, largely due to the changing skill sets needed.

Are you interested in breaking into finance but not sure what your resume should include? Here are the top finance skills employers want, why they're essential to the job market, and how you can obtain them.

Access your free e-book today.

What Are Finance Skills?

Finance skills are often associated with industry-specific positions, such as accountants and finance managers. This definition only scratches the surface when examining finance's role in business. Finance skills are soft and hard skills that enable stakeholders to manage and navigate financial decision-making and problem-solving.

Some common roles that require financial skills on a resume are:

• Accountants
• Financial analysts
• Chief financial officers (CFOs)
• Underwriters
• Finance managers

Each role requires varying skills and experience levels. Yet, several skills are important, and often mandatory, across all positions. Here's an overview of what finance skills employers want and what you can do to enhance your resume.

Finance Skills You Need on Your Resume

1. accounting skills.

The first, and perhaps most important, finance skill employers ask for is accounting. This doesn't mean you need to have previous experience as an accountant, but rather proficiency in reading and understanding financial documents , including:

• Balance sheets
• Income statements
• Cash flow statements
• Annual reports

The data points extracted from these financial documents inform finance and business leaders about a company's financial health and its future initiatives.

For example, cash flow management —tracking a company's assets as they move in and out of the business—is an incredibly important metric. Leadership and key stakeholders use it to predict how much money will be available at any given time and how much is needed to cover outstanding debts.

Since accounting is fundamental in tracking a company's performance, employers tend to offer a competitive salary to those who possess these skills. According to Emsi Burning Glass data, prospective finance professionals with accounting skills can expect a median salary of $80,320 or more.

2. Analytical Thinking Skills

While employers need team members who build financial statements, business leaders need experience analyzing and leveraging this information. This is called financial statement analysis , the process of reviewing key financial documents to better understand a company's performance.

This is done by analyzing performance metrics found on various financial statements and through financial ratios. Some important ratios include:

• Current ratio , which measures a company's ability to pay off its short-term commitments
• Quick ratio , which calculates whether a company can pay off its short-term obligations with liquid assets
• Debt-to-equity ratio , which evaluates a company's financial efficacy by dividing a company's total liabilities by shareholder equity

Analytical thinking has quickly become a high commodity in the finance job market. Some of the top employers advertise finance job postings that require analytical thinking. According to Emsi Burning Glass data, the top 10 companies that require this skill include:

• Travelers Insurance
• Charles Schwab
• JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Wells Fargo
• The Hartford
• Health Care Service Corporation

3. Financial Decision-Making Skills

Decision-making is an essential skill for aspiring leaders. While business leaders often take time to understand an organization's goals, initiatives, and mission, finance is crucial to positioning a company for success.

Managers in any department can benefit from finance knowledge. For example, estimating a project's financial impact is a common responsibility, often done by calculating its return on investment (ROI) .

Data-driven financial decision-making creates a clear framework for company leadership to reference and provides the building blocks to a far more elusive finance skill: intuition. For this reason, it's invaluable to include on your resume.

4. Management Skills

Like most industries, employers in the finance sector always look for applicants with management skills and experience. These skills are needed for managing people as well as the various moving parts of a company's capital structure and reporting processes.

This skill doesn't apply solely to mid- and high-level managers. For example, preparing an organization's budget requires management skills. Whether a quarterly budget for performance tracking or a budget proposal to recommend future initiatives, the preparation of this essential document calls for collaboration, regular communication, and clear direction.

According to Emsi Burning Glass data, some top finance job titles that require management skills include:

• Financial managers
• Personal service managers
• Financial and investment analysts
• Financial risk specialists
• Financial specialists
• General managers
• Operations managers
• Securities sales agents
• Commodities sales agents
• Financial services sales agents

5. Financial Reporting Skills

Many finance professionals deal with historical data, but looking to the future is equally as crucial.

Financial forecasting predicts a company's financial future by examining historical performance data, such as revenue, cash flow, expenses, or sales. This is an incredibly important skill to include on a resume since it often assists business leaders in major decisions around areas like hiring, budgeting, and strategic planning.

Cash flow forecasting is a particularly important form of forecasting. These predictions help support a company's stability by determining whether it will have enough cash to cover future expenses. As a result, these skills are often synonymous with "forward-thinking"—a valuable characteristic of prospective finance employees.

6. Communication Skills

Most prospective finance professionals understand the importance of accounting and analysis skills, but many minimize the role of effective communication.

This skill can take the form of strong oral communication in meetings or written communication in financial documents. Being an effective communicator also requires explaining financial jargon in simple terms. This is accomplished through financial literacy —the understanding and use of financial terminology, statements, and concepts.

Since many stakeholders and clients are outside the financial sector, companies often select candidates who can communicate complex industry language to others. Emsi Burning Glass shows a steady increase in finance job postings requiring communication skills over the past year.

7. Investing Skills

In today's market, most employers know profits made from their goods and services aren't enough to sustain long-term growth. Investing as one form of capital allocation is a great way for companies to generate even more money outside of their operations.

Since investing is a riskier endeavor than releasing a new product to market, it's important for employers to hire individuals with a keen eye for investing. For example, a company that has numerous alternative investments should hire people who understand these assets and can assess the varying risks.

Another aspect of this industry that's grown in popularity and demand is sustainable investing . This trend of purpose-driven investing has created a need for financial leaders who value and understand environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors when deciding whether resources should be contributed to a venture.

How to Improve Your Finance Skills

Finance skills are essential for industry leaders and managers. These positions require an intuitive knowledge of financial principles and statements to unlock critical insights into a company's performance and potential.

One of the best ways to develop these high-demand skills is by taking an online course. These courses can offer a solid foundation in finance and accounting concepts while giving you the tools and processes to tackle some of the biggest financial challenges companies face.

Are you looking to strengthen your finance resume? Check out our finance and accounting courses , including Leading with Finance , Financial Accounting , Sustainable Investing , and Alternative Investments , to acquire the skills needed to land an interview. If you aren't sure which course is the right fit, download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

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Finance Personal Statement Examples

CV personal statement examples

If you want to secure job interview, you need a strong personal statement at the top of your CV.

Your CV personal statement is a short paragraph which sits at the very top of your CV – and it’s aim is to summarise the benefits of hiring you and encourage employers to read your CV in full.

In this guide I have included 17 CV personal statement examples from a range of professions and experience levels, plus a detailed guide of how to write your own personal statement that will get you noticed by employers

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17 CV personal statement examples

To start this guide, I have included 10 examples of good personal statements, to give you an idea of how a personal statement should look , and what should be included.

Note: personal statements are generally used by junior candidates – if you are experienced, check out our CV profile examples instead.

Graduate CV personal statement (no experience)

Although this  graduate has no paid work experience, they compensate for it by showcasing all of the skills and knowledge the have gained during their studies, and demonstrating how they apply their knowledge in academic and personal projects.

When you have little or no experience, it’s important to draw out transferable workplace skills from your studies and extracurricular work, to showcase them to employers.

Graduate CV personal statement (part time freelance experience)

This candidate has graduated with a degree in biochemistry but actually wants to start a career in digital marketing after providing some digital freelance services to fund their studies.

In this case, they haven’t made much mention of their studies because they aren’t relevant to the digital marketing agencies they are applying to. Instead they have focused their personal statement around their freelance work and passion for the digital field – although they still mention the fact they are degree educated to prove their academic success.

School leaver CV personal statement (no experience)

This candidate is 16 years old and has no work experience whatsoever, but they compensate for this by detailing their academic achievements that relate to the roles they are applying for (maths and literacy are important requirements in finance and accountancy roles).

They also add some info on their extracurricular activities and school work-placements, to strengthen this student CV further.

    Top tips for writing a CV personal statement

• Thoroughly research the jobs and companies you are planning to apply for to identify the type of candidate they are looking for – try to reflect that in your personal statement
• Don’t be afraid to brag a little – include some of your most impressive achievements from education, work or personal life
• Focus on describing the benefits an employer will get from hiring you. Will you help them to get more customers? Improve their workplace? Save them time and money?
• If you have no work experience, demonstrate transferable workplace skills from your education, projects, or even hobbies

School leaver CV personal statement (part time experience)

Although this person has only just left school, they have also undertaken some part-time work in a call centre alongside their studies.

To make the most of this experience, they have combined their academic achievements with their workplace exposure in this personal statement.

By highlighting their GCSE results, summer programme involvement, work experience and expressing their ambitions to progress within sales, this candidate really makes an appealing case for hiring them.

College leaver CV personal statement (no experience)

This candidate has left college with good grades, but does not yet have any work experience.

To compensate for the lack of workplace exposure, they have made their A level results prominent and highlighted skills and experience which would benefit the employers they are targeting.

Any recruiter reading this profile can quickly understand that this candidate has great academic achievements, a passion for IT and finance and the ability to transfer their skills into an office environment.

College student CV personal statement (freelance experience)

As this student has picked up a small amount of freelance writing work during their studies, they have made sure to brag about it in their personal statement.

They give details on their relevant A level studies to show the skills they are learning, and boost this further by highlighting the fact that they have been applying these skills in a real-life work setting by providing freelance services.

They also include key action verbs that recruiters will be looking for , such as creative writing, working to deadlines, and producing copy.

Academic CV personal statement

Aside from junior candidates, the only other people who might use a personal statement, are academic professionals; as their CV’s tend to be more longer and detailed than other professions.

This candidate provides a high level overview of their field of study, length of experience, and the roles they have held within universities.

School leaver CV personal statement with and sports experience

Although this person has no work experience, they are still able to show employers the value of hiring them by selling their other achievements and explaining how they could benefit an organisation.

They expand on their sports club involvement to demonstrate their teamwork, leadership skills, communication and motivation, which are all important traits in the workplace, and will be looked upon favourably by recruiters and hiring managers.

They also draw upon their future plans to study business studies and take a part time job, to further prove their ambition and dedication.

History graduate CV personal statement

This history graduate proves their aptitude for both academic achievement and workplace aptitude by showcasing valuable skills from their degree and voluntary work.

They do this by breaking down the key requirements for each and showing how their skills could be beneficial for future employers, such as listening, communication, and crisis management.

They also describe how their ability to balance studies alongside voluntary work has not only boosted their knowledge and skills, but also given excellent time management and organisational skills – which are vital assets to any employer.

Law graduate CV personal statement

This legal graduate makes the most from their work university work placements by using it to bulk out the contents of their CV personal statement.

They include their degree to show they have the necessary qualifications for legal roles, which is crucial, but more importantly, they showcase how they applied their legal skills within a real-life work setting.

They give a brief overview of the types of legal professionals they have been working alongside and the type of work they have been carrying out – this is all it takes to get the attention of recruiters and show employers they have what it takes to fulfil roles in the legal sector.

Medical student CV personal statement

This medical student proves their fit for the role by showcasing the key skills they have gained from their studies and their work experience placements.

In just these few sentences, they are able to highlight the vast amount of experience they have across different disciplines in the industry, something which is particularly important in the medical sector.

As they have not graduated yet and are still studying, they have provided proof of their most recent grades. This can give the recruiter some indication as to the type of grade they could be graduating with in the near future.

Masters student CV personal statement

This masters student has started by specifying their area of study, in this case, accounting, and given details about the specific areas of finance they are most interested in. This can hint towards their career goals and passions.

They have then carefully listed some of the key areas of accounting and finance that they are proficient in. For example, business finance, advanced corporate finance and statistics.

They have also outlined some of the transferable skills needed for accounting roles that employers will be looking out for, such as communication, attention to detail and analytical skills.

Finance student CV personal statement

As this finance student has recently undertaken some relevant work experience, they’ve made sure to shout about this in their personal profile.

But more than this, they have included a list of some of the important finance skills they gained as a result of this work experience – for example, financial reporting, processing invoices and month-end reconciliations.

Plus, through power words and phrases such as ‘prevent loss’ and ‘ improve upon accuracy and efficiency’, they have also showcased how they can apply these skills in a workplace setting to benefit the potential employer.

Internship  CV personal statement

This digital marketing professional has started their personal profile by outlining their most relevant qualifications and work experience, most notably their freelance role as a content manager.

They have also provided examples of some of the key marketing skills that potential employers might be looking for, including very detailed examples of the platforms and tools they are proficient in – for example, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest.

They have then closed their statement by giving a detailed description of the type of role or opportunity they are looking for. In this case, an in-house position in a marketing company.

Graduate career changer personal statement

Switching careers as a graduate can be tough. Especially when it comes to writing a personal statement that will attract employers in your new chosen field.

This candidate is looking to move from history teaching into journalism, so they have created a statement which briefly mentions their current workplace, but mainly focuses on highlighting transferable skills which are relevant to journalism. They achieve this by discussing the writing skills they use in their current role, and mentioning their hobby of writing – including some publications they have been featured in for extra brownie points.

Business management graduate personal statement

This business management proves their ability to work within a junior business management position by swiftly highlighting their impressive degree (to ensure it is not missed) and summarising some of the real-life experience they have gained in management during their university placements and volunteering. They do not let their lack of paid work experience, stop them demonstrating their valuable skills.

PhD graduate

PhD graduate roles attract a lot of competition, so it’s important that your CV contains a personal statement that will quickly impress and attract recruiters.

This candidate provides a short-but-comprehensive overview of their academic achievements, whilst demonstrating their exceptional level of knowledge in research, languages and publication writing.

By highlighting a number of skills and abilities that are in high-demand in the academic workplace, this CV is very likely to get noticed and land interviews.

How to write a personal statement for your CV

Now that you’ve seen what a personal statement should look like and the type of content it should contain, follow this detailed guide to one for your own CV – and start racking those interviews up.

Guide contents

What is a CV personal statement?

Cv personal statement or cv profile, personal statement format, what to include in a cv personal statement.

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A personal statement is a short paragraph at the top of your CV which gives employers an overview of your education, skills and experience

It’s purpose is to capture the attention of busy recruiters and hiring managers when your CV is first opened – encouraging them to read the rest of it.

You achieve this by writing a tailored summary of yourself that explains your suitability for the roles you are applying for at a very high level, and matches your target job descriptions .

One question candidates often ask me is , “what is the difference between a personal statement and a CV profile?”

To be honest, they are almost the same – they are both introductory paragraphs that sit at the top of your CV… but there are 2 main differences

A personal statement tends to be used more by junior candidates (graduates, school leavers etc.) and is relatively long and detailed.

A CV profile tends to be favoured by more experienced candidates , and is shorter in length than a personal statement.

Note: If you are an experienced candidate, you may want to switch over to my CV profile writing guide , or example CV profiles page.

To ensure you grab recruiters’ attention with your personal statement, lay it out in the following way.

Positioning

You need to ensure that your personal statement sits at the very top of your CV, and all of it should be totally visible to readers, without the need to scroll down the page.

Do this by reducing the top page margin and minimising the space taken up by your contact details.

This will ensure that your whole personal statement can be seen, as soon as your CV is opened.

We have a Word CV template which can help you to get this right.

Size/length

Your personal statement needs to contain enough detail to provide an introduction to your skills and knowledge, but not so much detail that it bores readers.

To strike the right balance, anything between 8-15 lines of text is perfect – and sentences should be sharp and to-the-point.

As with the whole of your CV or resume , your personal statement should be written in a simple clean font at around size 10-12 to ensure that it can be read easily by all recruiters and employers.

Keep the text colour simple , ensuring that it contrasts the background (black on white is best) and break it into 2 or even 3 paragraphs for a pleasant reading experience.

It should also be written in a punchy persuasive tone, to help you sell yourself and increase your chances of landing interviews , I cover how to do this in detail further down the guide.

Quick tip: A poorly written CV will fail to impress recruiters and employers. Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to create a winning CV in minutes with professional CV templates and pre-written content for every industry.

Once you have the style and format of your personal statement perfected, you need to fill it with compelling content that tells recruiters that your CV is worth reading.

Here’s what needs to go into your personal statement…

Before you start writing your personal statement, it’s crucial that you research your target roles to find out exactly what your new potential employers are looking for in a candidate.

Run a search for your target jobs on one of the major job websites , look through plenty of adverts and make a list of the candidate requirements that frequently appear.

This research will show you exactly what to include in your personal statement in order to impress the recruiters who will be reading it.

Education and qualifications are an important aspect of your personal statement, especially if you are a junior candidate.

You should highlight your highest and most relevant qualifications, whether that is a degree, A levels or GCSEs. You could potentially go into some more detail around modules, papers etc. if they are relevant to the roles you are applying for.

It’s important that you discuss the experience you have gained in your personal statement, to give readers an idea of the work you are comfortable undertaking.

This can of course be direct employed work experience, but it doesn’t have to be.

You can also include:

• School/college Uni work placements
• Voluntary work
• Personal projects
• Hobbies/interests

As with all aspects of your CV , the content should be tailored to match the requirements of your target roles.

Whilst discussing your experience, you should touch upon skills used, industries worked in, types of companies worked for, and people you have worked with.

Where possible, try to show the impact your actions have made. E.g . A customer service agent helps to make sales for their employer.

Any industry-specific knowledge you have that will be useful to your new potential employers should be made prominent within your personal statement.

For example

• Knowledge of financial regulations will be important for accountancy roles
• Knowledge of IT operating systems will be important for IT roles
• Knowledge of the national curriculum will be important for teachers

You should also include some information about the types of roles you are applying for, and why you are doing so. Try to show your interest and passion for the field you are hoping to enter, because employers want to hire people who have genuine motivation and drive in their work.

This is especially true if you don’t have much work experience, as you need something else to compensate for it.

CV personal statement mistakes

The things that you omit from your personal statement can be just as important as the things you include.

Try to keep the following out of your personal statement..

Irrelevant info

Any information that doesn’t fall into the requirements of your target roles can be cut out of your personal statement. For example, if you were a professional athlete 6 years ago, that’s great – but it won’t be relevant if you’re applying to advertising internships, so leave it out.

Generic clichés

If you are describing yourself as a “ dynamic team player with high levels of motivation and enthusiasm” you aren’t doing yourself any favours.

These cliché terms are vastly overused and don’t provide readers with any factual details about you – so keep them to a minimum.

Stick to solid facts like education, skills , experience, achievements and knowledge.

If you really want to ensure that your personal statement makes a big impact, you need to write in a persuasive manner.

So, how do you so this?

Well, you need to brag a little – but not too much

It’s about selling yourself and appearing confident, without overstepping the mark and appearing arrogant.

For example, instead of writing.

“Marketing graduate with an interest in entering the digital field”

Be creative and excite the reader by livening the sentence up like this,

“Marketing graduate with highest exam results in class and a passion for embarking on a long and successful career within digital”

The second sentence is a much more interesting, makes the candidate appear more confident, throws in some achievements, and shows off a wider range of writing skills.

Quick tip: A poorly written CV will fail to impress recruiters and employers. Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to create a winning CV in minutes with professional templates and pre-written content for every industry.

Your own personal statement will be totally unique to yourself, but by using the above guidelines you will be able to create one which shows recruiters everything they need.

Remember to keep the length between 10-20 lines and only include the most relevant information for your target roles.

You can also check our school leaver CV example , our best CV templates , or our library of example CVs from all industries.

Good luck with the job hunt!

Resume personal statements: How to write one

A well-written personal statement can help your resume stand out from the crowd and capture a recruiter's attention. We'll show you how to write a solid personal statement that highlights your unique skills, experiences, and professional goals. Whatever career stage you're in, we've got you covered. Read on to find information on the topic, resume personal statement examples, and helpful tips to help you stand out in the job market.

• What is a personal statement?
• Key elements to include in a good personal statement
• Personal statement examples
• Tips on writing a personal statement for your resume
• Formatting and structuring your personal statement
• Common mistakes when writing a personal statement

What is a personal statement?  

A personal statement is essentially a resume summary. It is a short section on your resume that tells the employer who you are as a worker. You may also see it called resume objectives or CV personal statement.

The personal statement shows your goals and what makes you unique. It can be used to show how your skills, experiences, and job goals make you stand out from other applicants. This can significantly affect how the employer sees you as a potential employee. It's your chance to add personality, passion, and purpose to your resume. You can make an impression that will make you shine during your job search.

Key elements to include in a good personal statement  

To write an excellent resume summary, here are some important details that will help a hiring manager understand your professional identity.

• Who you are:  Start by briefly describing yourself. Give a short but informative summary of your professional background.
• Summary of your experiences:  Give a brief outline of your career. Focus on crucial turning points, accomplishments, and related experiences. This part gives an overview of your career path and shows how broad or deep your knowledge is.
• Your value as an employee:  Define your unique value Emphasize the skills, qualities, and experiences that make you stand out from other applicants. Talk about how your relevant experience fits the needs of the role and how you can help the company succeed.
• Your career objectives:  At the end of your resume objective statement, list your career goals and ambitions. Make your short and long-term career goals clear. This shows that you're committed to professional growth and development.

Personal statement examples  

A good personal statement can be an important part of shaping your career, whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced professional. Here are some personal statement examples for different career stages. They show off relevant skills, experiences, and goals of job seekers.

Personal statement examples for students looking for internships

"I am a driven undergraduate student majoring in marketing, seeking internship opportunities to apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings. I have a proven ability to develop client relationships and execute marketing strategies. I am ready to share new thoughts and learn from people with more experience."

"Dedicated undergraduate student studying mechanical engineering, looking for an internship opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to practical projects. Skilled with CAD tools and has experience making prototypes. Possesses strong critical thinking skills and takes the necessary steps to solve problems. Excellent collaborator who is always looking to learn and improve."

Personal statement example for fresh graduates

"I am a recent finance bachelor's degree holder with a solid grasp of financial principles and robust analytic abilities. I have operated effectively in dynamic settings and provided precise financial analysis. I am seeking an entry-level role in financial analysis to utilize my academic knowledge and contribute to organizational success."

"Highly motivated human resource management graduate who is deeply committed to cultivating positive work environments. Proficient in employee relations, performance management, and recruitment. Seeking an HR position to implement academic knowledge and acquire practical experience."

Personal statement examples for working professionals

"I am an experienced sales manager with more than five years of experience in B2B sales. I am currently looking to resume my professional career. I have a proven history of exceeding sales goals, building strong relationships with clients, and establishing vital client leads. I am looking for a challenging sales manager position where I can use my leadership skills to coach a team of top performers and make the company more profitable."

"I am an accomplished project manager with a background in information technology. I am skilled at coordinating the efforts of diverse teams to complete challenging assignments on schedule and within budget. I have consistently reduced risk and guaranteed project success. I am seeking new opportunities to apply my project management expertise in a dynamic environment."

Personal statement example for workers making mid-career transitions

"Experienced marketer ready to move into digital advertising. Skilled in both digital and conventional marketing tactics, with a particular focus on expanding brands' reach and interaction via online media. Seeks a position to use marketing talents to create modern digital advertising strategies."

"I am a project manager with extensive experience, with a career goal to work in sustainable development. I am passionate about positively affecting society and comfortable in a fast-paced environment. I have expertise at working with stakeholders and planning strategically."

Tips on writing a personal statement for your resume  

Before you start writing your own personal statement, think about the following tips.

Selecting the most impactful experiences to share

Carefully choose which experiences to highlight in your CV personal statement. Consider the following aspects to guarantee that you demonstrate the most effective ones:

• Relevance to job scope:  Select experiences and relevant qualifications that directly relate to the needs of your desired role.
• Significance of results:  Highlight experiences in which you achieved substantial results. Focus on your efforts and accomplishments.
• Business impact:  Show how your work has increased the company's profits. Give numbers to support your results, and explain how your work has helped the group succeed or grow.

Demonstrating problem-solving and leadership through past scenarios

In your resume personal statement, use examples from your past to show how you've solved problems and led others. Try to give an example of a problem you had and how you solved it. Highlight situations when you were proactive, made tough choices , and helped others succeed. By demonstrating that you can deal with problems and lead with confidence, you can show you're ready for new tasks in your next job.

Keeping your personal statement concise

Write a short, clear, objective statement to help you hold the reader's attention. Here are some suggestions to help you keep your resume personal statement short:

• Editing:  Carefully read over your resume and personal statement. Remove unnecessary details or repeated information, and ensure you only include the most useful and important facts.
• Clarity:  Write clearly to make sure your message is easy to understand. Avoid using jargon or academic terms that the reader might not know.
• Length:  Personal statements should be short but full of useful information. There is no rigid word limit, but keep your statement to a few brief lines that get to the point of who you are as a professional and what you want to achieve.

Formatting and structuring your personal statement  

Here are some guidelines for making your objective statement easier to read and more organized.

Formatting tips for maximum readability

The layout of your resume personal statement affects how hiring managers read and interact with your content. To make sure your writing is easy to comprehend, consider the following:

• For a professional appearance, pick a classy font that's simple to read, such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri.
• Keep the font size the same throughout the document. The best range is between 10pt and 12pt.
• When choosing the point of view, think about the tone and setting of your resume personal statement.
• First-person POV allows you to connect with the reader more directly, and third-person POV can present an air of professionalism and objectivity.

Pros and cons of each POV style

Both first-person and third-person POVs have pros and cons. First-person makes it feel like the text is directed at the reader, but it can sometimes come off as too casual. Third-person POV, on the other hand, seems objective and professional. This is common in formal settings but can feel impersonal or distant.

The POV you choose affects the way your personal statement reads. First-person POV creates a more personal and conversational tone. The third-person perspective conveys a feeling of formality and objectivity, setting a tone appropriate for formal papers.

Alignment with your overall resume style

Pick a POV for your personal statement that complements the general tone and style of your resume. The document should flow from one section to the next. To make a good impression on recruiters, change the POV to fit the role, the company culture, and the business. If you’re applying for a creative role, you can make your resume stand out by matching the creative writing style of your prospective employer.

Resume personal statement in first-person POV

“With a strong background in content marketing, I excel in writing, editing, content planning, and SEO. In my previous roles, I was committed to ensuring my team met deadlines and KPIs. I'm eager to leverage my skills and enthusiasm as Content Manager for the Philippine Creative Ad Agency.”

Resume personal statement in third-person POV

“Has a strong background in content marketing. Excels in writing, editing, content planning, and SEO. In previous roles, demonstrated a commitment to ensuring the team met deadlines and KPIs. Eager to leverage skills and enthusiasm as Content Manager for the Philippine Creative Ad Agency.”

Common mistakes when writing a personal statement  

Avoid common clichés and overused phrases.

Don't include phrases such as "hardworking," "team player," and "results-oriented." They don't say much about you and won't help you stand out from other applicants.

What to leave out of your personal statements

Remove any old or useless information that doesn't fit with your story or add value to your application. For example, if your achievements ase a high school student aren’t relevant to your application, don’t include them. Read the job description carefully before adding any information.

Bad personal statement examples

"Motivated individual seeking challenging opportunities to utilize analytical skills and grow within a dynamic organization."

"Passionate team player with excellent communication skills and a strong work ethic."

"Detail-oriented professional with a proven track record of success in various roles."

These examples are too short and vague. They don’t say anything about you as a person or employee. Make sure your personal statements showcase your unique traits and career path. Show the positive impact you had in your previous roles, and highlight what benefit your prospective employer can get by hiring you.

Conclusion  

Personal statements can make or break a job application. Using the ideas, examples, and advice in this guide, you can write an interesting statement that not only interests hiring managers but also connects with them on a deeper level. Remember that your personal statement is more than just a summary of your work history. It's your chance to show potential employers what you can do and how passionate you are about the job.

• What should I write in my personal statement for a resume? Your personal statement should give a brief overview of your professional qualities. Include the skills, experiences, and work goals that are relevant to the role you're applying for.
• Can you provide personal statement examples for a job application? Yes! Here's an example: "As an experienced marketing professional with an enthusiasm for new ideas, I am delighted to use my digital marketing abilities to expand and engage your vibrant team at XYZ Company. I am devoted to delivering measurable results and helping your organization succeed with my experience in creating effective campaigns and analytics."
• How long should a personal statement be on a resume? A few sentences should be enough for a short but powerful statement. They should focus on the most relevant information that fits the job description.
• What are some dos and don'ts for writing a resume personal statement? Dos: Personalize your statement for the position and company. Highlight your job-related abilities, experiences, and accomplishments. Don'ts: Avoid using clichés or generic phrases. Don't make it too long.
• How can I make my personal statement stand out to employers? Make your personal statements special to each role you apply for. Think about your personal profile and the job description. Highlight your unique skills, accomplishments, and goals that match the needs of the role. This will help you connect strongly with managers.
• Are there any online tools to help me craft a personal statement? Yes, tools like Perfect Essay Writer, Paper Help, and BBQ Papers can help you improve and modify your personal statements by giving you language tips and reading-level feedback.

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Fintech top tips for writing an eye-catching resume.

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Two people reviewing a successful resume. It showcases the applicant's achievements clearly and ... [+] concisely. It also highlights the potential of this person.

The fintech sector disrupts the status quo of finance daily. It challenges cumbersome methodologies and time-consuming transactions to improve accessibility and efficiency. It's no wonder that a typical fintech resume challenges some of the traditional norms expected. As of 2024, there are nearly 30,000 fintechs worldwide. This is the most ever to exist, having grown by over 3,500 in 2023. America alone grew by 1,500 fintechs, and in February 2024, America held the record for producing the world’s most fintech unicorns. Gartner predicts IT spending to increase 8% to $5.06 trillion this year. In addition, Morgan McKinley expects 62% of the workforce to be looking for jobs believing they are underpaid.

These growth factors, investment, and predicted job movement make it even more important to understand the mechanics of job hunting in fintech. Several hiring managers across the industry have shared why the fintech resume is unique.

Agile Fintech

As an industry, fintech has proved itself to be ready to pivot and re-align to meet demand, adhere to new regulations or adapt to a changing economy. In some cases, only 2% of candidates who apply to roles get selected for interviews. Some of the main reasons for being deselected are long resumes with no clear accomplishments. Many have overly detailed project descriptions that don’t share any personal contributions. It is crucial to show how agile you have been and can be. Rianna Kelly is the Senior Manager in Data at Zepz. She says, it's important to remind ourselves “fintech is an action-orientated industry.” Every resume should grab the reader's attention by focusing on what has happened and what they are capable of. The mindset of a fintech is all about problem-solving, adapting and continual learning. When documenting your career, you should focus on where you have driven solutions and what transferable skills you built.

Mission Fintech

Every fintech is unique and on a change mission. Purpose driven businesses need people who are also motivated by learning and taking on new tasks that are bound to challenge them. Gunay Aksoy, Senior Business Leader at Axoni says a great resume is all about “experience,” “achievements” and “key contributions.” She emphasized that “outcome focused resumes make me want to come back and hear more about you." This should include performance metrics, precise citations of technical skills, along with proficiency in communication and presentation skills. It is key to bullet point your contribution within a project rather than detail it step by step. Most people omit their personal mission and what they want in their next role. It is worth thinking about what you really want in your next role and articulating that. If you can tie in relevant points that are specific to the company you are applying for, then you will set yourself apart.

Accessible Fintech

The world of fintech is tuned into accessibility. That can be through customer-centricity or a focus on efficiencies and clarity. Matt Cheung is the CEO of ipushpull and Founder of ‘Work in Fintech.’ He says you “need to have grabbed my attention within the first page and, in most cases, the summary.” Often, hiring managers will review resumes on their smartphones. This reduces the visibility for the hiring manager and increases the need for them to be “concise and clear.” The summary becomes that much more important as that will determine whether someone clicks in to view your entire resume. Matt urges applicants to correct their grammar and spelling, having seen far too many people overlook these important details. Many managers indicate they prefer resumes to be 1 page and “2 pages as a maximum.” Others have spoken about having specific edits of your resume for different roles and companies you are applying for. This is particularly true when you apply for roles when you know who is reading the resume. A C-level recipient may look for attitude over skills. An AI bot may search for a detailed list of skills. You should expect a recruiter to cross-check your LinkedIn profile with your resume. Both should support one another and clearly highlight your successes.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, growing fintech.

As the fintech space seeks to challenge the status quo in finance, there are many skills they desperately need. Competition is fierce, and the regulation parameters are constantly changing. There has been an increase in demand for AI, data and regulation knowledge within job adverts in some cases by up to 20% . The demand also remains high for those who can communicate well and write code. Businesses are looking at growth trajectories and will be assessing whether you are someone who will be able to help take the business forward. In talks with Luke Trayfoot, the CCO of Brite Payments, he said in fintech, you want to hire someone “who is going to grow.” He spoke about people who take “ownership” and “accountability” for their growth. If you are a person who has challenged themselves in their career, exhibiting that in your resume is key.

Traditional advice for presenting yourself and your resume doesn’t always apply in an industry looking to disrupt. With change in the sector, there will be more demand for accurate, well-thought-out resumes. Hiring managers will want resumes that showcase not only what you have done but also what you are capable of doing next.

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Please describe the personal experiences that led you to pursue graduate education and how these experiences will contribute to the academic environment and/or community in your program or Harvard Griffin GSAS. These may include social and cultural experiences, leadership positions, community engagement, equity and inclusion efforts, other opportunities, or challenges. Your statement should be no longer than 500 words.

Please note that there is no expectation to share detailed sensitive information and you should refrain from including anything that you would not feel at ease sharing. Please also note that the Personal Statement should complement rather than duplicate the content provided in the Statement of Purpose. 

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