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You worked hard getting your financial degree. Now it’s time to put all that work to good use in a position in the field. To land your dream finance job, you need a good resume that grabs the attention of potential employers. Use these guidelines to get you started on the path to a new career.
1. Have a Goal
Aimlessly throwing your resume at every finance job won’t get you the position that you want. To increase your chances of landing an interview, approach your search with a specific goal in mind. Articulate this goal in the objective statement on your resume to communicate your interest in a particular type of job. It helps to begin developing your goal while you’re still in school so that you can work toward obtaining any special qualifications or certifications that pertain to the financial niche you want to work in.
2. Show Relevant Skills
The skills that most readily come to mind when thinking of the financial industry are those relating to finance, mathematics, economics, banking and business structure. However, many other skills can be useful when tackling the complexities of finance. Familiarity with computers, software and applications makes it easier to learn the programs that a particular company or institution uses to help clients. The ability to recognize patterns and use them to predict future events is another invaluable skill. Assess your talents and include any that set you apart from other applicants, noting your proficiency level for each ability.
3. Share Your Experience
Past jobs, volunteer positions and even personal activities can all teach you skills that are important in the financial sector. When listing these experiences on your resume, use language that conveys both action and results. Show potential employers the knowledge you gained and what you accomplished to demonstrate why you would be a valuable addition to any team. Whether you improved your communication skills, learned how to work with diverse groups of people or spent time in a leadership position, it all adds value to your resume.
4. Be Detailed but Concise
A professional-quality resume is like a snapshot that shows employers what they can expect should they decide to interview and subsequently hire you. Think of it as an outline rather than an essay to avoid unnecessary details or flowery language. While you don’t want your resume to be boring or dry, you also don’t want to stuff it so full of information that employers have to sift through it to find what’s pertinent. Include only the most important information, and format the document in such a way that these key details are visible at a glance.
5. Tailor the Content
The best way to keep your resume to the single page that most employers prefer is to read each job description carefully and remove any information that doesn’t pertain to that particular position. Details such as contact info and work history should remain the same, but you may wind up having a different combination of skills and experience listed for each job you apply to. The goal is to keep all content within the resume as relevant as possible so that employers can see right away whether or not you’re a good fit.
If you find that you need help putting your resume together, it’s okay to get assistance from an experienced colleague, a friend or a professional service. You know that you have the skills and knowledge necessary to land a finance job, so do whatever you can to make sure that your resume reflects everything you have to offer.
