Navigating the competitive job market in finance can often be daunting due to the challenge of conveying your quantitative skills effectively on your CV. Our guide provides tailored advice on articulating your fiscal expertise, ensuring you stand out to potential employers.
- Applying best practices from real-world examples to ensure your profile always meets recruiters' expectations;
- What to include in your work experience section, apart from your past roles and responsibilities?
- Why are both hard and soft skills important for your application?
- How do you need to format your CV to pass the Applicant Tracker Software (ATS) assessment?
If you're writing your CV for a niche finance manager role, make sure to get some inspiration from professionals:
How complex should the format of your finance manager CV be?
Perhaps, you decided to use a fancy font and plenty of colours to ensure your finance manager CV stands out amongst the pile of other candidate profiles. Alas - this may confuse recruiters. By keeping your format simple and organising your information coherently, you'll ultimately make a better impression. What matters most is your experience, while your CV format should act as complementary thing by:- Presenting the information in a reverse chronological order with the most recent of your jobs first. This is done so that your career history stays organised and is aligned to the role;
- Making it easy for recruiters to get in touch with you by including your contact details in the CV header. Regarding the design of your CV header, include plenty of white space and icons to draw attention to your information. If you're applying for roles in the UK, don't include a photo, as this is considered a bad practice;
- Organising your most important CV sections with consistent colours, plenty of white space, and appropriate margins (2.54 cm). Remember that your CV design should always aim at legibility and to spotlight your key information;
- Writing no more than two pages of your relevant experience. For candidates who are just starting out in the field, we recommend to have an one-page CV.
One more thing about your CV format - you may be worried if your double column CV is Applicant Tracker System (ATS) complaint. In our recent study, we discovered that both single and double-column CVs are ATS-friendly . Most ATSes out there can also read all serif and sans serif fonts. We suggest you go with modern, yet simple, fonts (e.g. Rubik, Lato, Raleway) instead of the classic Times New Roman. You'll want your application to stand out, and many candidates still go for the classics. Finally, you'll have to export your CV. If you're wondering if you should select Doc or PDF, we always advise going with PDF. Your CV in PDF will stay intact and opens easily on every OS, including Mac OS.
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Use bold or italics sparingly to draw attention to key points, such as job titles, company names, or significant achievements. Overusing these formatting options can dilute their impact.
The top sections on a finance manager CV
- Professional Summary displays your career highlights and finance expertise.
- Work Experience illustrates your history and accomplishments in finance roles.
- Key Skills showcases financial know-how and managerial aptitudes unique to you.
- Education and Qualifications reflect relevant finance degrees and certifications.
- Financial Projects details significant projects that had a substantial impact.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your financial acumen by delineating your experience with financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting, ensuring you quantify achievements with metrics such as money saved or revenue increased.
- Emphasise your proficiency with finance-specific software and tools, like advanced Excel, ERP systems, or financial modelling applications, showcasing how they've bolstered your efficiency and accuracy in past roles.
- Demonstrate your leadership and team management skills by mentioning any successful projects you have led, including cross-departmental collaborations that improved company financial processes or results.
- Include expertise in compliance and knowledge of financial regulations pertinent to your industry, as this showcases your ability to navigate the complex legal financial landscape effectively.
- Present a track record of strategic decision-making by highlighting how your financial analysis and recommendations have driven business growth or optimised spend in previous positions.
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Making a good first impression with your finance manager CV header
Your typical CV header consists of Your typical CV header consists of contact details and a headline. Make sure to list your professional phone number, email address, and a link to your professional portfolio (or, alternatively, your LinkedIn profile). When writing your CV headline , ensure it's:
- tailored to the job you're applying for;
- highlights your unique value as a professional;
- concise, yet matches relevant job ad keywords.
You can, for examples, list your current job title or a particular skill as part of your headline. Now, if you decide on including your photo in your CV header, ensure it's a professional one, rather than one from your graduation or night out. You may happen to have plenty more questions on how to make best the use of your CV headline. We'll help you with some real-world examples, below.
Examples of good CV headlines for finance manager:
- Finance Manager | ACA Qualified | Strategic Planning Expert | 8+ Years' Experience
- Senior Finance Manager | Corporate Finance Specialist | CIMA Certified | Portfolio Growth Leader
- Assistant Finance Manager | Fiscal Oversight & Compliance | 4 Years in Financial Operations
- Finance Director | M&A Strategist | Risk Management Proficient | 15+ Years' Seniority
- Lead Finance Manager | Treasury Management | ACCA Holder | 10 Years' Industry Leadership
- Financial Planning Manager | Budgeting & Forecasting Expert | 6 Years Progressive Experience
Your finance manager CV introduction: selecting between a summary and an objective
finance manager candidates often wonder how to start writing their resumes. More specifically, how exactly can they use their opening statements to build a connection with recruiters, showcase their relevant skills, and spotlight job alignment. A tricky situation, we know. When crafting you finance manager CV select between:
- A summary - to show an overview of your career so far, including your most significant achievements.
- An objective - to show a conscise overview of your career dreams and aspirations.
Find out more examples and ultimately, decide which type of opening statement will fit your profile in the next section of our guide:
CV summaries for a finance manager job:
- With over a decade of robust experience in finance and accounting, my track record includes driving a $50m revenue increase through strategic forecasting at a leading tech firm. Expert in building dynamic teams and implementing cost-saving financial systems.
- Renowned Finance Manager with a fierce commitment to cost reduction, boasting an impressive history of managing portfolios exceeding $30m. Ability in leveraging analytics to optimize financial performance across various sectors within 15 years of experience.
- Seasoned Marketing Manager transitioning to finance with proven analytical skills, keen to apply a fresh perspective honed over 8 years. Excelled in budget management and campaign analysis, driving sales uplift by 200% in former marketing roles.
- Former Software Engineer seeking to leverage a strong background in data analysis and a passion for numbers to embark on a finance management career. Brings 10 years of experience in tech innovation and problem-solving to offer novel financial solutions.
- Seeking to utilise strong analytical abilities and a deep passion for finance in a dynamic environment, combining a recent comprehensive education in finance with unparalleled enthusiasm to contribute to team success.
- Eager to embark on a financial career, bringing forth a dedicated work ethic and a desire to apply my intensive training in financial analysis and management from a top-tier business school, along with my analytical prowess honed as an academic researcher.
The best formula for your finance manager CV experience section
The CV experience section is the space where many candidates go wrong by merely listing their work history and duties. Don't do that. Instead, use the job description to better understand what matters most for the role and integrate these keywords across your CV. Thus, you should focus on:
- showcasing your accomplishments to hint that you're results-oriented;
- highlighting your skill set by integrating job keywords, technologies, and transferrable skills in your experience bullets;
- listing your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with the latest and most senior, to hint at how you have grown your career;
- featuring metrics, in the form of percentage, numbers, etc. to make your success more tangible.
When writing each experience bullet, start with a strong, actionable verb, then follow it up with a skill, accomplishment, or metric. Use these professional examples to perfect your CV experience section:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Analysed and reported on financial performance, identifying trends and variances to aid in strategic decision-making for a portfolio of £10M.
- Developed and maintained financial models to forecast business growth, resulting in a 15% year-on-year increase in revenue across key product lines.
- Managed a finance team of 8, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional development to enhance departmental efficiency.
- Implemented new budgeting processes that reduced financial planning time by 25%, while increasing accuracy in expense forecasting.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to successfully negotiate terms with suppliers and clients, saving the company an average of 10% on procurement costs.
- Conducted in-depth financial audits in compliance with regulatory standards, identifying and mitigating risks to ensure the company's financial integrity.
- Streamlined month-end close procedures, cutting the time taken to finalise accounts from 10 days to 6 days and enhancing the timeliness of financial reporting.
- Led the adoption of a new financial software system which improved the efficiency of transaction processing and data analysis, resulting in a 20% reduction in manual errors.
- Presented financial insights and strategic recommendations to the board of directors monthly, playing a crucial role in the company's expansion strategy.
- Orchestrated a £5 million cost savings initiative by reworking financial models and improving efficiency in budget allocation across international departments.
- Led a team of 12 in financial planning and analysis, elevating the company's risk management by implementing robust forecasting technology and strategies.
- Catalysed a 30% increase in investment returns through meticulous market analysis and strategic diversification of financial portfolios.
- Managed the corporate finance department overseeing a budget of £10 million, consistently meeting cost-reduction targets by at least 15% annually.
- Drove an initiative that improved reporting accuracy by implementing an integrated financial management system, fostering data-driven decision-making.
- Secured a £25 million line of credit for organizational expansion by presenting compelling financial forecasts and securing stakeholder confidence.
- Oversaw the transition to automated financial systems, resulting in a 40% reduction in manual processing errors and a 20% increase in reporting efficiency.
- Developed a financial compliance program that aligned with EU regulations, shielding the company from potential fines and compliance risks.
- Played a key role in negotiating a merger worth £50 million, ensuring seamless financial integration and maximised shareholder value.
- Designed and executed a capital finance strategy that raised £15 million in funding for new technology ventures within the organization.
- Transformed the financial reporting framework to support a 25% year-on-year growth, facilitating more strategic operational scaling.
- Championed cost reduction strategies in procurement, saving the company £2 million while maintaining supply chain integrity.
- Spearheaded a finance department restructure that improved operational efficiency by 35% and reduced overhead costs by £1.2 million annually.
- Initiated a working capital optimization project that freed up £4 million in cash flow to be reinvested into critical business operations.
- Pioneered the adoption of sustainable investment practices, attracting 'green' investors and boosting the company’s environmental profile.
- Conducted due diligence for a major acquisition, contributing to a smooth transaction that increased the company’s market share by 15%.
- Implemented a risk management framework that decreased financial discrepancies by 22%, promoting a culture of accountability and precision.
- Launched a company-wide cost rationalization program, resulting in a 10% reduction in non-essential expenditures without compromising growth.
- Directed international budget consolidations for projects exceeding £20 million, enhancing project ROI by optimizing resource allocation.
- Managed annual financial audits, achieving an 'excellent' rating by external auditors due to the high standards of our reporting processes.
- Facilitated a cross-functional team that developed a new financial KPI dashboard, improving the real-time visibility of the company’s fiscal performance.
- Instantiated a predictive analytics program that accurately forecasted quarterly financial trends, aiding in more strategic company investments.
- Led the fiscal management of a large-scale operational efficiency project that saved the company £3.5 million over two years.
- Collaborated with IT to streamline financial data systems which increased data retrieval speeds by 50% for time-sensitive financial decision-making.
What to add in your finance manager CV experience section with no professional experience
If you don't have the standard nine-to-five professional experience, yet are still keen on applying for the job, here's what you can do:
- List any internships, part-time roles, volunteer experience, or basically any work you've done that meets the job requirements and is in the same industry;
- Showcase any project you've done in your free time (even if you completed them with family and friends) that will hint at your experience and skill set;
- Replace the standard, CV experience section with a strengths or achievements one. This will help you spotlight your transferrable skills that apply to the role.
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If applicable, briefly mention a situation where things didn’t go as planned and what you learned from it, demonstrating your ability to learn and adapt.
Describing your unique skill set using both hard skills and soft skills
Your finance manager CV provides you with the perfect opportunity to spotlight your talents, and at the same time - to pass any form of assessment. Focusing on your skill set across different CV sections is the way to go, as this would provide you with an opportunity to quantify your achievements and successes. There's one common, very simple mistake, which candidates tend to make at this stage. Short on time, they tend to hurry and mess up the spelling of some of the key technologies, skills, and keywords. Copy and paste the particular skill directly from the job requirement to your CV to pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment. Now, your CV skills are divided into:
- Technical or hard skills, describing your comfort level with technologies (software and hardware). List your aptitude by curating your certifications, on the work success in the experience section, and technical projects. Use the dedicated skills section to provide recruiters with up to twelve technologies, that match the job requirements, and you're capable of using.
- People or soft skills provide you with an excellent background to communicate, work within a team, solve problems. Don't just copy-paste that you're a "leader" or excel at "analysis". Instead, provide tangible metrics that define your success inusing the particular skill within the strengths, achievements, summary/ objective sections.
Top skills for your finance manager CV:
Financial Reporting
Budgeting & Forecasting
Financial Analysis
Risk Management
Accounting Standards (IFRS/GAAP)
Cash Flow Management
Corporate Finance
Tax Planning
Strategic Planning
Financial Modelling
Leadership
Communication
Problem-solving
Attention to Detail
Time Management
Strategic Thinking
Decision Making
Adaptability
Initiative
Teamwork
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Use mini case studies or success stories in your CV to demonstrate how your skills have positively impacted previous roles or projects.
Further professional qualifications for your finance manager CV: education and certificates
As you're nearing the end of your finance manager CV, you may wonder what else will be relevant to the role. Recruiters are keen on understanding your academic background, as it teaches you an array of hard and soft skills. Create a dedicated education section that lists your:
- applicable higher education diplomas or ones that are at a postgraduate level;
- diploma, followed up with your higher education institution and start-graduation dates;
- extracurricular activities and honours, only if you deem that recruiters will find them impressive.
Follow a similar logic when presenting your certificates. Always select ones that will support your niche expertise and hint at what it's like to work with you. Balance both technical certification with soft skills courses to answer job requirements and company values. Wondering what the most sought out certificates are for the industry? Look no further:
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If you have received professional endorsements or recommendations for certain skills, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, mention these to add credibility.
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Key takeaways
Write your professional finance manager CV by studying and understanding what the role expectations are. You should next:
- Focus on tailoring your content to answer specific requirements by integrating advert keywords through various CV sections;
- Balance your technical know-how with your personal skills to showcase what the unique value would be of working with you;
- Ensure your CV grammar and spelling (especially of your key information and contact details) is correct;
- Write a CV summary, if your experience is relevant, and an objective, if your career ambitions are more impressive;
- Use active language by including strong, action verbs across your experience, summary/objective, achievements sections.
