How to Position Your Expertise and Experience in Your Finance Career
As a professional in the often-changing world of finance and accounting, you need to demonstrate your hard and soft skills to stay competitive. One way to exhibit those skills is on your resume. Showing employers your unique combination of knowledge, skills, certifications and accomplishments makes you the choice candidate for a position increases your odds of being contacted for an interview. Follow these guidelines to showcase your expertise as a finance professional.
Identify Your Goal
Before creating your resume, develop a clear finance or accounting job target. Perform a quick search to see what types of roles fit your interests and what their qualifications are. This narrows down which skills and experience to focus on.
Summarize Key Qualifications
Briefly explain your strengths and key qualifications under the Professional Profile and Areas of Expertise sections in the top half of the first page. Highlight your specific skills and knowledge, including industry certification and licensure, to show the scope of your professional experience. Include keywords related to your accounting or finance career, such as P&L management, operating and working capital, cash-flow management and modeling or business valuations.
Focus on In-Demand Skills
Mention your top skills that employers are looking for. Accounting skills include recording accounting transactions, understanding applicable accounting regulations, preparing financial statements and budgeting. Analytical thinking involves looking at a situation, understanding how it works, interpreting what it means and creating an intelligent response. Leadership skills include project management, collaboration and guiding others. Intellectual curiosity includes learning and advancing at every opportunity. Software skills include proficiency in predictive analytics, accounts payable automation, SAP accounting software and Oracle. Commercial acumen skills involve understanding the relationship between a company’s financial behavior and marketplace demands and an interest in trends shaping the industry.
Emphasize Accomplishments
Use the rest of your resume to provide additional information on your accounting or finance background. List each employer and a brief paragraph of basic job responsibilities and bulleted list of accomplishments and quantifiable results. For instance, “Instrumental in revenue and income growth of 81% over a 12-month period, through both organic growth and acquisitions. Increased cash flow by $19 million by consolidating credit-analysis function, reducing outstanding receivables from 45 to 13 days and minimizing risk from marginal customers.”
Have Your Resume Reviewed
Ask a professional outside your company to review your resume. Request feedback to improve the quality and presentation of information. Because your resume helps determine whether you get called in for an interview, you must show employers you are the best candidate for the role.
Build Your Finance Career With a Top Chicagoland Recruiting Firm
To move to the next level in your finance career, get in touch with Marco & Associates. Our seasoned recruiters invest the time to understand your experience and what motivates you; then uncover opportunities to move you toward reaching your goals. Get started by talking with us today.
