Finance CV Examples, Writing Guide & Expert Tips

Whether you count beans or supervise billions, one thing is for sure. The competition is high, and your finance CV needs to prove to the employer that you are exactly the candidate they are looking for.

First impressions matter, and when competition is so high, you only have a few brief seconds to make an impression. Following these financial CV writing tips will allow you to get ahead of the competition and secure your dream job.

In this guide, you'll find out how to write a finance CV that translates into profits. You'll get numerous finance CV examples tailored to the UK job market, plus, a finance CV template you can copy and use.

Create an effective CV in minutes. Choose a professional CV template and fill in every section of your CV in a flash using ready-made content and expert tips.

Create your CV now

Create your CV now

The LiveCareer online CV maker lets you build a professional CV fast and download it as a PDF or DOC.

Need a different CV example? Check these guides:

• Accountant CV
• Accounts Assistant CV
• Administrator CV
• CEO CV
• Consulting CV
• Business Analyst CV
• Data Analyst CV
• Investment Banking CV
• Finance Assistant CV
• Legal CV
• Manager CV
• Management Accountant CV
• Quantity Surveyor CV
• Paralegal CV
• Trainee Accountant CV

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our CV examples.

Finance CV example

That CV model gets more interviews than 9 out of 10 CVs. Here’s how to put together your own CV for finance. 

1. Invest in a convincing personal statement for your finance CV

Finance professionals handle a wide range of tasks and responsibilities, and it can be hard to summarise and introduce yourself in a few lines. For this reason, you should individualise every finance CV you send out, and only focus on what is most important to that employer.

Start your CV personal statement with a strong adjective, and summarise your years of experience and most recent job title. Scour the job ad for important aspects and key industries, and elaborate on a couple strong achievements in those domains. 

Think of a personal statement (personal profile) as an elevator pitch. Just like an elevator pitch, it will be much easier once you know the rest of the pitch, so leave writing this until the very end.

Finance CV example personal statement

A strong CV summary will convince the recruiter you’re the perfect candidate. Save time and choose a ready-made personal statement written by career experts and adjust it to your needs in the LiveCareer CV builder.

Create your CV now

2. Write your finance CV job description

Listing work experience efficiently is an art. Avoid the trivial and irrelevant, and instead focus on evidence-backed achievements. After all, your job is all about numbers, and your attention to getting them right needs to be reflected in your finance CV.

Mention the percentage improvements, ROIs, profit margins that you took a hand in, anything that illustrates your competence in the relevant areas. Focus on the ones that the employer calls for in the job ad.

Record your experience like this:

[Job Title]

[Employer Name, Location]

[Dates of Employment]

For a finance CV, you could go up to 10 bullet points for your most recent position, but limit your older ones to 3-5 at most. Around three quarters of your bullet points should have numbers to back you up, and so that the employer can envision your impact.

No former work experience in finance? Highlight your transferable skills and relevant coursework or certifications. Emphasize your willingness to learn and your strong analytical abilities.

Finance CV sample—work experience section 

3. Add an education section to your finance CV

Sometimes, trusting your instinct works. Those instincts however, were shaped by your experience—and education. Depending on the area of finance you’re in, your certifications could be more important, but your degrees need to be recorded correctly.

List your degree title, graduation date, and school. Once you have a few years of professional experience, you can opt to leave out the degree classification. Omit mentioning your secondary school, only list your degrees and relevant professional qualifications.

Finance CV example—education section

4. List relevant skills in your finance CV

There aren’t many broader terms than ‘finance’. To illustrate your suitability for the role, study which skills are in high demand with this particular employer, and include a list of 5-10 core skills that you excel at.

If you are fresh out of university and without experience, you could add a sentence or two to explain how you acquired each skill and your achievements in that domain. For accounting and bookkeeping positions, this is where you list all that accounting software.

Finance CV—skills template

5. Add additional sections to your finance CV

Whichever area of finance you’re in, the likelihood is you will have some certifications. Those, along with languages and awards can make for excellent additional CV sections. Discussing your hobbies is seldom relevant. 

Check against the job ad to see what could be relevant. If you are lacking experience, you could add a section to list your volunteering or extra-curricular activities. 

Finance CV template—additional sections

6. Write a finance cover letter to support your finance CV

If your finance CV is a balance sheet, the cover letter is the written report. It’s a chance to put your achievements into context and prove your interest in the company. 

62% of executives believe ‘clearly defined core values and beliefs’ substantially contribute to company success, so displaying a culture-fit is important in getting hired. Find out more about the company from the website or LinkedIn so you have a point of reference.

Your cover letter should fit on a page of A4, and the first paragraph should summarise your years of experience, most important and relevant achievement, as well as set out your intention in joining the company.

The body of the cover letter should discuss 2 or 3 aspects of your experience most relevant to the role. The last paragraph ought to relate the experience to the goals of the company you’re applying to, and ask for an interview.

What else to remember about when writing a finance CV?

The same way your eyes skim the reports for the figures, so do the recruiters’ with your CV. Create an easily skimmable and readable CV format:

• Use a simple CV template for enhanced readability. Match the same style of the CV and cover letter. Check free CV templates here.
• Opt for a professional CV font like Calibri, Noto or Didot in a 10-12 size. 
• Set 1-inch margins on all sides and leave space between sections.
• Use clear section headings.
• Limit your CV to one page. Save your finance CV as PDF unless asked otherwise.

The number of new finance jobs is drastically decreasing year on year, from approximately 25 000 in Q1 of 2017, to 7500 in Q2 2019, so make each finance CV count. Make a list of all of your applications, and follow up within a couple of weeks if you don’t hear back.

You don’t have to be a CV writing expert. In the LiveCareer CV builder you’ll find ready-made content for every industry and position, which you can then add with a single click.

Create your CV now

Do you have a question on how to write a finance CV? Did you find our finance CV examples useful? Any suggestions to make our article better? Use the comments section below to let us know.

How we review the content at LiveCareer

Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.