Financial Advisor Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Financial Advisor resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Financial advisors help people plan for their futures by guiding them through complex financial decisions like saving for retirement or buying a home. They listen carefully to their clients’ needs and goals, then recommend the most suitable products and services to help them achieve those goals.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a financial advisor or looking for a new job in the industry, your resume is your best tool for securing a job interview. Follow these tips and example resume to write a solid financial advisor resume that hiring managers will love.
How to Write a Financial Advisor Resume
Here’s how to write a financial advisor resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters and hiring managers will see. And they’re the best way to showcase your experience and qualifications.
So it’s important to use them to their full potential. And that means using them to describe your accomplishments and results. So rather than saying you “managed client accounts,” you could say you “managed client accounts for top-tier financial services firm, growing assets under management by 20% in one year.”
The second bullet point is much more specific and provides more detail about what you did and the results of your work.
Related: What Is a Financial Advisor? How to Become One
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
Many financial advisor roles require that you submit an online resume. If your resume isn’t formatted correctly, it might not make it past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and into the hands of a recruiter.
The ATS will scan your resume for specific keywords related to the job opening. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right terms, your application might be discarded.
In order to increase your chances of getting an interview, you should use the most relevant keywords in your resume. You can find these keywords by reading through the job posting and taking note of words or phrases that are repeated.
- Retirement Planning
- Investment Management
- Financial Advisory
- Asset Allocation
- Financial Services
- Investments
- Financial Analysis
- Wealth Management
- Financial Planning
- Fixed Income
- Equities
- Life Insurance
- Investment Strategies
- Financial Advisory Services
- Wealth Management Services
- Portfolio Management
- Estate Planning
- 401(k) Retirement Savings Plans
- Asset Management
- Risk Management
- Asset Management Services
- Banking
- Credit
- Loans
- Treasury
- Credit Risk
- Credit Analysis
- Sales
- Negotiation
- Commercial Banking
Showcase Your Technical Skills
Financial advisors use a variety of software programs and systems to manage their clients’ finances. They need to be proficient in programs like Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Google Suite (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar), and financial planning software, like MoneyGuidePro and Quicken. Additionally, financial advisors need to be familiar with investment tracking software, like TD Ameritrade’s Think or Swim, and tax software, like TurboTax.
Related: How Much Does a Financial Advisor Make?
Remember The Basics
As you draft your resume, there are a few basic rules to keep in mind.
Make Your Resume Easy to Scan
There are a few things you can do to make your resume more readable and less overwhelming for potential employers. Left-align your text, use a standard font type and size, and use bullets instead of paragraphs to list your experiences. You should also try to keep your bullets to 2 lines or less, and use digits for numbers. Finally, leave some white space on the page to separate different sections and make key information stand out.
Be Concise
There is no one set length for a resume – it can be anywhere from one to two pages long. However, it’s important to be selective about the information included, so only include the most relevant and recent experience. If a resume is too long, candidates should remove irrelevant information, such as personal details or hobbies.
Proofread
Proofreading your resume is important to ensuring that it looks polished and professional. Spelling mistakes, punctuation mistakes, and grammatical mistakes can all make your resume look sloppy. It is important to perform a spell check on your resume, and have a friend or two proofread it for you. Additionally, capitalize all proper nouns, and be consistent in your use of tenses and punctuation.
Consider a Summary
A well-crafted resume summary statement can help potential employers understand the value you can bring to their organization. It is a great opportunity to showcase your most relevant skills and experiences, and to explain why you are interested in the role you are applying for. When writing your summary, be sure to focus on your soft skills, transferable experiences, and future goals. Keep it short and sweet, and make sure it is tailored to the specific role you are applying for.
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