A powerful financial advisor resume adds value to your career by exciting the interest of employers. Invest in your career with a resume that gets you noticed and you’ll be on your way to your dream job.
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This resume guide, along with the corresponding financial advisor resume example will cover the following topics:
- What does a financial advisor do?
- How to write a financial advisor resume (tips and tricks)
- The best format for a financial advisor resume
- Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education, skills)
- Professional resume layout and design hints.
What does a financial advisor do?
Financial advisors do much more than take a client’s money and invest it. So what does a financial advisor do?
Financial advisors look at the big picture of a client’s assets, debts and potential earnings. Then, they discuss financial goals and develop a plan to help clients reach that goal. Part of the discussion is education. Advisors explain the different financial and investment products available and help clients understand their benefits and drawbacks.
The relationship financial advisors have with their clients is ongoing. Good advisors check in with clients to insure their investments remain the right choices. They also track stages of life and offer new ideas as clients’ needs change, Investopedia says.
Highlight your biggest accomplishments and attributes here. Remember to use as many powerful action verbs and job-specific information as you can. Financial advisors have the responsibility of providing quality financial advice and guidance to clients.
The vast majority of financial advisors work within the financial investment sector, but some work in credit intermediation, within agencies, brokerages or other insurance-related fields; as management within businesses; or in accounting, tax preparation or other payroll services. There are more than 4.2 million financial advisors working in the United States, according to Statistica.
The number of personal financial advisors is expected to grow by 4% through 2029, the U.S. labor bureau predicts. Salaries vary widely depending on the type of advising and longevity in the field. Personal financial advisors earned a median of $66,477, but salaries typically range from $56,376-$79,926, according to Salary.com.
How to write a financial advisor resume
When you talk to clients, you need to understand the big picture to make sure you get the details right. When you think about how to write a financial advisory resume, you also need to look at the big picture, which includes understanding what goes into a resume. Here are the elements you should include:
- The resume header
- The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
- The employment history section
- The resume skills section
- The education section
Your financial advisor resume needs to sell your prospective employer and clients on your skills and knowledge. For clients to trust your advice and believe you are acting in their best interest, you need to exude confidence and competence. Therefore, the tone of your resume should be professional throughout.
There’s no out-of-the-box solution for your clients and there’s no single financial advisor resume that will apply to all jobs. Investigate each prospective employer and create a job application that addresses the needs of that company. A successful, targeted resume sample may just open the door to that great opportunity.
Take the ATS into account
Most human resources departments use applicant tracking systems to scan and sort the plethora of applications they receive. This ATS software uses algorithms to rank and filter your resume. To get into the hands of a human being, you need to personalize your financial advisor resume.
Follow this simple plan to increase your chances:
- Analyze the job listing for important skills and attributes your prospective employer seeks
- Compare those keywords and phrases to those in your resume
- Tweak your language to match
- Add any requirements you have not included into your resume -- assuming they apply to you
Be careful to write naturally. Don’t force the keywords and phrases in. Recruiters are savvy to those tricks and you want your resume to maintain a professional, not stilted, tone.
Choosing the best resume format for a financial advisor
As you climb the ladder of success, your first rung becomes less and less important. That’s why the most common resume format is reverse chronological order. Within your employment history section, you place your most recent position at the top and work your way backward. No reason to step back more than 10 years or so, since technology and your skills have advanced tremendously since then.
A hybrid resume format may suit you if you are a career changer or are entering the job market for the first time. Functional resumes are not favored by recruiters. You should only consider using this format if you are in a highly technical or specialized field as it allows you to emphasize your skills over your work history.
We recommend reverse chronological order for financial advisors.
You can see resume examples using this format within the Accounting & Finance category here below.
More specific resume examples from the same industry:
- Finance-director resume example
- Senior-accountant resume example
- Bank-teller resume example
- Accountant resume example
- Loan-officer resume example
- Loan-processor resume example
- Bookkeeper resume example
- Auditing-clerk resume example
- Banker resume example
- Compliance-officer resume example
- Investment-banker resume example
- Financial-analyst resume example
Resume summary example: banking on success
Before clients decide to use your services, you need to sell your financial success. Your resume summary is your sales pitch to your prospective employer. It is here that you have 3-5 sentences in which to explain why you are the right person for the job.
Start with a sentence introducing yourself and your professional experience. Then, dive into the high points of your career. The idea here is to give recruiters a reason to call you by showing off your financial acumen and investing philosophy.
Use powerful language, data and details to make your case.
Exaggerate or stray from your main message. You only have a few sentences!
You can find a resume example text for a financial advisor summary below.
Experienced and driven Financial Advisor with over five years of experience providing clients with optimal assistance with retirement planning, estate planning, investment advice, tax strategies, and overall support managing their finances. Proven track record of competitive market share expansion and assisting corporations in reaching goals. Driven and detail-oriented with the ability to thrive in high pressure environments. Adept at developing key relationships and furthering business development.
Employment history sample: your stock and trade
Your financial advisor employment history details the achievements you have set out in your summary. Here, you list all positions relevant to the job you seek, but your resume must go beyond a dry recitation of every responsibility you have ever had.
To save precious space, use bulleted lists and think of each one as evidence for why a company would want to invest in your. Since numbers are your forte, use as much data as you can to show that you know how to grow your client base and your client’s portfolios.
Keep your bullet items consistent. Start with an action verb in the past tense (unless you are writing about your current position). Choose whether you will end each item with a period or not. Keep each item to one or two lines.
You can find a financial advisor employment history resume sample below.
Financial Advisor at Goldman Sachs, New York
September 2013 - September 2019
- Developed and implemented new and improved financial policies based on extensive research findings.
- Fostered successful relationships with 250+ clients, providing them with top of the line financial advisement.
- Advised a total of $40 million in assets.
- Mentored and trained new team members and worked collaboratively with existing members.
Financial Advisor at Bank of America, New York
August 2008 - August 2013
- Increased client satisfaction rating by 8% in my first year.
- Presented financial planning seminars to existing and prospective clients.
- Discovered undervalued investments and identified long term sustainable growth.
- Provided high quality investment guidance to clients based on their needs, goals, and lifestyle.
- Contributed to a productive and happy work environment, dedicated to the satisfaction of the client.
CV skills example: a quality investment
Why take up valuable space in your CV with a skills section? The goal of your CV is to make it as easy as possible for hiring managers to find the information they need. This short list of your attributes tells them exactly what you think are the most important skills you have and how well they match with the position they seek to fill. (That’s a subtle reminder to personalize each application.)
Consider making a master list of all your skills and attributes so that you have them at your fingertips each time you apply for a new position. Don’t neglect your listening skills since you really need to understand what your clients goals and threshold for risk are.
Balance soft and hard skills
As a financial advisor, you definitely need to understand and analyze markets as well as financial products and services. Those hard skills, or the ones you learned in school and on the job, are very important. On the other hand, you should not underplay soft skills, or the people and organizational skills that allow you to rise above.
The best financial advisors share these traits, according to Senior Finance Advisor:
- Trustworthy
- Proactive
- Accredited and experienced
- Confident
- Committed
Below you will find resume example text for a financial advisor skills section.
- Market Growth & Expansion
- Relationship Building
- Market Analysis
- Portfolio Management
Financial advisor resume education example
Your resume's education section is the most formatted of all. You are simply listing your degrees. A bachelor’s degree is a prerequisite for a financial advisor and many go on to earn master’s degrees in finance and other related areas. If you have a master’s degree, you can drop your high school diploma from this list.
Financial advisors may also earn certifications (Money Crashers lists 15 types). You may choose to include yours here or create a separate section if you have the space.
Below is resume sample text you may use to guide the formatting of your education section.
Master of Finance, Columbia University, New York
August 2008 - August 2010
- Graduated with High Honors.
Bachelor of Finance and Economics, Fordham University, New York
August 2004 - May 2008
- Graduated suma cum laude.
Resume layout and design: the look of a professional
You dress for success when meeting with clients and you need to do the same when you present yourself to prospective employers. That first impression is important to your relationship and so is the first impression you present to recruiters. What do you want them to think when they pick up your financial advisor resume? Professional, organized, confident, right?
To make that impression, you want a reader-friendly, eye-catching design that steers clear of gimmicks. You need to leave plenty of white space and use strong fonts that convey authority. If you’re not a visual person, no worries! Use one of our resume templates.
A resume template can save you time and give you a professionally-designed starting point for creating a beautiful resume layout. Check out our collection of professional templates, perfect for creating an impressive financial advisor resume.
Key takeaways for a financial advisor resume
- Financial advisors need deep knowledge of products and services as well as the ability to listen carefully to clients.
- Your resume needs to reflect your confidence, expertise and sales talent.
- Recognize that just as all your clients are different, all the positions for which you apply are different, so personalize your resume sample for every new application.
- Resume.io’s guides, resume examples and online builder tool and templates smooth the job application process.
