Financial Advisor Resume Examples and Tips

Financial Advisor Resume (Text Version)

Contact Info:

Lanton Williams
[email protected]
1 (717) 893-0934
Harrisburg, PA 17101
linkedin.com/lantonwilliams

Summary Statement:

Financial Advisor: Knowledgeable Financial Advisor with broad experience in wealth management, financial counseling, and financial strategy for both private and corporate clients. Areas of expertise include management of investment portfolios, retirement plans, and investment planning. Highly motivated to pursue client interests and goals resulting in a demonstrable increase in business value and private wealth holdings for clients.

Key Accomplishments/Areas of Expertise

• MS Office
• Financial Projections
• Market Analysis
• Investment Research
• Portfolio Management
• Goal-oriented
• Reliable
• Ethical
• Organization
• Communication

Professional Experience:

The Hershey Company | Hershey, PA
Independent Financial Advisor | January 2015–Present

• Help implement financial strategies through providing technical advice
• Offer suggestions concerning financial goals, gains, and losses
• Prepare financial projection reports based on market research and analysis
• Simplify business model in order to maximize profits and curb losses

Billings Mutual | Harrisburg, PA 
Financial Advisor |  January 2012–December 2014

• Selected clients and markets to pursue
• Assisted clients in choosing most applicable insurance plans
• Advised clients concerning personal wealth goals and investments
• Received performance award for most client acquisitions in a quarter
• Trained incoming advisors concerning company objectives and strategies

Kiley Wealth Solutions | Pittsburgh, PA
Financial Advisor Intern | May 2010–September 2010

• Acquired clients and referrals according to set goals
• Learned to develop and maintain relationships with clients
• Assembled presentations for clients according to specific cases
• Grew professional skills through observation and working with associates

Education/Certifications

Bachelor of Science in Finance
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Class of 2011

CFA Certification
2014

Numbers have to add up, especially in the business or corporate world. Proper formulas and strategies have to be implemented in order to achieve success.

It is like that with your resume.

There are formatting guidelines to follow that will help your financial advisor resume stand out from the bunch.

And take it from us. You want your resume to stand out. Many companies are being inundated with resumes.

So your own resume needs to make a great impression.

Many employers are now using scanning bots to cull sub-par resumes. Bots search for relevant language and keywords. If a resume doesn’t have them, it will get tossed aside.

When a resume makes it past the bots, it will then be seen by a hiring manager, which is great.

But there’s a catch.

A hiring manager will look over your resume for an average of six seconds.

So now you see why it’s imperative that your financial advisor resume is exceptional!

A good starting place is to make sure that you use a reverse chronological order structure for your resume.

This will ensure that your most recent position and qualifications are seen first by the reader.

Also, select a good font that is easily readable.

Make good use of your white space on the page. Align columns and lists in an orderly fashion.

These tips will help you achieve both scannability and readability with your resume.

So what do you write first?

An effective financial advisor resume should begin with a summary of your best skills and qualifications.

Your “elevator pitch,” if you will.

In 2–3 sentences, sum up what makes you the ideal candidate for the position.

Avoid generalities and get as specific as you can.

Generalities won’t do you any good here.

PRO TIP: Your summary is your first impression. It should be a curated collection of your specialities in the field. In the past, resumes have featured an employment objective instead, but you want to avoid this as it is no longer an accepted practice. Use a summary instead. Keep it strictly about your skills.

Let’s compare a few summary examples.

Which candidate is preferable?

The first, obviously. But why exactly?

The summary is an impressive breakdown of the candidate’s skills and strengths. Key areas are highlighted.

Power words are used to lend strength and a sense of action to the language.

This is a professional who knows what they’re about!

The second example is weak overall and lacks important qualifying detail.

There is little to no insight to be gleaned concerning the candidate’s actual skill level and expertise. The reader is left to guess.

The summary also uses first-person language and a statement of objective at the end.

Such missteps will hinder the chances of your financial advisor resume being accepted.

If you get your summary right, the rest of the resume will flow from that, assuring a great final product.

Your summary is a paragraph. While it needs to be perfect, there is a chance the reader will skip over it or only read the first sentence.

So it’s good practice to come up with a list of your Key Accomplishments, or Areas of Expertise.

This list should be formatted with bullet points, which attract the eye and are easy to read at a glance.

Your skills are what make you unique, so now is the chance to really highlight them!

Example

• MS Office
• Financial Projections
• Market Analysis
• Investment Research
• Portfolio Management
• Goal-oriented
• Reliable
• Ethical
• Organized
• Communication

Your list should be a selection of your hard skills and soft skills.

Hard skills are specified to your profession — what you know about what you do.

Pick those skills you really excel at, focusing on the areas that set you apart from your peers.

Soft skills reflect your personal attributes.

What about your temperament and personality makes you good at your job?

Make sure to get all your relevant skills onto your list!

PRO TIP: Remember, your Areas of Expertise list is an opportunity to differentiate yourself from other candidates. So really consider the areas in which you are most effective. Perhaps you know more about a certain skill than most other financial advisors. If so, make it one of your bullet points!

(See below for a helpful table of some suggested hard and soft skill ideas to inspire you in writing your skills section.)

Your work experience section is where you show how you’ve used your skills and expertise over time.

If you’ve had more than one job as a financial advisor, this section will comprise the majority of your resume.

So how do you go about listing the positions you’ve held?

Begin with the layout.

Remember that we are using reverse chronological order.

So your first entry will detail your most recent job.

Work backwards in time to your first position.

Unless you lack relevant experience, you want to avoid listing every job you’ve ever held. You want to tailor your working experience to the position and field you’re pursuing.

Details to include:

• The company name
• Where the company is located
• What job you performed there

It is a good idea to include dates of employment as well.

However, some people only spend a short period at a certain job, or have significant gaps of time between positions.

If this is your case, you might be tempted to leave dates off your financial advisor resume.

You may do this, but be prepared to provide an explanation anyway because you will almost certainly be asked about missing dates and time gaps in an interview context.

After listing the basic details of a former job, put down your day-to-day roles there in the form of a bulleted list.

Use 3–5 bullet points for every entry.

In terms of language and word choice, remember to use power words. They will help you convey a sense of confidence and action to the reader.

Time to look at some examples!

The first example is a strong work history entry. The candidate gives pointed detail about the day-to-day functions in the position.

Expertise is conveyed in each bullet point.

Power words help to demonstrate ability.

The second example lacks detail and is clumsy in its language and word choice.

The points have no power and provide no insight into the candidate’s specialities or talents.

Your work experience is your moment to show how you’ve implemented your skills. Each entry should demonstrate a progression in both your career and skill level.

PRO TIP: Think about all the ways you have grown more experienced over time. Write down areas and skills you’ve grown better at. Track your growing knowledge through your various positions. This will help you write informative and relevant bullet points.

Information About Bots

The job you’re applying for may be using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). These systems employ scanning bots to evaluate resume submissions.

Since an ATS prefers keywords, you could choose to alter the formatting of your work experience section.

Use a paragraph instead of bullet points.

So from this:

Billings Mutual | Harrisburg, PA | Financial Advisor | January 2012–December 2014

• Selected clients and markets to pursue
• Assisted clients in choosing most applicable insurance plans
• Advised clients concerning personal wealth goals and investments
• Received performance award for most client acquisitions in a quarter
• Trained incoming advisors concerning company objectives and strategies

To a paragraph:

Selected clients and markets to pursue according to trend analysis. Assisted clients in choosing the most applicable/strategic insurance plans. Advised clients concerning personal wealth goals and investments, with an emphasis on financial independence.

Consider also a combination of the two formats, using bullet points to highlight or bring emphasis to certain roles and accomplishments.

Selected clients and markets to pursue according to trend analysis. Assisted clients in choosing the most applicable/strategic insurance plans. Advised clients concerning personal wealth goals and investments, with an emphasis on financial independence.

• Received performance award for most client acquisitions in a quarter
• Trained incoming advisors concerning company objective and strategies

A problem with this approach is that you are creating more text for a hiring manager to read.

This could possibly create a negative impression.

For this reason, it is best to stick with bullet points alone, unless you are sure an ATS is going to be an issue in the path of your resume.

As a Financial Advisor, no doubt your education formed who you are professionally.

A potential employer will want to know all the details of your education and degrees.

Start by listing your highest level of education.

Example: Highschool Diploma, bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, etc.

What was your field of study?

Where did you go to college or university?

Answer these questions in this section, including details about minor degrees and concentrations.

Listing your GPA can be helpful if you’ve just graduated and are looking to boost your credentials.

Example:

Bachelor of Science in Finance
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
GPA: 3.6
Class of 2011

Feel free to include information about workshops or certifications you’ve completed and received since your graduation.

Example

• “How to Be a Financial Wizard,” Professional Workshop, Harrisburg, PA
• “Small Town Finances,” Certification, Online Program

Additional Resume Sections

More to add?

Have any special accomplishments or work that do not fit with the rest of your resume?

You can add an extra section in which to list such things.

Example:

• Awards and honors
• Publications
• Noteworthy Projects
• Social Media Influence
• Speaking Engagements
• Hobbies/Interests
• Volunteer Work

What if You Have No Experience?

You may very well be in the position of not having much relevant work experience.

This should not preclude you from writing a great resume and landing your dream job.

You can easily make alterations in your resume layout to help alleviate the gap created by your missing experience.

Move your education details so they follow your summary at the top of the page.

Your education is going to be one of your most valuable selling points, so use it early on.

You will also want to write down what work experience you do possess. However, try to tailor your bullet points to reflect what you’re trying to achieve at present.

You’ve never held a position as a financial advisor.

But have you acquired skills that could help you in pursuit of that position?

Have you done any type of planning or projection in a disciplined sense?

Are you familiar with the concept of business modeling?

How are you at interpersonal communication?

Have you ever used a budget?

These areas could count as valuable experience!

First, always list your contact information. It’s surprisingly easy to overlook!

Use your email address, LinkedIn profile, or phone number. Just make it easy for them to get in touch with you.

Mind your limited space

You’re working with one page, so use the space wisely. Start with your summary, followed by your work experience and education. Make sure all your sections are aligned and orderly.

Remember power words

Power words help you present your skill set in a way that is sure to make a great impression. There are many power word options out there, so use them!

Recruit a proofreader

A proofreader could be the difference between a polished resume and one that is not quite there. It’s always good to have a second set of eyes look over your writing for mistakes and errors.

Don’t use first person expressions

You want to avoid using “I” or “me.” It will make your financial advisor resume seem amateur and unfocused. Remember, it is your skills that are going to get your foot in the door!

One page is all

One page should be enough to list your qualifications. Having multiple pages will decrease the readability of your resume.

Avoid repetition

Repeating yourself is a sure way of underselling your value. So take the time to keep your language varied. Power words will help!

(We’ve put together a handy table of power words below to use for inspiration.)

No odd fonts or formatting

A “unique” font or formatting will make your resume stand out in the wrong way. Use a simple font and be sure to follow our formatting tips. Then blow them away with your skills!

Financial Advisor Resume Power Words

• Help
• Offer
• Prepare
• Simplify
• Selected
• Assisted
• Advised
• Received
• Trained
• Acquired
• Learned
• Assembled
• Grew
• Planned

Financial Advisor Resume Skills List