Financial Analyst Resume for Entry Level Jobs

Jobs in finance are growing faster than most, and experts predict that 11%-12% more financial analysis positions will be created through 2024.

If you’re starting your career as a financial analyst, you know it can be an exciting, high-paying career. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, pay ranges from around $51,780 to more than $165,580. What’s not to love? But let’s talk first about how to get that lucrative dream job.

Creating a personalized resume is your first step to getting an interview for an entry-level position. Even if a family friend or contact in the industry arranges an interview, you’ll still need one. Your resume is your ticket to an interview and a “You’re hired” call from your dream company.

If you’re not already familiar with a financial analyst’s job role, annual wages, qualifications, and so on, take some time to learn more here, then get to work on writing your resume and starting your job search.

You’ll want to review these specifics that recruiters and hiring managers are looking for.

Your Resume Title or Headline

A printed resume doesn’t need a title although you’ll need one for online job boards and portals. (More on that below.)

Place your name at the very top along with your contact details. A slightly larger font size and a bold effect can help it stand out. And start your skills summary—which comes next unless you’re using a job objective—with your current or hoped-for position.

On job boards you’ll need a specific resume title. That means you must identify the type of job you’re looking for. And you want to be specific.

“Financial analyst” alone won’t stand out, and it might not come up on recruiter searches if they’re using keywords that specify a particular industry segment. It’s too vague, and it suggests you aren’t sure where you fit in the world of financial analysts.

Instead, try Financial Analyst, Global Equity Products. Or Financial Analyst, Portfolio Manager. It depends on the direction you’re headed. Interested in securities? Use Financial Analyst, Security Advisor.

Don’t skip this step. Show recruiters you’re focused and goal-oriented with a clear job title.

Contact Details

On a printed resume, your name and contact information will appear at the very top. On job boards or portals, however, that information comes after the resume title.

Include your full name, email address, phone number, and links for professional social media profiles such as LinkedIn.

A note about your email address: Be sure it’s professional. FirstNameLastName@website.com. Or LastName.FirstName.MI@EmailCompany.com. No RadDude177 or CandyApple22.

Career or Resume Objective

Many experts advise against listing a career objective. Current trends show that it’s ineffective to describe what you want; it’s better to tell what you’re offering—skills, knowledge, experience—in your skill summary. Save the job objective for your cover letter.

That said, if you’re new to the job market and lack experience, a well-written job objective is important. The same applies if you’re making a career change or you’ve moved to a new location. Your previous experience and education won’t explain why you’re interested in a different type of job, and your out-of-town location might suggest a mix-up of some sort or that you’re only thinking of moving.

Your job objective must match the job you’re looking for. Be sure of what you want, and don’t be vague. Recruiters pick profiles whose goals/aims are similar to a company’s vision and missions. Before writing your career objective, research companies and study job descriptions carefully.

Skills Summary or Key Skills

Depending on the resume format or resume builder you use, a skills summary is usually the first section of information just under your name and contact details. If you’re using a job objective, place job summaries next. You can also list key skills after internship and/or job experience if that section is short, but your skills are what recruiters look for first. They want to know if you have what it takes before reading further.

Study job descriptions and notice the specific skills a potential employer wants such as financial modeling, trend analysis, or ad hoc analysis, and use the same words to describe the skills you have that match. You might have other skills useful to the position, too, so be sure to mention them.

Work Experience

As an entry-level job applicant, you’re not likely to have any full-time job experience, but recruiters prefer at least some type of experience, including volunteer and internship positions.

After your summary of skills, describe your internship experience, if any. List the company and the specific type of internship.

If you interned at a large company, your title might have been “Ratings Analyst Intern” or something similar. If you didn’t have a specific title but that’s what you did, use it. In addition, mention the hourly commitment, such as 20 hours weekly or full time. List the duration (months and year) in the same way as other experience.

You can use bullet points to highlight skills used or developed during your internship. Brief phrases like worked with financial statements, delivered financial reports, or assisted with data management are good, or combine similar skills in one bullet point.  Remember, an entry-level resume should be no more than one page.

The same applies to volunteer experience.

Education

Always start with your most recent, highest degree, then list the lesser degree below. The flow should be post-graduate (doctoral degree), graduate (master’s degree), undergraduate (four-year bachelor’s degree), and associate’s degree (two years).

Your educational qualifications should be brief but clear. You can mention honors, achievements, awards, and activities here.

References

Do not include references on a resume, and don’t write “References available on request.” Of course you’ll provide references if you’re short listed, but mentioning it on a resume is not only unnecessary, it’s outdated by a few decades (in the U.S.).

Finally, use clear, simple English. Don’t try to impress anyone with fancy word choices, but do use strong, industry-specific language and a few buzzwords. Edit and revise carefully, then proofread several times when you’re finished. Check grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and ask a friend or family member to check for errors.

A well-written resume will help you jump start your career in finance. For more detailed help, customize one of our financial analyst resume templates. And let us know about your experience or ask questions in the comment section below.

Last step: Get out there with your awesome resume and start your career!