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Finance and banking resume examples
Resumes for finance and banking at every level, from a student chasing a first internship to a vice president of finance. Each one shows how to present the money you managed, the deals you worked on and the licenses that open doors.
- Finance internBusiness student with a summer analyst role, a student fund and the SIE.Intern
- Bank tellerBusy-branch teller: balanced drawers, compliance and customer referrals.Entry level
- Investment banking analystFirst-year M&A analyst: live deals, models, data rooms and licenses.Entry level
- Financial analystFP&A analyst who owns a forecast and turns variances into decisions.Mid-level
- Financial advisorCFP professional with a growing book, strong retention and clean licenses.Mid-level
- Private equity associateFormer M&A analyst at a lower middle market fund: deals, debt and add-ons.Mid-level
- Senior financial analystOwns the revenue forecast and long-range plan, and leads two analysts.Senior
- Portfolio managerCFA charterholder co-managing a $2.3 billion equity strategy.Senior
- Risk managerCredit risk manager at a regional bank: stress tests, CECL and a team of 6.Manager
- Vice president of financeFinance leader at a PE-backed company: capital, close, margins and team.Vice president
Size everything in dollars
Finance readers think in numbers, and the first question about any line on your resume is “how big?”. Give the size of the deal, the budget, the portfolio, the loan book or the assets under management, then what you did with it. “Owned the forecast for a $310 million business unit, landing within 3% for eight quarters” beats any claim to be analytical.
Be careful with results that are not yours alone. Fund returns, deal outcomes and revenue growth involve many people. Say what you built, ran or recommended, then give the shared result.
Licenses, designations and how to list them
In the US, most securities licenses (Series 7, 79, 63, 66) require sponsorship by a FINRA member firm, and they lapse two years after you leave one unless you join FINRA’s Maintaining Qualifications Program. The SIE is the exception: anyone 18 or older can take it, and a pass stays valid for four years. List each license by number and name, and say if it has lapsed.
Professional designations come with naming rules. Only write “CFA” once you hold the charter; before that, say “CFA Level II candidate” or “Passed Level I of the CFA Program”. The same care applies to the CFP and FRM. Getting this wrong is one of the quickest ways to lose a finance reader’s trust.
Confidentiality is part of the job
Describe unannounced deals, private clients and portfolio companies by sector, size and type instead of by name. Recruiters expect it, and an applicant who names a confidential client signals poor judgment, however impressive the deal.
Questions and answers
Is a one-page resume required in finance?
For students, analysts and associates, yes. Banking and private equity recruiters expect one page in a plain, single-column format. Senior professionals, managers and executives can use two pages.
Should I list my GPA on a finance resume?
Yes for students and for the first two or three years after graduation, especially in banking, where many firms screen on it. After that, your work results replace it.
Which designation should I get: CFA, CPA, CFP or FRM?
Match the career. The CFA suits investing and research, the CPA accounting, controllership and many finance leadership paths, the CFP financial planning, and the FRM risk management. One relevant designation is worth more than several half-finished ones.
Do I need an MBA to move up in finance?
Not always. It is common for moves from banking into private equity or into finance leadership at large companies, but many analysts reach senior and director roles through performance and designations instead.