As a finance director, your resume challenge lies in succinctly showcasing complex financial strategies and achievements without overwhelming the reader. Our guide provides targeted advice on how to distill your extensive experience into compelling, digestible bullet points that command attention and demonstrate value.
- [Job title] resume samples that got people hired at top companies.
- How to perfect the look-and-feel of your resume layout.
- How to showcase your achievements and skills through various resume sections.
- How you could hint to recruiters why your resume is the ideal profile for the job.
If the finance director resume isn't the right one for you, take a look at other related guides we have:
- Purchase Accounting Resume Example
- Construction Accounting Resume Example
- Full Cycle Accounting Resume Example
- Corporate Banking Resume Example
- Audit Director Resume Example
- Project Accounting Resume Example
- Portfolio Manager Resume Example
- Business Analyst Accounting Resume Example
- Management Accounting Resume Example
- Finance Business Analyst Resume Example
Don't stress out over your finance director resume format
Remember, the elaborate design of your finance director resume isn't what impresses recruiters most. They are primarily searching for candidates who meet the job requirements. The main aim of your resume should be to clearly and concisely explain why employers should hire you.
Here are four straightforward steps to consider in your finance director resume design:
- Organize your resume based on experience: Start with your most recent roles. Besides using reverse chronological order, choose jobs relevant to the position you're applying for.
- Include your contact details (and portfolio or LinkedIn link) in your resume's header to ensure recruiters can easily reach you. If considering adding a professional photo, check acceptable practices in different countries first.
- Don't omit essential finance director resume sections such as the summary or objective, experience, and education. These sections should reflect your career progression and align with job requirements.
- Maintain conciseness in your resume. For those with less than ten years of experience, a one-page format is advisable.
Regarding the format to submit your finance director resume, PDF is preferable. PDFs are more likely to maintain their formatting when processed through recruitment software or ATS, saving you time in the application process.
When selecting a font for your finance director resume, consider the following:
- Choose ATS-friendly fonts such as Exo 2, Volkhov, Lato, etc., to keep your resume's content legible;
- All serif and sans-serif fonts are easily readable by ATS;
- While Arial and Times New Roman are common choices, opting for unique typography can help your resume stand out.
Concerned about ATS compatibility with charts and infographics? Our recent study has debunked this and other myths.
Upload & Check Your Resume
Drop your resume here or choose a file. PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.
PRO TIP
If you failed to obtain one of the certificates, as listed in the requirements, but decide to include it on your resume, make sure to include a note somewhere that you have the "relevant training, but are planning to re-take the exams". Support this statement with the actual date you're planning to be re-examined. Always be honest on your resume.
The five (plus) definite sections your resume for a finance director job should include are:
- Header with your headline, contact details, and/or a preview of your work
- Summary (or objective) to pinpoint how your success aligns with the role
- Experience with bullets of your most relevant achievements in the field
- Skills to integrate vital job requirements (both technical and personal)
- Your further dedication to the field, showcased via relevant higher education and/or certifications
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Proven experience in financial planning and analysis, including forecasting, budgeting, and creating complex financial models.
- Demonstrable track record of managing and improving a company’s financial performance, as well as experience in capital structure optimization.
- Expertise in financial regulations and accounting standards, ensuring compliance and risk management.
- Strategic leadership skills and the ability to contribute to executive decision-making, providing insights and financial guidance on all company activities.
- Advanced proficiency with financial software and ERP systems, as well as strong data analysis and presentation skills.
Five dos for building your finance director resume experience section
The best strategic approach to your finance director resume experience section is to support your particular responsibilities with actions and achievements.
For example, you could list:
- Up to six responsibilities in your day-to-day work, supported by why they're important for your role, department, or organization;
- Experience items that have helped you sustain and enhance your technical knowledge within the field, or, perhaps, have helped you grow as a professional;
- Any metrics that pinpoint your success within your past roles;
- How you've solved specific problems in your day-to-day work;
- Strategies and solutions you've implemented for growth - and how that growth was measured.
The finance director resume experience is your best shot at making a good first impression on recruiters. That's why we've included some real-world professional examples to get you thinking about how you present your experience:
- Led a finance team in restructuring the company's debt portfolio, reducing annual interest by 15%, thereby enhancing our long-term financial stability.
- Implemented a comprehensive financial reporting system that increased report accuracy and reduced preparation time by 30%.
- Directed the financial analysis for a $50M acquisition, successfully integrating the new entity into the company's operations with minimal disruption.
- Oversaw the development and execution of a financial strategy that resulted in a 20% increase in EBITDA over a three-year period.
- Negotiated and secured a $200M line of credit to support company expansion, enhancing our capital structure and funding capabilities.
- Championed the use of new financial software that improved budgeting accuracy and provided detailed cash flow forecasts.
- Managed a multi-national finance team, improving reporting times by 40%, while ensuring compliance with both US GAAP and IFRS standards.
- Played a key role in launching a new business unit that generated over $25M in revenue within the first year.
- Crafted strategic tax planning initiatives that saved the company $10M annually through optimized corporate tax strategies.
- Executed a finance team reorganization that improved operational efficiency and cut overhead costs by 18%.
- Collaborated on the development of a new financial product that increased the company's market share by 5% within the first year of launch.
- Provided financial leadership during a merger, ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining investor confidence throughout the process.
- Revised financial governance policies that strengthened risk management procedures and reduced fraudulent activity by 22%.
- Facilitated a cost reduction initiative that slashed expenses by $8M through vendor renegotiations and strategic sourcing.
- Leveraged financial data analytics to present actionable insights to the board, guiding decisions on three major capital investments.
- Implemented dynamic financial modeling techniques that improved the accuracy of long-term revenue forecasting by 25%.
- Led the financial due diligence team on a $30M venture investment, providing key insights that shaped the negotiation strategy.
- Established a cross-departmental financial task force which identified an opportunity to reduce operational costs by $5M annually.
- Pioneered an initiative to automate financial reporting, reducing manual entry errors by 60% and increasing team productivity.
- Managed and optimized a $100M budget, delivering all projects within 10% of the allocated budgets over two fiscal years.
- Enhanced investor relations through transparent communication and consistent delivery of promised financial targets and objectives.
- Developed a risk mitigation strategy that decreased operational liabilities by 35% within two years and ensured long-term corporate financial health.
- Negotiated with suppliers to implement a tiered-pricing structure, resulting in a cost savings of 20% for raw materials.
- Harmonized the financial planning processes across all international subsidiaries, which improved global cash flow management efficiency by 40%.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Highlight quantifiable results from financial strategies you've implemented, demonstrating your ability to boost revenue or cut costs.
- Illustrate your budget management skills by specifying the size of budgets you've overseen, showcasing your capacity for handling substantial financial responsibilities.
- Specify the percentage by which you improved financial reporting accuracy, underscoring your precision and attention to detail.
- Include figures showcasing the growth in investment returns or savings due to your fiscal leadership and strategic investment decisions.
- Emphasize efficiency improvements by noting the percentage reduction in time or resources spent on financial operations due to systems you've enacted.
- Detail your experience with mergers or acquisitions by quantifying the deal size, highlighting your expertise in significant corporate finance transactions.
- Mention the number of team members you've managed or departments you've overseen to convey your leadership scope and team-building skills.
- Report on the percentage of compliance issues you've reduced or the number of successful audits overseen, indicating your risk management and governance prowess.
Action verbs for your finance director resume
What can candidates do about their resume, if they have no experience
Job requirements can sometimes be answered by other elements you could make more prominent in your finance director resume.
Thus, you'd be substituting your lack of experience with your relevant:
- Education with details of skills you've obtained that align with the job
- Internships and short-term jobs that are once more dedicated to putting your expertise in the spotlight
- Skills section answering basic and - potentially - more specific job qualifications
- Strengths or accomplishments to show the unique value you present, even as a candidate with less or no professional experience in the industry.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Showcase any ongoing or recent educational efforts to stay updated in your field.
Key hard skills and soft skills for your finance director resume
At the top of any recruiter finance director checklist, you'd discover a list of technical competencies, balanced with personal skills.
Hard or technical skills are your opportunity to show how you meet the essential responsibilities of the role. The ability to use a particular job-crucial technology or software would also hint to recruiters whether you'd need a prolonged period of on-the-job training - or you'd fit right in the job.
But to land your dream role, you'd also need to demonstrate a variety of soft or people resume skills . Employers care about soft skills as they show how each candidate would fit into the team and company culture.
Both types of skills are specific and to best curate them on your resume, you'd need to:
- Create a skill section within which you showcase your hard and soft skills and present how they help you succeed.
- List specific examples of projects, tasks, or competitions, within which your skill set has assisted your results.
- Soft skills are harder to measure, so think about situations in which they've helped you thrive. Describe those situations concisely, focusing on how the outcome has helped you grow as a professional.
- Metrics of success - like positive ROI or optimized workplace processes - are the best way to prove your technical and people skills.
Take a look at some of finance director industry leaders' favorite hard skills and soft skills, as listed on their resumes.
Top skills for your finance director resume:
Financial Reporting
Budgeting and Forecasting
Financial Analysis
Strategic Planning
Risk Management
Accounting Principles
Financial Modelling
Statutory Compliance
Cash Flow Management
Business Acumen
Leadership
Communication
Problem-Solving
Decision-Making
Strategic Thinking
Negotiation
Time Management
Attention to Detail
Adaptability
Teamwork
PRO TIP
Bold the names of educational institutions and certifying bodies for emphasis.
Certifications and education: in-demand sections for your finance director resume
Your academic background in the form of certifications on your resume and your higher degree education is important to your application.
The certifications and education sections pinpoint a variety of hard and soft skills you possess, as well as your dedication to the industry.
Add relevant certificates to your finance director resume by:
- Add special achievements or recognitions you've received during your education or certification, only if they're really noteworthy and/or applicable to the role
- Be concise - don't list every and any certificate you've obtained through your career, but instead, select the ones that would be most impressive to the role
- Include the name of the certificate or degree, institution, graduation dates, and certificate license numbers (if possible)
- Organize your education in reverse chronological format, starting with the latest degree you have that's most applicable for the role
Think of the education and certification sections as the further credibility your finance director resume needs to pinpoint your success.
Now, if you're stuck on these resume sections, we've curated a list of the most popular technical certificates across the industry.
Have a look, below:
The top 5 certifications for your finance director resume:
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) - American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) - CFA Institute
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA) - Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)
- Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) - Association of International Certified Professional Accountants
- Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) - Association for Financial Professionals (AFP)
PRO TIP
If the certificate you've obtained is especially vital for the industry or company, include it as part of your name within the resume headline.
Recommended reads:
Finance Director resume summaries or objectives: real-world samples for best industry practices
Grasp recruiters' attention from the get-go of your application with a professional Finance Director resume summary or objective.
It's wise to select the:
- Resume objective , if you don't happen to have much experience alignment and would like to more prominently feature your dreams and personality.
- Resume summary , if you'd like to have a more standard approach to your application and feature up to five career highlights to help you stand out.
Writing your resume summary or objective should be tailored to each role you apply for.
Think about what would impress the recruiters and go from there.
But, if you need further help with this introductory section, check out some real-world samples in the next part of this guide:
Resume summaries for a finance director job
- With over 15 years of financial management experience in the telecommunications sector, I have successfully led a finance department through two significant mergers, increasing revenue by 25%. I possess an acute understanding of complex financial modeling and strategic planning, coupled with a solid track record in cost reduction strategies.
- As a seasoned finance director in the healthcare industry with over 20 years of experience, I've spearheaded the financial restructuring of a multi-facility organization, generating a 30% increase in profit margins. My expertise in regulatory compliance, fiscal reporting, and budget management has been pivotal in streamlining financial operations.
- Bringing a decade of experience in strategic business development and robust analytical skills from the tech startup space, I am seeking to transition into finance management. My strong background in fundraising, overseeing fiscal expansion, and revenue optimization has equipped me with a unique perspective to drive financial growth.
- Transitioning from a high-profile consultancy role, with over 12 years of expertise in helping Fortune 500 companies revamp their financial strategies, I aim to apply my in-depth knowledge of market analysis and investment management to a dynamic and growing finance department.
- As a highly motivated individual with a strong interest in financial markets and a recent MBA graduate, I am eager to apply my academic knowledge and enthusiasm to drive the financial success of an organization. My objective is to deliver value through rigorous financial analysis and proactive risk management.
- Passionate about the world of finance and equipped with a recent degree in Finance, I am committed to applying my theoretical knowledge, analytical skills, and fresh perspectives towards contributing to the financial planning and decision-making processes of an established enterprise.
Other finance director resume sections to support your expertise and skills
Recruiters are always on the lookout for that finance director candidate who brings about even more value to the role.
This can be either via their personality or additional accreditations they have across the industry.
Add to your resume any of the four sections that fit your profile:
- Projects for your most impressive, cutting-edge work;
- Awards or recognitions that matter the most;
- Publications further building up your professional portfolio and accreditations;
- Hobbies and interests to feature the literature you read, how you spend your time outside of work, and other personality traits you deem may help you stand out .
Key takeaways
- The format and layout of your finance director resume should reflect on both your career and what matters most to the job you're applying for;
- Use the resume summary and objective to hint at your most prominent accomplishments;
- Always be specific about your experience and consider what value each bullet you curate adds to your finance director application;
- Consider how your academic background and technical capabilities could further showcase your alignment to the role;
- Your soft skills should contribute to your overall finance director profile - aligning your personality with skills and results.
