13 Finance Manager Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

As a finance manager, your responsibilities include highly detail-oriented tasks, like budget management or data analysis. At the same time, you need to have a vision for big-picture projects such as long-term financial strategies to promote growth. And yet, as opposed to leaders, who are all about vision and direction, managers are the people who get the job done and ensure people are focused and on task.

Balancing your operative knowledge and managerial experience is what seals the deal. Being able to highlight both effectively in a resume can be tricky. We’ve thought about it, and collected the best tips with real examples!

Let’s review a resume example for a finance manager. It’ll help you get the gist of the key resume components.

Finance manager resume sample

Use this finance manager resume sample as a template for your own application!

You can use this template to build your own resume, or, if you want to start from scratch, follow our tips below.

How to format a finance manager resume

The right resume format can highlight your financial expertise and leadership skills in a clear, organized manner, allowing hiring managers to swiftly recognize your value. Furthermore, a polished, well-structured resume demonstrates your meticulous attention to detail and professional standards, which are essential traits in the finance industry.

Resume format

Generally, the reverse-chronological format works best for manager positions. It gives a comprehensive overview of your work history, starting with the most recent experience. It’s a great way to show how your perseverance developed you professionally.

Resume designs

• Resume length: Concise is best, so use the 1-page resume for an overview of your achievements. If you’re very experienced, you can opt for 2 pages.
• Margins: A 1” margin on each side is ideal. Our resume builder ensures your margins are never <0.5”.
• Columns: A two-column design will help you save space.
• Colors on a resume: A little color accentuates important info without looking unprofessional.
• Resume font: Fonts like Rubik, Calibri, or Bitter bode well with a serious finance manager role.

Contact information

Ensure your resume has a clear header with your name, job title, and contact information. Generally, omit the photo to appear more professional.

File formatting

Keep your resume layout in place with a PDF format. Use a clear naming convention, like FirstName_LastName_JobTitle.

Top sections on a resume

Don’t miss a key section of your resume:

• Experience overview
• Core competencies
• Educational qualifications and certifications
• Resume summary
• Аdditional sections

We’ll discuss them in more detail below.

The Enhancv resume builder makes sure no key sections are missing on your resume!

Now that you’ve got the design, begin by filling it in with important information, starting with your experience.

How to write your finance manager resume experience

To craft an engaging finance manager resume experience, highlight your accomplishments with specific metrics, such as improved budget accuracy or cost savings achieved. Emphasize your leadership skills by showcasing successful team management and project outcomes.

Start with the basics when crafting your work history section:

• Start with your most recent and relevant experience first.
• Include job titles, company names, locations, and dates of employment for each position.
• List your achievements in concise but relevant bullet points. Use specific numbers to demonstrate your impact.

And don’t forget, your role as finance manager entails more than raising and allocating funds, profit planning, and reviewing documents. As Dina, finance manager at Sephora, highlights:

To present yourself as someone who’s success-driven:

• Display knowledge of legal financial practices, tax compliance, and regulatory requirements.
• Use strong action verbs, like "Managed," "Led," "Developed," "Implemented," and "Reviewed" to emphasize your proactive approach and leadership skills.
• Demonstrate cross-functional collaboration to show how you work effectively with various business partners across departments.
• Illustrate a proven track record of proactively identifying, leading, and implementing initiatives that drive financial performance and business growth.

Targeting the job posting

Arguably the most important thing you can do for a successful experience section is tailor it to the job posting. Why?

Recruiters only have limited time to go through applications. You could ease their load by incorporating keywords from the job description into your resume to show them you’re a good fit.

Let’s see how that works. Here’s a real example of a financial manager job description.

And here’s a sample experience section tailored to that exact job ad.

Including these makes it work:

• Direct job alignment: Shows relevant experience and matches key job responsibilities like forecasting, variance analysis, and FP&A process improvement.
• Quantifiable results: Highlights specific achievements, including managing a $50M business, improving KPI monitoring by 20%, and reducing costs by 15%.
• Strategic impact: Demonstrates collaboration with stakeholders, cross-functional projects, and providing actionable recommendations, showcasing strategic problem-solving and independence.

Remember to use tangible results in your experience section—it’s much more engaging than the plain listing of duties and responsibilities.

How to quantify your experience on resume

Illustrate how your contributions have benefited your workplace, using measurable results to emphasize your achievements. Just ensure these metrics tell a compelling story, and aren’t just numbers.

In addition to highlighting your experience, you can showcase your abilities in the skills section.

How to list your hard and soft skills on your resume

One of the most efficient ways to show your well-roundedness is through your skills section. As a financial manager, you’ve got concrete and in-depth expertise—that’s the operative knowledge we mentioned earlier. You also have management and people skills, which are much needed in this role.

Your skills can be put into two groups—hard and soft. Hard skills refer to industry-specific knowledge that can be measured and tested. It’s best to put those in a separate section on your resume. Choose the most relevant for you—you can use our list below or skills you find valuable.

Soft skills are best dispersed throughout the experience and education sections of your resume. Simply listing them won’t mean much to hiring managers. Instead, demonstrate you’re a culture fit for the company by supplying concrete examples.

Many of your unique skills are likely honed through your educational background. Now, let's explore how to effectively organize your education and certifications section.

How to list your certifications and education on your resume

An education section highlights your expertise in financial principles and accounting, assuring employers of your technical competence. It also demonstrates your commitment to continuous learning, essential for staying updated with evolving finance trends and regulations.

The main components of this section include:

• Degree name: Clearly state your degree, e.g., "Bachelor of Science in Finance."
• Institution: Include the name of the university, college, or institution where you earned the degree.
• Location: Mention the city and state.
• Years attended: Specify the year graduated. No need to specify the month.
• GPA: Include your GPA if it's 3.5 or above, e.g., "GPA: 3.8/4.0." Keep in mind that for jobs at the managerial level, GPA isn’t the most impressive accomplishment, and can be skipped.

Let’s put this knowledge into practice. This sample education section targets the job description we discussed above:

Here’s what makes this entry impressive:

• Relevant coursework and skills: The listed courses such as Corporate Finance, Financial Accounting, Statistical Analysis, and Business Strategy directly align with the core competencies required for a finance manager. This demonstrates a solid foundation in essential financial principles and analytical skills.
• Leadership and practical experience: Leading a student-managed investment fund and achieving a 12% annual return showcases practical experience in managing investments and making strategic financial decisions. This highlights leadership abilities and real-world application of finance knowledge, which are crucial for a finance manager role.
• Research and analytical capability: Completing a senior thesis on risk management strategies in financial markets indicates a deep understanding of risk assessment and mitigation. This is a valuable skill for finance managers, who need to navigate and manage financial risks effectively

Another way to show your aptitude on your resume is getting certified or additionally trained. Consider listing certifications such as:

Now that we’ve highlighted your certifications and education, let’s move on to crafting a compelling summary that shows your key skills and achievements.

How to write your finance manager resume summary

A resume summary for an experienced finance manager should show financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning expertise. It needs to showcase achievements in cost savings, revenue growth, and process improvements, alongside strong leadership, analytical skills, and a proven track record of driving financial performance and supporting business goals.

Let’s look at a well-written resume summary example that targets the job ad above.

This summary highlights over 5 years of expertise in corporate finance, specializing in financial planning, analysis, and forecasting for direct-to-consumer businesses. It showcases quantifiable achievements, strong problem-solving abilities, and a passion for driving growth through strategic financial modeling and decision support.

Finally, our additional section suggestions can take your finance manager to the next level.

Additional sections for a finance manager resume

Optional sections on your resume can provide important information that will impress employers. Take a look at our suggestions, tailored to the finance manager position.

• Key achievements: You could talk about significant successes that helped you and the company you worked for grow. You can also incorporate these in your experience section, but if you’ve got impressive accomplishments, dedicate a separate section to them.
• Projects: A finance manager might develop a comprehensive investment strategy for their family, balancing risk and optimizing returns to meet long-term goals like retirement or children's education. This personal project sharpens your professional skills in investment management and financial planning.
• Awards and recognitions: Have you received industry awards and internal recognitions for excellence in financial management? Highlight your track record of professional excellence and impactful contributions on your resume!
• Volunteer work: Reflects your commitment to social responsibility and community engagement, which can enhance your leadership profile.
• Languages: As a finance manager, you’ll probably speak to international partners and clients. Displaying your language proficiency on your resume can emphasize your communication skills to recruiters.

In conclusion

In conclusion, crafting a resume for a finance manager should highlight your analytical skills, financial expertise, and leadership abilities. Focus on a clear, concise, and impactful presentation of your achievements and qualifications to demonstrate your value to potential employers.