INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Financial Controller positions are at a 6% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 492,100 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 31,300 to 523,400 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Financial Controller jobs was $83,660 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $48,760, and the highest 10% more than $159,560.
Our conclusion? The Financial Controller job market is wide open for candidates.
Top Financial Controller sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a Financial Controller resume experience section
Financial Controller Resume’s Job Experience Checklist:
- Use 4-6 bullet points per job title;
- Don’t go further than a decade behind when describing your job history, unless you’re applying for an executive position;
- Combine job responsibilities as well as achievements with numbers in results when you describe your past work;
- Start each sentence with a power verb and avoid overused buzzwords;
- Use either C-A-R or S-T-A-R methodology, when describing your experience.
The work experience samples below come from real Financial Controller resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
Work Experience
Financial Controller
Miller - Windler
2017-2018
- Finance Controller of Orange Mobile Enterprise - global organization focused on M2M IoT Connectivity and Mobility Value Added Services.
- Responsible for full P&L, mostly focused on accounting, budgeting, controlling and reporting
- Cooperating with international Sales Controllers to secure correct revenue recognition.
- Controlling gross margin by customers and businesses
- Key activities on cost side: Managing multiple cost flows between Orange Mobile Enterprise and various Orange intragroup entities and external suppliers. Components of production costs are typically related to technical telecommunication platforms owned by Orange intragroup entities or purchased from external suppliers where Orange Mobile Enterprise acts as re-seller to end customers. Maintaining proper cost accounting, controlling the budget spend and reporting results to management on monthly business reviews.
- Acting as point of contact for auditors
Work Experience
Business & Financial Controller
Vortex Solar
2018-2020
- Analyzing and reporting P&L key Items in order to give adequate visibility to the BU organization of substantive issues through variance analysis, forecast recommendations and KPIs calculation
- Managing and supporting all the commercial offers from both strategic and financial point of view
- Supporting and developing the financial planning and budgeting process, taking into consideration actual performance, previous expenditures and estimated expenses and income, by maintaining accurate spending records following internal guidelines for budgetary control;
- Producing financial analysis in order to verify profit-and-loss income statements, generating forecasts and analysing trends in Sales and other areas of business; production of reports and recommendations (based on the results of financial analysis) to Company and/or Regional management in an accurate and timely manner;
- Producing the CAPEX control budgeting and planning.
- P&L analysis for investments requests.
- Producing the Balance Sheets for every shops, discussing them with the commercial director in order to identify critical situations and/or best practices.
- Set up tools to help the Commercial Area to optimize the productivity of the working hours of each shop.
- Set up tools to help the Logistic Area to identify the stock's ruptures for the best seller products;
- Producing financial reporting for the International board of managements.
Work Experience
Sr. Group Financial Controller
Cogent Data
2016-2017
- Supervision of a team of controllers responsible for financial analysis and reporting (on both Balance Sheet and P&L) to the Group and Insurance Business Units
- Oversight of general ledger integration following merger; MT Finance integration reporting
- Finance process design related to the continuous acquisition of new business systems; coordination of finance reporting automation and RPA activities
- Monitoring of the financial close operations for Group and Insurance, including analytical reviews
Work Experience
Group Financial Controller
McClure, Leuschke and Balistreri
2019-2021
- Monitoring of financial close operations including analytical reviews; periodic financial reporting to Group and Insurance Business Units
- Coordination of process analysis and alignment within Group Finance
- Chain-wide analysis and reporting to Insurance BUs
- Group Risk management - control and reporting to internal and external stakeholders
Work Experience
Interim Group Financial Controller
Smash Tech
2012-2018
- TASKS
- Complete review and analysis of finance and accounting function
- Redress issues in payments, collections, billing and purchasing
- Development of growth strategy for LATAM expansion
- SUCCESSES
- Negotiated new Partnership Agreement for office in Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Implementation of new 12-person finance team structure
- Implementation of Patricia IP management software
Work Experience
Interim Group Financial Controller
Hessel - Ruecker
2016-2020
- AUFGABEN
- Bestandsanalyse des Bereichs Finance/Accounting
- Neuaufstellung Rechnungswesen (Invoicing, Payments, Collections and Purchasing) inkl. Cashflow Planung
- Erarbeitung der strategischen Planung in Lateinamerika
- BESONDERE ERFOLGE
- Kooperationsvertrag mit Partnerbüro in Sao Paulo neu verhandelt
- Neuaufstellung des Finanzteams mit 12 Mitarbeitern
- Koordination der Einführung von Patricia IP Management Software
Work Experience
Group Financial Controller
McClure, Leuschke and Balistreri
2015-2019
- Report to the board of director and the CEO, responsible for all matters relating to the Group’s and subsidiaries’ finance, tax, audit, insurance, risk management, human resource, corporate secretary matters, and general management of the subsidiaries.
- Prepare regular finance and management reports to highlight issues for management’s attention and assist management in decision-making.
- Liaising with banks for financing and responsible for annual budgeting exercise and rolling forecasts.
Work Experience
Cluster Financial Controller
Candor Corp
2021-2022
- Created a cluster of shared accounting services in the business units in Frankfurt
- Supporting the Director of Operations making strategic decisions for the region.
- Developing operating procedures for the business unit opening (Meliá Frankfurt City)
Work Experience
Corporate Financial Controller
Innovation Arch
2015-2019
- Responsible for compilation, review & analyse the financial reports from Hotels & units of Diagnostic centres Pan India.
- Overseeing the financial reports & analysis of 198-keys fully operational hotel "Courtyard by Marriott Gurugram Downtown"in the interest of Owner corporate
- Responsible for compilation & finalization of books of accounts, and preparation of financial statements
- Leading the internal audits for Hotels & units of diagnostic centres.
- Finalizing the budgets,incentives,financial schedules & notes and conducting variance analysis to determine difference between projected and actual results and assisting in implementing corrective actions
- Preparing of financial models for funding of new / ongoing projects with feasible Debt servicing.
- Assisting management in financial planning, budgeting, reporting and investment management process
Work Experience
Financial Controller
Movie Intense
2019-2021
- Updated company material to ISO9001 Compliance Quality standards
- Managed a team of 20 auditors who consistently received excellent client feedback
- Designed and led the implementation of a program that resulted in a +7% improvement in financial margin over 3 years
Work Experience
Financial Controller
Bravura Combo
2017-2020
- Promoted early after 5 months of top performance in key metrics
- Forecasted financial statements and applied Sum-of-The-Parts valuation model (SOTP) for 2 clients
- Consistently produced 300+ reports per year with no loss of data integrity
Work Experience
Global Group Financial Controller | Head of Finance (Contract)
Vortex Solar
2017-2020
- Acquired Vesta Ecommerce Entity (US and NZ based) to drive strategic growth $12M to $35M in 2 years.
- Ochestrated the integration of sub-entity Vesta to the Group, streamlined finance, payroll and human resource, saving $500K in operation costs.
- Optimise the Government's Research and Development Grants ($800K), through streamlining the process between IT and Deloitte R&D team.
- Developed Complex Financial Models for the Group, increasing revenue (ARR) by 100% through expansion strategy.
- Superior time management skills in aligning external audit, R&D grant, tax compliance, company acquisition and integration within 3 months.
- Analysed and optimised revenue projections of 6+ subsidiaries globally.
- Preparation of financial reports for investors presentations.
- Cooperated with the CEO and VP of Strategic Development to develop the company's strategic roadmap for FY22 & FY23.
Work Experience
Group Financial Controller - Global
Kozey - Bogisich
2009-2014
- Engineered a Cash Flow Foecast tool to facilitate high cash-flow demands ($84M), ensuring seamless continuation of capital projects.
- Produced a 3-year budget ($350M) to align mine development
- Negotiation of insurance policies which resulted in savings of $100K.
- Established travel policy, which reduced overall travel expense by 40%.
- Managed company-wide global payroll operations for 30 employees.
- Creation of a new Management Entity to provide resources across all Asset portfolios, increased, resulted in a reduction of overhead cost by $500K.
- Superior management of Deloitte Audit saving 15% in external audit fees.
Work Experience
Financial Controller
Bonefete Fun
2009-2014
- Financial reporting to local management and HQ
- Monthly closing – group purposes
- KPIs reporting & monitoring monthly results against budget
- Online & offline participation and preparing of annual and monthly planning, budgeting & forecasting
- Cash-flow management
- Revision & improvement of financial – related business processes
- Supervising part of the Financial Department
- Internal & external audit activities coordination
- Joint CEE projects with Group Controlling
Work Experience
Financial Controller
Sanguine
2015-2017
- Rapidly taking ownership of the FRS 102 project and producing the Financial Statements for 2015, in compliance with the new standard, to the full satisfaction of the auditors, the Board and all other parties involved;
- Taking over the Solvency II project, successfully setting up the new reporting process and delivering the reporting set on time and to the highest standards;
- Gaining immediate recognition while representing the finance department at Board Committee meetings and presenting updates, projects advancement and recommendations.
Work Experience
Financial Controller
Eco Focus
2015-2019
- Conceived and implemented extensive reform of the finance department during a phase of radical expansion, gaining increasing responsibilities in the process;
- Recruited and trained new staff members and built a cooperative and focused team;
- Project-managed the selection and implementation of a new integrated accounting system (Microsoft Dynamics)
- Designed and continuously streamlined most of the processes, whilst setting stronger control procedures;
Work Experience
Financial Controller
Flux
2012-2018
- Maintenance SAP master data.
- Controlling industrial cost and variances analysis (actual vs. previous year, actual vs. budget, actual vs standart).
- Calculation of cost for current products and new project feasibility analysis.
- Preparing monthly managerial and financial reports in accordance with IFRS
- Follow-up of production KPI’s.
Work Experience
Financial Controller
Lambent
2021-2022
- Controlling industrial cost and variances analysis (actual vs. previous year, actual vs. budget, actual vs standart).
- Calculation of cost for current products and new project feasibility analysis.
- Preparing monthly managerial and financial reports in accordance with IFRS
- Follow-up of production KPI’s.
- Maintenance SAP master data
Work Experience
Financial Controller
Hessel - Ruecker
2017-2021
- Controlling industrial cost and variances analysis (actual vs. previous year, actual vs. budget, actual vs standart).
- Calculation of cost for current products and new project feasibility analysis.
- Preparing monthly managerial and financial reports in accordance with IFRS
- Follow-up of production KPI’s.
- Maintenance SAP master data
Work Experience
Financial Controller
Strat Security
2021-2022
- Act as the integrator and navigator for the group
- Lead HK and PRC accounting teams, covering budgeting, accounting, tax, internal control, auditing
- Set up internal audit department overseeing all businesses
- Restructure the subsidiaries for the group purposes
- Establish banking relationships and ensure compliance with accounting and auditing policies
- Anticipate and address financial management issues
PRO TIP
In writing your Financial Controller resume, you will no doubt want to list your previous duties - as you should. But steer clear of just listing your duties, instead of your achievements. Make your resume stand out by communicating what you have done, and not merely what the job needed you to do.
Action Verbs for your Financial Controller Resume
At Enhancv, we went through countless Financial Controller resumes and uncovered which are the unique words people use to spice up their resumes. Forget about buzzwords - use these power words instead to make your experience section shine.
Recommended reads:
Financial Controller Resume Skills’ Tips & Tricks to Impress Recruiters
Resume Skills Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Skills for your Financial Controller resume
HARD SKILLS
- Microsoft Office
- SAP
- Excel
- Salesforce
- Data Entry
- Quickbooks
- Project Management
- Customer Service
- CRM
SOFT SKILLS
- Communication
- Negotiation
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Collaboration
- Flexibitly
- Resilience
- Dedication
- Empathy
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Recommended reads:
Financial Controller Resume Header: Tips, Red Flags, and Best Practices
CHECKLIST For Your Financial Controller Resume Header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your Financial Controller resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
Financial Controller Resume Summary Best Practices
Checklist: What to include in your Financial Controller resume summary:
- Years of experience;
- Highlight top 3 skills and proficiencies;
- One big professional accomplishment you’re most proud of, that you can tie with the aforementioned skills;
- Use short, direct sentences - but no more than three - to keep the HRs interested.
Resume Summary Formula:
Resume Summary Formula:
[Adjective] [job title] with [number] years of experience in [industry], a proven ability to [relevant, measurable skills], and a strong background in [relevant context of your work experience] seeks a position as [the job title you’re applying for].
PRO TIP
Your summary section should act as a brief but informative introduction to your experience section. In this section you should go into more depth about what you have done, and how you did it.
Recommended reads:
Listing Your Education, Certifications and Courses
Resume Education Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Certifications for your Financial Controller resume
Introduction to Financial and Business Controlling
Useful concepts and practical exercises to help you becoming a solid Controller and succeed in your career in Finance
The Complete Financial Analyst Course 2022
Excel, Accounting, Financial Statement Analysis, Business Analysis, Financial Math, PowerPoint: Everything is Included!
Financial and Economic Modeling and Investments
Financial Statement Analysis, Business Analysis, Investments, Finance, Financial modeling, Financial Ratio Analysis,MBA
Accounting & Financial Statement Analysis: Complete Training
Accounting & Financial Ratio Analysis made easy. Learn important accounting skills that will get your foot in the door!
Beginner to Pro in Excel: Financial Modeling and Valuation
Financial Modeling in Excel that would allow you to walk into a job and be a rockstar from day one!
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Financial Controller Resume: Additional Writing & Formatting Tips
There are three basic resume formats you can choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional resume format;
- Hybrid (or Combination) resume format;
The most optimal format for your particular case will depend on your years of experience, as well as whether you’re switching industries or not.
Reverse chronological resumes are best suited for experienced individuals who are sticking to their industry. The experience section takes a central place, and its bullets contain your responsibilities and achievements, coupled with numbers and results.
Functional resumes are used by less experienced jobseekers or career changers. Note that it’s not a format that recruiters prefer, as most are used to the classic chronological alignment. Instead of a list of job titles, functional resumes focus on your skills, and through what experiences you gained them.
Hybrid resumes are great for both experienced and entry-level candidates, as well as career changers. They combine the best of both worlds - most often in a double column format, where one side of the content is focused on your experience, whereas the other - on your skills, strengths, and proudest moments.
Financial Controller Resume Summary best practices
Here are more resume tips regarding your layout and style:
- Clear and legible 12p resume font size;
- Use 10’’ resume margins - that’s default for a great resume design;
- Use a one-page template resume length if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- Save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiter.
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Financial Controller resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company (corporation or start-up; innovative or traditional), job seniority level and your location, you may want to include more sections to your Financial Controller resume:
Financial Controller Resume: How to Make Yours More Creative & Stand Out
When you send your resume to a potential employer, chances are it's the fiftieth one they've seen that day. That's why you need to make your Financial Controller resume stand out for the right reasons. That means showing your personality, not just your professional experience. Employers are far more likely to remember a candidate who seems like a genuine person and not a robot. Do this by including your passions (which is also a great place to demonstrate skills on a resume), share your favorite books, or even what your usual day looks like.
What Makes a Great Financial Controller Resume: Key Takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
Volen Vulkov
8 minute read
Updated on 2022-03-25
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