INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Top Executives positions are at a 8% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 2,704,400 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 209,500 to 2,913,900 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Top Executives jobs was $107,680 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $45,850, and the highest 10% more than $208,000.
Our conclusion? The Top Executives job market is wide open for candidates.
Top VP of finance sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Writing a memorable experience section: VP of finance resume edition
Checklist: ways to make your experience section stand out
- Find balance: use 4-6 bullet points per position;
- Include positions that are relevant to the job you’re applying for;
- Use action verbs when describing your responsibilities and results;
- Highlight your achievements by adding numbers to them (e.g. instead of saying “achieved a steady increase in…”, say “achieved an X% increase in…”);
- Prove that you’re willing to work hard, both individually and in a team.
We’ve gathered the most impressive VP of Finance experience sections from real Enhancv resumes. Check them out for some additional inspiration!
- Developed a budget form for organization's finances
- Tripled member attendance at meetings
- Coordinated with organizations to launch annual council event
- Negotiated $3mm credit facility and developed banking relationships
- Created a 3 statement forecast model from scratch
- P&L management - market analysis, KPI's, price analysis, grew from $5mm to $35mm
- Initiated the sales process and coordinated sale to Oracle Corp
- Hired finance team & implemented accounting systems and controls
- Created budgeting and quarterly forecasting processes
- Implemented additional cash controls and tight cash forecasting processes to combat complex working capital obstacles
- In the face of slowing growth identified a new customer segment and identified go-to-market and product strategies which drove a 20% lift in ARR
- Responsible for financial operations including FP&A, Accounting & HR. Hired and led all three teams
- Built the ERP environment and budgeting & forecasting processes
- Negotiated leases and major IT infrastructure deals
- While building financial forecasts, raised my hand to indicate the prior business model was failing and spearheaded strategic pivot
- Supervised the pivot and restructure, including the launch of the fitness studio, and building production teams
- Manage all accounting, finance, human resources and inside sales.
- Improved accounting, sales and operational process to allow for owner exit transaction within 12 months of taking position with company.
- Intense focus on maximizing profit generation and KPI development for trend monitoring.
- Reduced benefit premiums while improving employee benefits and implemented a more informative and welcoming onboarding process.
- Weekly brainstorming sessions with Marketing Manager to improve success of lead generation events.
- Standardized financial reporting for the board, employees, and prospective acquirers
- Led management in creating mission, vision, 8 Leadership Principles
- Cut fixed expenses by 25%, extending runway 3 quarters
- Installed NetSuite
- Led multiple rounds of equity and debt funding ($25M in offers)
- Led product pivot that 10x'd gross profits and cut 54% churn to 0%
- Built all processes and tech stacks for finance/accounting/HR/legal
- Installed Adaptive Insights, reducing monthly F vs. A variance to 3%
- Started role by leading financial audit of both San Antonio and Mexico City Operation. Proposed and executed business plan resulting in sale of Mexico Center and complete overhaul of personnel in San Antonio location.
- Dedicated months into full immersion of each department to form deep understanding of business on a micro level to assist in macro-level business decisions
- Business Acquisition - acquired Verizon Mid Market & Mass Market B2B outbound programs in addition to 2 small tech companies
- Served as interim president when the owner overcame health issues
- Client Services / Invoices / Payroll / Commission Structure / Developed Management Team
- Created valuation and executed sale of Calling Solutions, Mexico
- Restructured San Antonio's organizational roles and responsibilities
- Reduced fixed cost by 36% within 120 days
- Oversaw finance, accounting and operational leadership team
- Client Services: managed partner, utilizing flexibility and complex decision making skills
- Served as interim president when owner was unavailable
- Planned and successfully executed two rounds of funding and managed all the due diligence needs surrounding fundraising.
- Negotiated and closed a senior credit facility to refinance debt and provide growth capital.
- Designed and instituted a rolling budget which allowed the company to provide updated P&L, cash flow and balance sheet forecasts as the business changed from month to month.
- Implemented a monthly financial and management reporting process resulting in a more timely, accurate and detailed reporting package for use by executives and board of directors in the strategic management of the organization.
- Oversaw all financial and accounting functions, strategic planning and analysis, cash flow management, financial controls, audit, taxes, and HR.
- Responsible for finance, accounting, human resources, recruiting, investor relations, and legal
- Secured a $4 million seed round with two of the largest angel investment groups in the U.S.
- Negotiated the financial terms for NRE contracts with SpaceX and Blue Origin worth over $1 million
- Executed a $15M recapitalization strategy, negotiated and restructured the firm’s short-term debt obligations resulting in a $50K reduction in monthly cash burn
- Secured bridge loans to finance operations through the recap
- Negotiated the financial terms of the IP asset sale to Apple, Inc.
- Successful defined expansion strategy including inorganic initiatives
- Led to the acquisition of Lycos, one of the leading Internet names
- Increased sales by over 35% CAGR by bringing innovative solutions
- Implemented new pricing schemes that led to significant customer retention
- Reported directly to the Chairman and Managing Director
- Led a team of 12 to accomplish a 12 week pledge program
- Ensured teamwork efficiency by delegating duties to individuals
- Planned and executed multiple professional, social, and community service events for members to participate
- Managed collecting dues from member and created incentives to entice members to pay on time
- Oversaw the organization’s financial need, lead fundraisers and researched funding sources to increase cash flow
- Defined financial goals for the organization, created reports to show transparency of financial status and direction of our goal
- Analyzed previous year spending to develop new ideas and identify crucial spendings factors to forecast budget for the next year
- Managed collecting dues from member and created incentives to entice members to pay on time
- Performed Financial tasks such as planing, analysis, budget auditing, bookkeeping, and completing monthly bank Reconciliation
- Developed and performed M&E in the annual budgets
- Ensured that all activities are aligned with Global and National compendium
- Managed development of time tracking software system that allowed over 1,000 employees to report their time directly into the General Ledger, which allowed company to reduce time reporting costs from 6 weeks to 2;
- Converted company wide ERP system to Great Plains Software; and
- Led acquisition of competitors assets out of bankruptcy that allowed company to expand geographical customer data base.
- Directly reported to CFO and led treasury, shared services, controller's group, risk & control, financial systems and transformation
- Built a business partner and customer oriented team and improved operational efficiency through integration, process re-engineering and resource optimization
- Provided thought leadership in post merger integration, cross functional operations optimization, enterprise data analytics and payment technology adoption
- Managed relationship with external auditors and banks and presented to Audit Committee
PRO TIP
Show off real numbers that display your accomplishments in past roles. Instead of listing out your responsibilities as VP of Finance, talk about the measurable impact you made to their business. Did you boost their revenue? Increase customer retention? Mention your proudest points on your resume.
Action verbs for your VP of finance resume
Recommended reads:
VP of finance resume: crafting a strong skills section
Do this if you want to make your skills section stand out.
- Check the job advert for keywords and add them to your skills section to pass ATS;
- List only skills that are relevant to the position to keep the hiring manager focused;
- Balance between hard, soft, and technical skills;
- Elaborate on some of your strongest skills in other sections of your VP of Finance resume, e.g. the experience section or your resume’s summary.
Top skills for your VP of finance resume
Microsoft Office Suite
Financial Analysis & Modeling
SAP
Fundamental & Technical Analysis
FACTSET
MS Office
Oracle
MS Dynamics
Netsuite
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.
VP of finance resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your VP of finance 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
Some companies, states, and countries have non-discrimination policies about what kind of information can be included on your VP of Finance resume. This might include a photo (which is often included in a resume header and might be on personal web pages you link to). You can always email the company’s HR department to ask about their policies before you apply.
How to write an inspiring VP of finance resume summary
Checklist: Writing a resume summary that makes you stand out
- Keep it short and use well-structured sentences;
- Mention your total years of experience in the field and your #1 achievement;
- Highlight your strengths and relevant skills;
- Add keywords from the company’s website or the job description.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Read the job description carefully and understand what the hiring company is exactly looking for. After that, write your summary accordingly while highlighting your potential and ability to be the best at that job.
Recommended reads:
Making the education section of your VP of finance resume stand out
Education section checklist for your VP of Finance resume:
- List your highest education degree: including your major, year of graduation, and the institution you attended;
- Highlight the extracurricular activities that have helped you gain additional expertise;
- Share more about the certifications you’ve got, especially if they are relevant to the job position;
- Entry-level applicants: Mention relevant courses and projects.
Top certifications for your VP of finance resume
Finance for Non Finance Executives
Accounting and Finance Fundamentals for Non Finance Executives
Investment Banking and Finance: Private Equity Finance
Investment Banking and Finance: Private Equity Finance Masterclass: Fundraising, Valuation, PE Deals from Entry to Exit
Introduction to Finance, Accounting, Modeling and Valuation
Learn Finance & Accounting from Scratch by an Award Winning MBA Professor, Ivy Grad, worked @ Goldman & VC
Financial statements in the corporate finance in practice
Financial statements and the fundamental principles of the world of finance. Accounting, Investments, Finance
Finance for Non Finance Professionals/Entrepreneurs
Most simple 'Finance for Non Finance' online course targeting non finance professionals, business owners & graduates
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
VP of Finance Resume: Formatting Tips & Tricks
Which came first: the hen or the egg? This question reminds us of the thing our resume experts hear most often in their job – which comes first: the content or the format? Well, we advise you to pick the format first and then go on with drafting your resume’s content.
And how do you choose a resume format? Well, based on your applicant profile. In general, there are three basic resume formats for you to choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Let’s look at each one of them in more detail:
The reverse-chronological resume format is quite straightforward. Here, you describe all your previous jobs in a reverse-chronological form, meaning your latest job comes first. This resume format is great for people with lots of experience and skills who don’t have any career gaps.
If you are a recent graduate or don’t really have much experience in the industry you’re applying for, go for the functional skills-based resume format. This format focuses on skills and character traits, rather than experience. It makes the hiring manager realize you’re the perfect fit for the role without putting too much emphasis on your work history.
And if you’re looking for something a bit more intriguing and exciting, check out the hybrid resume format. It’s a combination of the reverse-chronological and functional skills-based formats, which makes it great for all types of job-seekers. The hybrid resume allows you to showcase both your professional experience and your skills, education, and additional qualifications. If you’re feeling creative, add a separate section about your typical day or life philosophy.
Our top style and layout resume format tips:
- Go for a standard 12p resume font;
- Choose 1-inch resume margins for a professional and easy-to-read feel;
- ry your best to fit your resume in a one-page template. If you’re a professional with over 10 years of relevant experience, having a two-page resume is also fine;
- Make sure to save your resume as PDF – this will help you avoid unwanted editing and formatting issues.
Read this: How to make your resume stand out
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 VP of Finance 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 that’ll look good on your VP of Finance resume
Do you want to move beyond the traditional skills, education, and experience section? Easy-peasy!
Just choose one or two additional sections to help recruiters get a fuller picture of who you are, both as a person and as a professional:
Adding a splash of creativity to your VP of finance resume
Boring resumes are no longer an option if you’re looking to impress recruiters.
And no matter whether you’re looking to give your old resume a new life or want to start building a new one from scratch, being at least moderately creative is always a good idea. Do this by adding a ‘favorite books’ section or even a pie chart of what your typical day looks like.
What makes a great VP of finance 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.
