5 VP of Finance Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

As a highly-competitive field that’s constantly evolving, the finance industry has become a battlefield for the best and the brightest. VP of Finance job offers attract many aspiring applicants looking to secure their dream job. This intense competition is further fueled by the high stakes associated with these top-tier positions, making the selection process even more rigorous.

But, there’s a silver lining! A compelling VP of Finance resume can be all you need to make a strong case for your financial acumen and leadership capabilities. It will not only showcase your most prominent qualities but also position you as the ideal candidate for the role.

In this VP of Finance resume guide, you'll discover:

• The most effective VP of Finance resume structures and formats to impress recruiters
• Expert-driven tips on how to articulate your financial expertise and skillset across different sections
• Real-world VP of Finance resume examples and templates to help you land your dream job
• Strategies to leverage education, certificates, and achievements to enhance your professional narrative.

Ready? Let's jump in.

Here are more related guides to enhance your resume-building skills:

• CFO resume 
• Director of Finance resume
• Director of Accounting resume
• Audit Director resume
• Finance executive resume 

How to format a VP of Finance resume

A VP of Finance resume must reflect precision, clarity, and strategic structuring — all of which are vital qualities in the world of finance.

The formatting of your resume is not just about aesthetics but a testament to your organizational skills and attention to detail. Strategically selected design elements enhance readability, making it easier for hiring managers to identify key information and keeping you at the top of their minds.

Creating a well-structured resume is your chance to convey your professional story at a glance, efficiently highlighting your strategic financial leadership and acumen.

Essential tips for building your VP of Finance resume:

• Adopt the reverse chronological format: This resume format is ideal for showcasing your sequential career progression in finance. It highlights your most recent and relevant experiences first, demonstrating your growth and achievements in the financial sector.
• Add a header section at the top: Include a professional header with your name, contact information, and a professional photo if it aligns with the industry norms in your region. A captivating header makes your resume stand out and helps recruiters reach out easily.
• Integrate multiple resume sections: Ensure to feature sections that reflect your expertise in finance (experience, achievements, skills, projects, etc) and tailor each one of them to the job offer.
• Maintain an optimal resume length: Your aim should be to keep your resume between one and two pages at most — despite your lengthy experience. A concise resume demonstrates your ability to handle and thrive in the VP position, without wasting the recruiter’s time with trivial details.
• Save your resume in an appropriate file format: There was a time when DOC was the most used file format, due to the widespread use of the Microsoft Office Suite. But today, its popularity is decreasing in favor of the outstanding benefits offered by the PDF format. Using PDF to save your resume ensures that its layout remains intact across various platforms, reflecting the precision expected in your field.

ATS friendliness is another critical aspect to keep in mind when building your VP of Finance resume. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of myths and misconceptions when it comes to ATS despite its importance. While your resume is eventually reviewed by human readers, it must first make it through an automated process of applicant tracking systems (ATS).

How to write your VP of Finance resume experience

The experience section highlights the most important details about your professional experience and career wins. This is where you’ll feature your previous related jobs — with details about what you achieved in each position and how you did that.

As a VP of Finance, experience has the largest impact on whether your application is ignored or shortlisted for an interview. Therefore, it’s essential to use this section to demonstrate your qualities in financial management, strategic planning, and leadership.

One of the main challenges in conveying your expertise in finance is deciding which experiences to include and how to best present them. It’s not easy to showcase complex financial strategies and achievements concisely and understandably that can keep recruiters engaged.

Crafting an effective experience section for a VP of finance resume boils down to three simple principles:

• Relevant achievements: Focus on the most recent and pertinent achievements in your career and list them in reverse chronological order.
• Quantifiable impact: Use specific metrics and data to illustrate the impact of your work and contributions in the workplace.
• Action verbs: Start bullet points with dynamic verbs and action words that convey your active role in achieving positive results.
• ATS keywords: Incorporate relevant key terms, such as skills and desired results, to ensure your resume passes through automated ATS algorithms.

Examples of VP of Finance experience section:

The first example falls short because it fails to adhere to the three principles mentioned above. It merely lists basic, dull job duties without delving into the specifics or scale of the work. More importantly, it doesn’t show the candidate's unique contributions or broader impact — which is why it doesn’t capture the recruiter’s interest.

In contrast, the second example is more targeted and on-point — as it effectively showcases the candidate's leadership and team-building capabilities while quantifying their strategic initiatives. This approach not only demonstrates the applicant’s expertise in finance but also their ability to drive meaningful change and results within an organization

How to quantify the impact on your resume

Percentages, rates, and data are not just numbers on your resume. They're a testament to your ability to drive financial success and efficiency. When you quantify your accomplishments, you provide recruiters and hiring managers with a clear, measurable perspective of your impact, making your experience and skills more tangible and relatable.

Here are 10 VP of finance resume achievements with examples to inspire you when writing your resume:

• Increased Revenue: "Boosted company revenue by 30% over two years through strategic market expansion and product diversification."
• Cost Reduction: "Implemented cost-saving initiatives that reduced operational expenses by 20%, saving the company $1.5M annually."
• Budget Management: "Managed a $50M annual budget, optimizing resource allocation and expenditure."
• Financial Growth Metrics: "Achieved a 25% year-over-year growth in net income by streamlining financial processes and enhancing investment strategies."
• Debt Reduction: "Reduced company debt by 40% through effective renegotiation of financial terms and debt restructuring."
• Profit Margin Improvement: "Improved gross profit margins by 15% through cost-effective vendor negotiations and inventory management."
• Team Leadership: "Led a finance team of 15 members, achieving a 95% team retention rate and enhancing team productivity by 30%."
• Risk Management: "Developed risk mitigation strategies that decreased financial risks by 35%."
• Investment Returns: "Oversaw an investment portfolio that yielded a 20% return on investment within the first year."
• Financial Reporting Accuracy: "Enhanced the accuracy of financial reporting, reducing reporting errors by 50% through the implementation of new software and training programs."

How to list your hard skills and soft skills on your resume

Skills on a VP of finance resume are a decisive factor in getting you noticed and hired for the job. A well-articulated skills section can catch a recruiter's eye, demonstrating that you possess the comprehensive skill set necessary to navigate the complex financial landscape.

There are two types of skills to enhance your resume: hard skills and soft skills.

Hard skills encompass quantifiable technical abilities and knowledge specific to the finance sector. They’re usually acquired through formal education and practical experience — both of which are crucial for thriving in a VP of finance role. Core skills in this category include financial reporting and analysis, budgeting and forecasting, risk management, as well as compliance and regulatory knowledge.

Soft skills refer to interpersonal attributes that influence how you interact, manage, and work with others in a corporate setting. They play a significant role in how you navigate the complexities and dynamics of the corporate environment. For a VP of Finance, these may include leadership, team management, strategic thinking, effective communication, and adaptability.

Best practices for listing your VP of finance skills:

• Start with a comprehensive list of all your skills: Create a list of all the soft and technical skills you possess. (You can always shortlist it later and only keep the most relevant ones.)
• Prioritize skills by relevance: Tailor your skills to the job description, highlighting the most relevant and sought-after talents for the VP of finance role specifically.
• Maintain a balanced mix of talents: Ensure that your list is balanced, featuring both hard and soft talents to promote you as a well-rounded candidate.
• Be precise in your expression: Instead of generic terms and vague words, stick to specific skills that clearly define your financial expertise.

How to list education and certificates on your resume

Despite the ongoing online trend pushing for a focus on practical knowledge over formal education, a university degree remains a crucial criterion when hiring VPs of finance. After all, education doesn’t only reflect mastery of financial principles but also signifies a commitment to continuous learning and professional development.

For a VP of Finance position, hiring companies often require a degree in relevant fields such as finance, accounting, business administration, or economics. Advanced degrees like an MBA or a Master's in Finance are particularly valued, as they demonstrate a deeper understanding of complex financial concepts and strategic thinking.

So, how should you list education on a VP of Finance resume?

• Start with the highest degree first: List your most advanced degree at the top, followed by other degrees in reverse chronological order.
• Include the name of the institution, degree, and graduation year: This information is sufficient to convey your educational background.
• Mention honors (if applicable): If you graduated with honors or other distinctions, it's worth mentioning them.

Certifications can be a testament to your expertise in specific areas of finance, such as risk management or financial analysis — which makes them a highly valuable addition to your resume. They not only demonstrate your commitment to ongoing professional development but also show that you are proactive and up-to-date with the latest practices in finance.

Here are a few tips on how to list certifications on your resume:

• Reverse-chronological order: Be sure to organize certifications in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent ones.
• Relevance: Focus on certifications that are most relevant to the role to ensure that your resume is tailored to the specific job.
• Certificate details: For each certification, you can mention the name of the certification, the organization that awarded it, and the year you received it.

How to write your VP of Finance resume summary or objective

The resume profile is a brief introduction at the top of your resume page, serving as a personal statement outlining your professional background and aspirations. It can take the form of either a summary or an objective,

A resume summary is a concise overview of your field expertise and professional skills. It's tailored to reflect your key accomplishments in finance and job-specific talents like strategic planning or financial analysis. It can also feature additional qualifications such as your educational background and certificates.

A resume objective, on the other hand, focuses more on your career goals and how they align with the opportunities the hiring company is offering. It's often an excellent option for entry-level applicants and experienced candidates in the middle of a career change.

Given the demanding nature of your job role, a resume summary is more appropriate. It allows you to showcase what you can bring to the table in a nutshell, setting the tone for the remainder of your resume sections.

Let’s see a couple of examples of a VP of Finance summary:

There are a few key principles for crafting an engaging resume summary that turns recruiters' heads. The previous example falls short because it fails to achieve what a persuasive summary should — which is the following:

• Strong start: Your summary must begin with a compelling statement that captures your professional essence. This is key to keeping recruiters interested in your resume.
• Direct language: Use assertive and direct language in your summary to demonstrate the cause-and-effect relationship between your actions and their results.
• Key talents and achievements: Highlight your most significant skills and achievements, particularly those related to finance and leadership, to showcase your suitability for the role.
• ATS-keywords: Incorporate industry-specific keywords that align with the job description to ensure your resume is optimized for ATS.

After implementing these changes, let’s see what an improved summary should look like:

Additional sections for a VP of Finance resume

Additional sections offer an opportunity to strengthen your resume by adding depth and context, making it more engaging for potential employers. In other words, a hiring manager who has just read 20 resumes before getting to yours won’t be bored as soon as they see the same resume outline over again.

Also, this practice allows you to distinguish yourself from a pool of similarly qualified applicants. You can use additional sections to showcase aspects of your professional and personal journey that might not be evident in the standard parts of a resume.

Best additional resume sections to have on a VP of finance resume:

• Strengths: Highlights personal strengths that enhance your professional capabilities, such as analytical thinking, decisiveness, or resilience.
• Achievements: Details specific, quantifiable achievements outside of your regular job responsibilities. This could include successful projects you led, process improvements you initiated, or any significant contributions to your field.
• Awards: Includes any relevant awards or recognitions you've received, either in your professional field or in related areas. Use this to demonstrate external validation of your expertise and accomplishments.
• Languages: Showcases all the additional languages you speak fluently. This is particularly valuable in global companies or roles that require international interaction.
• Projects: Features the significant projects you've worked on, especially those that had a substantial impact on the company's success. It’s important to focus on projects that demonstrate strategic financial management and innovation.

Key takeaways

Crafting an exceptional VP of finance resume involves several essential strategies and tactics. Here are the most important points to remember:

• Read the job description closely and tailor your resume accordingly to make it more relevant to your target position.
• Use the reverse-chronological layout to best display your career progression and highlight your latest achievements in finance.
• Be sure to quantify your accomplishments in finance using numbers and data — so you can clearly show your impact to recruiters.
• To showcase your comprehensive abilities effectively, you must include a mix of soft skills to technical abilities throughout different parts of your resume.
• Add your educational degree and certifications to emphasize your specialized knowledge and ongoing professional development.
• Incorporate sections like projects, strengths, or languages to enhance your connection with recruiters and make your resume more engaging.